New Diver Technologies are Slow to Evolve

[Teamcasa]

The whole issue of tanks seems a little mis-understood. If there was an affordable tank that could hold 100cf in a cylinder half the physical size and weight of a current HP100 steel tank, you would not need and magic weights just less real lead. The big issue would be filling it to 7000 psi, a first stage that could handle the pressure and a compressor to fill it.

It is possible with current technologies but it does not make economic sense today.

 

[ba_hiker]

The whole issue of tanks seems a little mis-understood. If there was an affordable tank that could hold 100cf in a cylinder half the physical size and weight of a current HP100 steel tank, you would not need and magic weights just less real lead..

Firemen use such tanks today, well almost. They use fiber wrapped tanks that are used at 5000 psi or more, and are quite light. Try diving one, particularly in say Monterey. You will need more lead on your belt.

They are EXPENSIVE...

 

[Kingmob3]

and the fiber wrap does not do well in H20.

To the guy who wanted the H2O proof Ipod: they make 512 and 1G H2O proof MP3 players, rated to a decent depth, and a few feet past. Can't remember where I saw it though...
Allen

 

[D_B]

and the fiber wrap does not do well in H20.

Fireman's tanks?
Because you can by a 4400psi fiber wrapped scuba tank now .. but your going to need more lead because of it's buoyancy characteristics ..
now if it was the size of a 20cf pony but held 80cf of air ..

 

[rawls]

Helium dive computers are the latest current advancement that I can think of. There are also higher high-pressure tanks available in Europe. And new light weight DPVs available in the USA. Weight plates attached to backplates are also a fairly new innovation within the past couple of years. Streamlined wings are now more commonplace, with Halcyon, DSS, and Oxycheq producing many more of these. And most lights have now become HID and lithium-ion powered.

CCRs also seem to continue to make progress towards a reliable, safe product, although occasionally there is still an unexplained malfunction in these and then somebody dies.

Someday when all the helium is gone (currently being sucked up by MRI machines), we will all be diving with neon mixes instead. By then, CCRs will become a financial necessity, since neon is extremely expensive, although fortunately inexhastible.

30 years ago, scuba diving was done in horse-collars, without SPGs, with crude depth gauges, and exclusively with air alone. I remember certifying back in those days. Back then, you used your watch, and guessed at the psi left in your tank(s) based on dive time elapsed and approximate depth. It was the knots on your down-line that told you your exact depth, or the fathoms marked on your marine chart.

To me that sounds like a fair amount of modern innovation in the meantime. With ScubaPro regs onto 130 cu ft steel doubles, V-Planner software together with a helium dive computer and backup, X-Scooter DPV, HID LIon light, and warm inside of a D/C shell drysuit on argon, you are quite modern. And some feel that a CCR makes you even ultra-modern.

I guess beauty is always partly in the eyes of the beholder.

It is true that closed circuit or open circuit designs have been around for a long time, but the equipment is vastly more reliable now and performs better.

Thanks...Enjoyed reading this...You put the past and present in good perspective...

If you think about it, the basic tank and regulator system have had very little improvement

I guess we could always go back to the post k valves

IMHO the industry has flattened over the years and I feel those who are researching, initiating and producing newer and safer products basically have alot of guts and I complement them for their dedication to very risky ventures in financial terms. It is making my diving safer and more enjoyable.
In an industry that promotes a recreation that has inherent dangers, slow is not necessarily a bad thing...

As far as flying cars....

 

[MikeFerrara]

Why not better motors?

I guess I don't understand why some of you think that a 110v compressor would be such an improvement. Pumping gas to higher pressures isn't a problem now. It's also no problem to use single phase 220, three phase or gas engines.

Why does the tank have to be heavy? ... to counter the effects of the exposure protection
Why not a wetsuit thats no thicker than a skin but keeps you warm?

I think lots of R&D goes into insulation material development. I suppose when such a material exists, someone will apply it to diving...and coats and boots and home insulation and so on.

Why does the battery cannister not shrink to the size of a cell phone? (fuel cells for phones are already here)

think outside the box

I don't know if you noticed but there are some very small can lights on the market already. Here too, lots of R&D goes into battery development.

Obviously the dive industry aren't the ones doing most of the development.

 

[MikeFerrara]

The whole issue of tanks seems a little mis-understood. If there was an affordable tank that could hold 100cf in a cylinder half the physical size and weight of a current HP100 steel tank, you would not need and magic weights just less real lead.

No, I don't think it's misunderstood. Archimedes' principle is common knowledge.

The big issue would be filling it to 7000 psi, a first stage that could handle the pressure and a compressor to fill it.

It is possible with current technologies but it does not make economic sense today.

At least part of the issue is "benefit". Cost needs to be measured against benefit.

 

[Carribeandiver]

Just a few things that would be cool to have.
High pressure compressors that are small, quite and lightweight capable of 6000psi on a standard 110v circuit.
Obviously we could use higher pressure, light weight tanks.
Lightweight, flexible wetsuits that maintained consistent buoyancy and insulation value at all depths.
Lights that produced sun like power without carrying around a 10lb battery canister, for less than $500.
And a few more items people smarter than me will no doubt think of.

you are exactly right. all excellent, reasonable suggestions. and while we are at it, what about a pressurized suit that would allow divers to go deeper for long periods of time without the need for decompression?

 

[MikeFerrara]

you are exactly right. all excellent, reasonable suggestions. and while we are at it, what about a pressurized suit that would allow divers to go deeper for long periods of time without the need for decompression?

1 atm suites have been around for a long time.

 

[captain]

you are exactly right. all excellent, reasonable suggestions. and while we are at it, what about a pressurized suit that would allow divers to go deeper for long periods of time without the need for decompression?

A pressurized suit would not elminate the need for decompression. It, as Mike pointed out is the un-pressurized 1 atmosphere suit that is used in commercial diving that makes decompression unnecessary.