Feel better with Helium?

[Snowbear]

This question was asked in another thread about recreational triox. I hope the original asker of the question doesn't mind if I start a new thread for that topic?

Are divers feeling better after diving with helium because of the helium or because they have learned how to dive a better profile?

I've not yet started diving trimix, but after Monday's visit to my favorite welding supply place, this may be changing in the not-TOO-distant future

I do, however, notice that I started feeling MUCH better when I changed how I do my dive profiles.

 

[Bob3]

...learned how to dive a better profile?

My guess is the "feel better" part comes from having less/smaller of those sneaky little microbubbles; folks that feel pooped are actually suffering from the bends, where the "sub-clinical" line has been barely crossed & they have started sprouting the fatigue symptom.

The tricky part comes in because there have been less clinical studies done with He than the N2, so He deco is even more "theory" than air/N2 theory. (maybe we should call it "art" rather than "theory")

 

[DA Aquamaster]

In my experience, with air and Nitrox, deep stops, slow ascents, manadatory saftey stops and lenghtened deco or deco on Nitrox 50 or Nitrox 80 all help me feel better at the end of a dive. Slowly stepping the dive up from depth with a very gradual ascent is ideal when possible.

Helium loads and unloads faster than nitrogen so on some of the shorter dive profiles you would encounter at recreational depths you could potentially have a greater off gassing requirement than you would on air or nitrox. Deeper stops, slower ascent rates and the use of a deco gas would, I would guess, be even more neccesary to "feel" better.

I personally do not see the point of He at recreational depths and don't feel the benefits outweigh the risks.

Welding gasses generally speaking won't contain any serious contaminants but this is not guarenteed. Consequently most reputable welding supply companies will not sell them to you if they know they are to be used for breathing purposes as you really should be buying USB grade helium and oxygen.

 

[rmediver2002]

Less CO2 retention when using HEO2 is one benefit, cost is the biggest disadvantage.


Jeff Lane

 

[5615mike]

This is nice to know as I want to do my Trimix class somtime this summer. Thanks for the info.

 

[jeffkruse2000]

I just started using 30/30 and 21/35 in March. I love it. I try not to dive air on any dives deeper than 50'. I mix my own and because I CB I only have to pay for the gas I use. A single 100cf tank dive costs me less than $8 for trimix. No emptying a tank to PP blend. I use industrial grade O2 and He. My new filter is full of 13x and charcoal. That's it. Less CO2 retention, less narcosis, it's easier to breath, and I feel better after the dive. No more falling asleep on the drive home after a multi-dive day. Ascend at 10' a minute from 40' is all I do on NDL dives.
Jeff http://www.seanet.com/~katrinakruse/

 

[DepartureDiver]

This question was asked in another thread about recreational triox. I hope the original asker of the question doesn't mind if I start a new thread for that topic?

Not at all. I think it was a good idea.

 

[GQMedic]

Helium is GREAT! I soo love the cool funny voice it leaves me with!

*Slaps forehead* I just realized, your talking about triox, and here I was talking about huffing balloons.


Troll-at-large

 

[Bob3]

Helium loads and unloads faster than nitrogen so on some of the shorter dive profiles you would encounter at recreational depths you could potentially have a greater off gassing requirement than you would on air or nitrox. Deeper stops, slower ascent rates and the use of a deco gas would, I would guess, be even more neccesary to "feel" better.

Yah, I recall one profile we did on heliox that had a longer deco obligation than if it would've been done on air.
Long time ago & with the Navy tables though.

Less retention of CO2

I have to wonder how much that part comes into play; I was always fond of freeflow hats, where the conditions for CO2 retention are present.
I'd almost always feel "refreshed" after spending 10 - 11 hrs on the bottom. I attributed that to the higher partial pressure of the O2.
We didn't see the "butt drag" part pop up 'till the NDLs were pushed to the max.

 

[Snowbear]

Welding gasses generally speaking won't contain any serious contaminants but this is not guarenteed. Consequently most reputable welding supply companies will not sell them to you if they know they are to be used for breathing purposes as you really should be buying USB grade helium and oxygen.

Actually, I said welding supply place, cause that's where I go for my welding supplies and O2/acetylene for my gas axe. This place is also a general gas supply place, including medical grade gasses. O2 I will use is ABO (aviator's breathing oxygen). "Medical grade" helium is not obtainable without a prescription. My understanding about the contaminants is they don't come from the gas supply, but are introduced into the tank. The guy told me they always empty and pull a vacuum on a tank before they fill it, so danger of contamination is minimal.

Anyhow, I spent almost an hour their and they were quite helpful answering my MANY questions. BTW - I told them up front what I want the gas for. Unlike Aire Liquide - they were less than helpful, and more expensive - but - they can hydro my scuba tanks locally for 1/2 the price the LDS charges (the other place charges even less, but sends them to Tacoma and turn-around is several weeks).