Hi, hope someone can help with my questions.
Yesterday I did two shallow dives (I am a new diver), but during the second dive noticed that the air had a bit of a taste. Once finished I smelt the air and it definately had a rubbery smell. I have been told it is likely oil contamination in the air.
Last night the back of my throat has a burning feeling, and now also my chest feels quite irritated and a burning feeling.
Has anyone else experienced these oil contamination symptoms? Now it feels like when I have a chest cold, and irritated, burning . Will the symptoms resolve themself, or have I done permanent damage? I am a bit worried about it.
Thanks for your help!
As a new diver you need to be very careful in how you get through the learning phase into experience. Each route is different, yours was unfortunate but at least the term tragic was avoided.
Your first tank fill of the day was I assume fine, yet the second tank fill was contaminated, how this happened I will explain later if you like but you now have a direct understanding of the importance of purity when breathing compressed gas underwater and the consequences when not.
Sadly your dive supplier who supplied you with that fill clearly does not have the same regard to your health and safety and was in effect trying to kill you.
This is rule number 1.
Keep that thought in you mind for each and every scuba shop you use for a fill from now on regardless of the bravado and bull they trot out. Regardless of how long you remain a diver.
They will kill you by ignorance, they will kill you by farmyard stupidity, they will kill you by using you as an easy cash cow with which to make a few dollars.
They will ignore the safety requirements, use antiquated equipment, self service the components skimp on the replacement and service schedules and with scant regard for any responsibility for your safety.
The compounds you breathe from these oil lubricated compressors are complex and potentially dangerous, the levels of these compounds is normally controlled by use of a filter to adsorb these contaminants.
But in the right circumstances these accumulated adsorbed complex chemicals can just as easy be desorbed back out and into you tank.
In addition all it takes is a small compressor overheat for the oil breakdown to increase and the filter is overwhelmed resulting in you breathing a range of compounds from carcinogen to irritant the degree to which you were exposed will effect the damage caused. There are three other causes that have the same effect all caused by the use of oil inside a compressor they expect you to breathe from.
Further the chemical filter by it’s very nature will fail, the oil lubricated compressor likewise over time will fail as does the very oil in it with which to lubricate the running gear.
When any of these three components over time fail you are at risk. Take good care to evaluate the dive shop, the state age and condition of the compressor if you can although most hide the junk out back so you can’t see it.
Look for an air purity certificate on the wall located at the point of dispensing, make sure it is in date.
Now also the filter by it’s nature will fail, the oil lubricated compressor likewise over time will fail and the oil used will breakdown. Test you air purity before you dive it, there are various testers available. Look up divers CO testing analysers would be my first go buy after this wake up call.
By contrast an oil free compressor dismissed surprisingly by others here, cannot do this ever, even without filtration it is still clean pure air, you can even drink the contents of the condensate drain as it is pure distilled water.
Ignorance is not the main reason oil free compressors are not popular in scuba dive shops, nor is the ease of service, or the life expectancy, or the purity of the gas they compress. Sadly you as a customer are classed as a punter and your life expectancy and long term health is not even a consideration with these folk its all about making most money out of you for silly courses with the least outlay.
Just remember rule 1.
You now have had your first experience of what that is like at the recieving end as a diver and survived. Learn by it. Iain