Decompression is when a diver descends below the ambient pressure. During the ascent from depth, the diver's body experiences decompression. If decompression diving is done correctly, this can cause serious injuries. You can read more about decompression diving or decompression syndrome. You can also read about the penalties and treatment for decompression sickness. Below are some questions that decompression divers might ask.
Deco dives
If you are planning a dive with deco, you will want to check the basic program in your Vplanner. By doing this, you will be able to determine how much deco is needed to achieve the proper visibility and depth. To ensure you are familiar with the settings, if you plan to dive to 35m you can use a Vplanner. Otherwise, it's best to calculate the deco manually.
A minimum deco means a slow ascent starting at half the depth. Its name is misleading, as it takes far longer than a minute. You will usually ascend 10ft/3m in 30 secs, then stop and recover for 30 secs before you repeat the process. It is important to be fully decompressed before you try to ascend. The best way to do that is to have sufficient air in the tank.
Planned divers
Divers can use a computer-generated plan to decompression dive. The computer creates deco schedules based on divers' chosen number of gasses, decompression models, conservatism settings, and other parameters. This software allows divers to plan dives according to a specific decompression time, OTU and CNS loadings, as well as gas requirements at each depth. Divers can save themselves from making silly mistakes when planning a dive by using the PC planning tool.
A decompression stop is a series of stops during an ascent in order to allow the body to expel nitrogen and helium. A long decompression stop is needed to adjust to the pressure of the environment. The decompression stop length depends on the diver's profile and the depth to which the diver has reached. Planning multiple stops is important if you wish to travel to the depths of the ocean.
Standard treatment for decompression illness
To prevent decompression sickness, a standard treatment is to inhale 100% oxygen through a mask. In intensive treatment, the hyperbaric oxygen chamber is used in order to reverse the blood pressure changes and convert nitrogen back into liquid. This can be done over several hours. If decompression sickness is severe, you should avoid diving until the symptoms subside.
Acute cases require that the diver receive supplemental oxygen. This should be continued until help arrives. Decompression sickness may be difficult to diagnose, since symptoms may not be immediately apparent. However, decompression sickness should be treated as an emergency and the diver should be kept warm until medical assistance arrives. Any neurological signs or symptoms should be checked out and the condition of the diver should be closely monitored. If symptoms aren't visible after a few minutes, they could be indicative of air embolism.
Penalties for decompression diving
Penalties for diving under pressure can cause loss of consciousness, insufficient air supply to the lungs, and even death. There are several ways to avoid these problems and reduce your risk of developing decompression sickness. Make sure you are familiar with what you are doing when you dive. Without the right equipment, diving can cause decompression sickness. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when diving.
Underestimating the decompression time is the first mistake you should avoid. Recreational diving's NDLs or depth limits are more concerned with fast tissues. Maximum ascent rates allow direct ascent to the surface. It doesn't matter what type of tank it is, decompression diving involves more complex calculations. The Buhlmann ZH-L16 algorithm fixes nitrogen halftimes at 2.65 times longer than helium's, and it adds an increasing time for decompression if the helium fraction is higher than expected.