Deep Air Diving - thoughts

[rjack321]

The financial incentives for Russia to capture and store helium from natural gas mining operations will also grow.

Considering the Russians are generally stuck in "deep air" mode worse than most, we should just let them dive it.

From the "Diving Accidents" list

An interesting short documentary on a series of Russian deaths in
Egypts Red Sea:

Part 1: YouTube - Fatal dive accidents, Russian Divers, Red Sea # 1
Part 2: YouTube - Fatal dive accidents, Russian Divers, Red Sea # 2
Part 3: YouTube - Fatal accidents, Russian Divers, Red Sea #3

Although it focuses on Russians, who are sadly well represented in
accident statistics in Egypt, I believe it adresses some important
points that are very common in the diving industry worldwide; lack of
training, low standards, poor skills, deep air, etc.

 

[Rhone Man]

The other possibility is the Hydrogen may start to replace Helium in deep breathing gases. Although more expensive at present, if Hydrogen fuel cells start to develop as an alternative energy system, that may change.

I am not holding my breath waiting for the Russians to start capturing more Helium and exporting it. Everything else in the Russian energy industry is disfunctional, so I tend not to pin many hopes on anything that involves modernisation or rationalisation.

 

[Thalassamania]

When you get over 4% hydrogen in a normoxic mix you have a potentially explosive situation that requires much more special handling than divers or dive shops can deal with.

 

[JeffG]

When you get over 4% hydrogen in a mix you have a potentially explosive situation that requires much more special handling than divers or dive shops can deal with.

You think about how Dive shop monkeys deal with O2...just think about what would happen for hydrogen. LOL

 

[rjack321]

When you get over 4% hydrogen in a normoxic mix you have a potentially explosive situation that requires much more special handling than divers or dive shops can deal with.

True but above 75% H2 and you're "safe" (at least at ambient pressure). Hydro-Ox anyone?

 

[peterbj7]

Raises the prospect of your breath catching fire as you breathe out.

 

[Thalassamania]

True but above 75% H2 and you're "safe" (at least at ambient pressure). Hydro-Ox anyone?

Are you sure about that? I was under the impression that 21% Oxygen and 79% Hydrogen is a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[rjack321]

Are you sure about that? I was under the impression that 21% Oxygen and 79% Hydrogen is a disaster waiting to happen.

75% is definately the upper explosive limit for hydrogen. But that's 75% H2 mixed with 25% air. So net, anything less than 5.3% O2 in a mix with >75% H2 is non-explosive. Yes, 21/79 would be baaadd.

Anywhoo, pretty limited applications for H2

 

[DA Aquamaster]

The amount of oxygen needed to be combustible in a hydrogen mix is only about 5% and most research was done with 4% mixes.

So you'd need a travel gas until you get below 100' for a 4/96 mix. To make it even more complicated, you need an intermediate mix of 4% O2 and 96 percent nitrogen or helium to breath until the O2 percent in your lungs drops below 5% and you'd need to do the same transition on the way back up before switching to what ever deco gas you are going to use.

 

[Daylonious]

It's been quite an interesting ride, reading all the posts - I'm appreciate all the info - but am still going to stick with the original plan - do some deep air dives to roughly 150-180 in a controlled environment (i.e. being watched by an instructor), get my extended range, and determine my level of tolerance for narcosis (to my knowledge I've never "felt" narc'd but the deepest I've been so far is 145' - i'm sure I was but I was able to complete tasks for my deco proc class) . After doing that, I plan to get the trimix training.

170 posts from the OP - wow.. I feel loved. ;-)

D.