Nitrox to an OOA Diver?

[vjanelle]

"I'll suck a fart out of a donkey's ass if it means I'll get up to the surface alive." some wise man said on this board before.

If someone approaches you and assaults you for a working reg, and you safely get them to the surface, I really don't think there will be grounds for a lawsuit. Nitrox isn't by itself dangerous, it just requires education to know the dangers involved in adding floor that's above recreational limits. If the victim oxtox's, well you'll have one less problem to deal with (a panicy diver). Just give them the gas you want them to breathe off of, or put air(or the same mix as your back gas) in your pony bottle since it's not a DECO bottle. Good Samaritan laws protect you so that you will help them, they usually have clauses that punish people who refuse to help.

 

[pnw_diver]

Unless you are greatly beyond the MOD of the Nitrox, Ox Tox doesn't usually occur instantly. The MOD for 36% isn't huge than that for 40%. Give them the 40 & begin ascent, it is an emergency situation. That is unless you would rather air share from your back gas.

In addition, the maximum contingency depth for 40% is within the MOD for 36% - and presumably, you're going to be staying above that depth. At the MOD of EAN36 (~95 fsw), the PO2 of EAN40 is ~1.55 and within the contingency limits - and you're going to be getting the diver above the MOD for EAN40 quickly even at a conservative ascent rate.

I'd also be inclined to leave the OOG diver on your emergency gas - task loading a diver in and emergency situation by asking him to switch regs may result in a panicked diver.

 

[fnfalman]

Pull out your blade and gut that mutha who tries to steal your air!!! No sucking off your nitrox, no lawsuit.

 

[Cave Diver]

You bet it's open . . . that's my emergency gas, and I want it available!

Forget the OOA diver, why would you carry an emergency gas that's not good at your MOD? If I'm gonna carry a bailout gas, I want something that will work at my maximum depth/penetration/etc. Not something that requires further action to use.

If you're concerned enough about your gas supply that you feel the need to carry reserves, why is it turned on, risking that it may leak and not be available when you need it?

You want a pony solution? Carry the same as your bottom gas and dive with a long hose. If a panicked OOA diver comes up, they're gonna likely grab the reg in your mouth anyway. Hand it off, get them calm and stable and begin your ascent. You've still got the pony if your backgas gets low, or you can hand the pony off to them once they've calmed down so they can make an unassisted ascent.

 

[Sas]

If it is a pony, it needs to be able to be used at the deepest point of the dive so I don't see why what % nitrox is in it should matter for an emergency bail out, you shouldn't have something with a shallower MOD than what you are diving. I use air, because it's only for emergencies, don't want to be bothered getting different fills in it each time I do a dive and the effect on bottom time for recreational dives is minimal if I need it for an emergency ascent.

Pony is shut during the dive, not open. I sometimes reopen and shut it during the dive though to pressurise it again. This is what I was taught and what most people I know do, but then I dive with a slung pony, not a backmounted one where I believe you'd need to leave it open?

I would leave OOA diver on whatever reg they grabbed. If they calmed down enough that I thought it was safe to swap their regs then maybe but I would be carrying enough in the pony bottle to get to the surface anyway, so them running out of air on the way up again should not be an issue.

Also I don't believe an OOA diver will necessarily grab the one in your mouth. The times that I have dealt with OOA divers, one grabbed my occy (he said later he just knew to grab the 'yellow thing') and the second time the buddy asked for me to donate gas to him. So anyway, good to be prepared for whatever they go for!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Unless I'm planning on using it to accelerate deco what is on my back is in the slung bottle. And as someone else mentioned I'd suggest not leaving the valve on. A slow leak or free flow could quickly empty that bottle. And you may not realize it. The procedure I was taught is to charge the bottle, recharge when turn pressure is reached, and again when ascent is started at that point it does get left on. If using a different mix it gets turned on when MOD for it is reached and not before.

 

[Drewski]

Respectfully, since your posts outnumber your reported dives at a ratio of more than 10 to 1, here is my response:

Why are you using a pony with 40% nitrox?

What difference does it really make unless it's your deco gas (and, if it is, I'll be REALLY amazed)?

Just curious?

 

[Heavy water]

:shocked2::shocked2:Here's the real life stink of it. When a diver grabs you and strats ripping at any thing thats looks like it may give air the last thing your going to worry about is whats in the bottle. You can analyize this sceniro all you want, when and I hope it never happens to you it,s a fight you will neverf forget.

 

[Jax]

Respectfully, since your posts outnumber your reported dives at a ratio of more than 10 to 1, here is my response:

Why are you using a pony with 40% nitrox?

What difference does it really make unless it's your deco gas (and, if it is, I'll be REALLY amazed)?

Just curious?

That's not the topic, now is it?

 

[Heavy water]

I'll go stand in the corner