Cozumel Diving 2/26/12 - Had one tank read 12 ppm CO -

[swamp diver]

OK, so until I'm 60 years old, obese, with occult coronary artery disease, I'll not worry about analyzing for CO. I've still got a few good years left and a few pounds to gain.

What's that old pilot's proverb that likely applies to divers as well:

There are young pilots and there are bold pilots, but very few old bold pilots.

 

[Rkelleyj]

Just walked in the door....I have my trusty $300 Analox CO tester now sitting here with me. No more worry over this stuff.

Happy and safe diving everyone, it's a simple piece of mind that isn't worth the debate in my personal opinion.

 

[Mossman]

What's that old pilot's proverb that likely applies to divers as well:

There are young pilots and there are bold pilots, but very few old bold pilots.

I dove with Bob Ling in Cozumel when he was still in the habit of doing 200' solo bounce dives on every dive. He was in his 70s then (2004?) and died late last year of natural causes.

I'm sure there are plenty of old bold bush pilots in Alaska. And don't forget that Sully Sullenberger landed an A320 in the Hudson River at age 60.

 

[DandyDon]

I dove with Bob Ling in Cozumel when he was still in the habit of doing 200' solo bounce dives on every dive. He was in his 70s then (2004?) and died late last year of natural causes.

I'm sure there are plenty of old bold bush pilots in Alaska. And don't forget that Sully Sullenberger landed an A320 in the Hudson River at age 60.

Ok if you're in that class, different deal. For the mortals on the forum, another deal.

 

[Mossman]

Ok if you're in that class, different deal. For the mortals on the forum, another deal.

I managed to survive my statistical 19-32 dives over the CO limit without any adverse effects. Maybe I am immortal?

 

[cmulvaney]

@ DandyDon
I picked up an EII CO Carbon Monoxide Analyzer today to go along with my O₂EII Portable Nitrox Analyzer. I got a Pelican case that fits them both with my camera. (Thanks to Big Joe @ Scubatoys.)

DandyDon, I want to thank you for your posts and in bringing this to light. Since I dive Nitrox 99% of the time I am analyzing my tanks O₂ anyway so I might as well for CO. I hope to never find a bad tank and will allow anyone to use my analyzers if they want to. I must say for what it is worth, A couple hundred dollars to be sure that I, my buddies, and fellow divers are safer by checking CO than not, IS A NO BRAINER. I know some on this board will disagree and I am OK with that and I will still lend them my analyzers anytime.
Chris

 

[fishi]

I've always found it interesting that a DM can go to work day after day, week after week, year after year, rack up thousands of dives, never dive nitrox, and never have a problem with DCS. Yet some Americans and Canadians come down for a week of diving and insist they can't do it safely without nitrox.

I haven't seen anyone test air for CO yet, but I think thats going to change soon, especially after the price of the analyzers starts to drop. It's a good thing, I don't see a down side to it other than some DandyDon disciple that doesn't know how to use his analyzer determines the tanks are all bad and we're not going to dive deeper than 30' that day.

 

[Ron Lee]

I will just dive with Aldora.

 

[Mossman]

I've always found it interesting that a DM can go to work day after day, week after week, year after year, rack up thousands of dives, never dive nitrox, and never have a problem with DCS. Yet some Americans and Canadians come down for a week of diving and insist they can't do it safely without nitrox.

Many DMs do dive nitrox, especially if doing more than two dives a day. Many DMs aren't partying as hard as some Americans and Canadians on vacation, hence alcohol BAC and dehydration aren't usually as much of an issue. Many DMs are in better physical shape than some Americans and Canadians on vacation. Many Americans and Canadians use nitrox because it gives them more energy for post-dive activities (reduction of sub-clinical DCS). Many Americans and Canadians can afford the extra money for nitrox as an extra hedge against the often random nature of DCS, while plenty of DMs do indeed get bent - you just don't hear about it because it's not something dive ops would tend to brag about to their existing and potential customers. There is at least one Cozumel dive shop owner on Scubaboard who has been bent, twice, while using nitrox IIRC, and I find it hard to believe she's the only one in Cozumel history.

Granted, there have likely been a few CO incidents among daily-diving DMs as well, but these are probably more likely to go unreported than DCS. If only all such incidents were reported, we'd have much better data to draw on.

 

[DandyDon]

I've always found it interesting that a DM can go to work day after day, week after week, year after year, rack up thousands of dives, never dive nitrox, and never have a problem with DCS. Yet some Americans and Canadians come down for a week of diving and insist they can't do it safely without nitrox.

I haven't seen anyone test air for CO yet, but I think thats going to change soon, especially after the price of the analyzers starts to drop. It's a good thing, I don't see a down side to it other than some DandyDon disciple that doesn't know how to use his analyzer determines the tanks are all bad and we're not going to dive deeper than 30' that day.

I got a PM from a SB member once who'd just got his Analox CO analyzer in, tried blowing in it to bump test, and was upset that it read 100.

Spoiler

Yeah, it was upside down.

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