Mailing List Archive

Mailing List: techdiver

Banner Advert

Message Display

To: "techdiver@opal.com"%BUNNY.dnet@gte.com
Subject: Poor Man's Mix, cont.
From: <jheimann%scsd.dnet@gt*.co*>
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 94 14:10:48 -0500
I should explain why you want trimix to be surface breathable (FO2 >= 0.16).
There's really no magic here.

As a background note, gases with PO2 < 0.16 ATA are hypoxic; you risk losing
consciousness if you breathe them.  If the FO2 in your mix is < 0.16, as
Wrolf
points out, you can't breathe it at the surface, but can use your intermediate
deco mix (EAN50 or whatever) to breath from the surface down to the the minimum
operating depth of the mix (that at which PO2 >= 0.16 ATA).  Sometimes this is
necessary, as when diving below 255 fsw.

If you don't need your FO2 to be < .16 because of depth concerns, you should
use more O2 for number of reasons.  Probably the best reason is that if you
run your O2 level as high as possible, you minimize your decompression
obligation.  The extra N2 in PMM not only make you narced, it adds unecessary
hang time.  Just as with nitrox, you want to run your bottom PO2 at 1.4 - 1.6
ATA, depending on your expected exertion level and bottom time. For a working
dive to the second class china in the Doria (220 fsw) you want
something like 18% O2 in your mix.

Navigate by Author: [Previous] [Next] [Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject: [Previous] [Next] [Subject Search Index]

[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]

[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]