Just thinking aloud here and trying to make some of the pieces fit (in my mind). I'll also mention that I did just order Mark Powell's book "Deco for Divers".
I understand that saturation is when the tissues will hold no more nitrogen (at that depth). Saturation diving is when that point is reached and divers simply stay down for days to do work without incurring additional deco obligations (returning to a bell at night) before eventually returning to a recompression chamber on the surface.
Supersaturation is when your tissues are saturated and you start to ascend...they can't eliminate the nitrogen fast enough so you get bubbles. Is this correct. So, you may not be saturated but if you ascend your tissues are supersaturated. Is this the correct usage of this terminology?
How does hitting the NDL relate to this. This is a separate concept right? Your 5 minute compartment could be saturated (can hold no more) but if you are at 20 feet this still isn't a problem as your body can deal with this without developing the DCS symptoms. Right?
So, when you are at 100 fsw and cross the NDL and now you have a decompression obligation this is still not considered saturated since your tissues can still hold more and you can still incur an even longer deco obligation. Saturation is only when your deco obligation will not get any longer with more time spent at that depth.
So the concept of tissue saturation is not the same as incurring a deco obligation. When you first began to incur a deco obligation you don't refer to this as being saturated...right?
I'm trying to clarify the proper use of the terms saturation and supersaturation. When I see them used or defined the above points aren't made clear (to me).
I also understand (I think) the concept of M-values.
I understand that saturation is when the tissues will hold no more nitrogen (at that depth). Saturation diving is when that point is reached and divers simply stay down for days to do work without incurring additional deco obligations (returning to a bell at night) before eventually returning to a recompression chamber on the surface.
Supersaturation is when your tissues are saturated and you start to ascend...they can't eliminate the nitrogen fast enough so you get bubbles. Is this correct. So, you may not be saturated but if you ascend your tissues are supersaturated. Is this the correct usage of this terminology?
How does hitting the NDL relate to this. This is a separate concept right? Your 5 minute compartment could be saturated (can hold no more) but if you are at 20 feet this still isn't a problem as your body can deal with this without developing the DCS symptoms. Right?
So, when you are at 100 fsw and cross the NDL and now you have a decompression obligation this is still not considered saturated since your tissues can still hold more and you can still incur an even longer deco obligation. Saturation is only when your deco obligation will not get any longer with more time spent at that depth.
So the concept of tissue saturation is not the same as incurring a deco obligation. When you first began to incur a deco obligation you don't refer to this as being saturated...right?
I'm trying to clarify the proper use of the terms saturation and supersaturation. When I see them used or defined the above points aren't made clear (to me).
I also understand (I think) the concept of M-values.