HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: story@sgi.com (David Story)
Subject: Re: Nitrox (Was Re: Thermodynamic Decompression)
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 92 21:29:13 GMT

In article <1992Sep11.005302.21634@hplabsz.hpl.hp.com> peterson@hpl.hp.com (Chris Peterson) writes:
>Allow me to attempt a summary of the preceding posts as a reflection of my
>understanding of the advantages of O2-enriched mixtures (including "100%" O2) 
>for decompression.
>
>	1)  Better oxygenation: 
>	2)  Better nitrogen elimination: 
>	
>		O2-enriched mixtures are "N2-impoverished" mixtures.  
>		Not only is there less N2 to absorb but the reduced N2 
>		in the breathing mixture encourages the N2 in the body
>		to off-gas.

Seems a pretty good summary, if brief, except that the last sentence
might be more correct if you left out from "Not" to "but" inclusive.
In general, you're either ongassing or offgassing, but not both.

>Note that most O2 delivery systems cannot deliver 100% O2 due to mixing with
>ambient air prior to inspiration.  The best units are carried by paramedics.
>Next best is probably a demand-regulator like the DAN unit.  However, when
>in doubt, any O2 is better than no O2.

The units carried by paramedics are in fact demand-regulators like the
DAN unit, unless you're talking about intubation setups.  Demand-valve
units deliver approximately 95% O2 when fitted properly.

Free-flow units deliver only approximately 60% O2 under the best
conditions.  A nasal cannula will run (: approximately 20% O2, but
they often cause nosebleeds from sinus dehydration.

Keep in mind that these figures are just rough estimates: actual
figures vary by device and efficacy of usage.  Yes, you can get well
below 95% O2 from a demand-regulator setup if it's not used right!

Cheers,

David Story                        NAUI AI Z9588, PADI DM 43922, EMT
story@bent.wpd.sgi.com		   Oxygen is a drug in California.
From: saitowit@underdog.ee.wits.ac.za (SAITOWITZ L S)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: re: Solomon islands
Date: 10 Sep 92 18:34:18 GMT
Article-I.D.: underdog.saitowit.18
Organization: Wits Electrical Engineering (Undergrads).


The Solomon Islands are north of Australia and South West of Papau New
Guinea.  I worked in the Solomons for a year as a diving instructor.
The diving is very good, although the visibility does tend to vary.
The capital, Honiara is situated on Guadalcanal, there are two dive
operations there, Dive Solomon (PADI affiliated) and Island Dive Services.
Honiara warrants only two days diving, then there is Gizo, which offers
some excellent diving, and Uepi island, the latter being very small and
a far call from civilisation, but the diving is very good. A visit to 
the Solomons definitely requres visiting the other islands.
Another alternative is the Bilikiki, a live-aboard, which will maximise
your diving time and show you some excellent diving.  Chris Newbert,
Carl Roessler, and others offer trips on the Bilikiki.
For those interested in diving Papau New Guinea, the Telita run by
the Halsteads, have received rave reviews from divers passing our way.
If anyone is interested, I have also worked in Grand Cayman and the
Comores, which is an island in the Indian Ocean. - so I can provide bias
free information. 
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: dan@resonex.com (Dan Kell)
Subject: Re: Delphis as carry-on
Organization: Resonex Inc., Sunnyvale CA
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 10:09:49 GMT

I travel quite a bit (too much here lately, I don't get to dive!) and have never
had any problems with having to demonstrate that my stuff works. But I always 
let the stuff go through the x-ray machine. Occasionally someone will ask what 
something is. Like what is the little metal box (my card case), or the thing
with the buttons on it. (My digital day-timer). Now going in or out of Korea
they take the batteries out of everything that you own. You can have a case of
them in your baggage but nothing in stuff you carry on. The catch here is that
they take your batteries at security but you can buy more at the gift shop 
before getting on the plane. ??? I always wonder if they don't just repackage
them. I have always had to turn on a laptop when I travel with one and have 
them hand inspect. But never when it goes through the x-ray. Maybe I don't look
enough like a terrorist to arouse suspicion. B-)


-- 
Dan Kell                  
email to dan@resonex.com
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."   A. Einstein
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: cheese3@ioc.unibe.ch (Daniel Hirschi)
Subject: Damage to Kauai???
Organization: Institute of Organic Chemistry
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 09:54:24 GMT
X-Posted-From: cheese3.unibe.ch
X-Posted-Through: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

Hello everybody!

My wife and I had planned a trip to Kauai starting Oct. 9th., to go hiking, 
scuba diving and enjoying ourselves. Now, because of that Hurricane, should 
we cancel, should we go? How bad are the damages? It is very difficult to 
judge from the info we get from the newspapers in Switzerland. 

Thank you!

Daniel Hirschi
Inst. for organic Chemistry
University of Bern
Switzerland

E-Mail: Hirschi@ioc.unibe.ch

Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: pyron@skndiv.dseg.ti.com (Dillon Pyron)
Subject: Re: Delphis as carry-on
Reply-To: pyron@skndiv.dseg.ti.com
Organization: TI/DSEG VAX Support
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 21:58:32 GMT


In article <1992Sep9.100949.11840@resonex.com>, dan@resonex.com (Dan Kell) writes:
>I travel quite a bit (too much here lately, I don't get to dive!) and have never
>had any problems with having to demonstrate that my stuff works. But I always 
>let the stuff go through the x-ray machine. Occasionally someone will ask what 
>something is. Like what is the little metal box (my card case), or the thing
>with the buttons on it. (My digital day-timer). Now going in or out of Korea
>they take the batteries out of everything that you own. You can have a case of
>them in your baggage but nothing in stuff you carry on. The catch here is that
>they take your batteries at security but you can buy more at the gift shop 
>before getting on the plane. ??? I always wonder if they don't just repackage
>them. I have always had to turn on a laptop when I travel with one and have 
>them hand inspect. But never when it goes through the x-ray. Maybe I don't look
>enough like a terrorist to arouse suspicion. B-)
>
Hmmm.  I never let them X-ray any of my solid state stuff.  And I never walk
magnetic media through a metal detector.

Dan, you've obviously had no problems getting your various machines X-rayed. 
Am I just paranoid, or has someone out there had experiences to justify me. 
I'm heading to Maui for two weeks, and I have no desire to toast a pair of
Aladins in the process.

Tanks,  (I had to, okay?)
--
Dillon Pyron                      | The opinions expressed are those of the
TI/DSEG Lewisville VAX Support    | sender unless otherwise stated.
(214)462-3556 (when I'm here)     |
(214)492-4656 (when I'm home)     |"Do something different, DISAPPEAR"
pyron@skndiv.dseg.ti.com          |  "DISAPPEAR"
                                     _A Day On Earth_
                                     Brave Combo
From: story@sgi.com (David (Duis) Story)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Re: Nitrox (Was Re: Thermodynamic Decompression)
Date: 9 Sep 92 00:57:47 GMT
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc.

In article <1992Aug21.220829.12246@mailer.cc.fsu.edu> mayne@cs.fsu.edu writes:
>
>As for claim (4) (direct benefit to the higher fraction of oxygen),
>there are at least a couple of factors. One is that if the partial
>pressure of O_2 is around 1 ATA or more the rate of inert gas exchange
>is reduced. You would thus absorb more slowly at depth than theory
>predicts. You also off-gas slower than theory predicts, but still faster
>than if you were breathing air instead (as nitrox tables or schedules
>using standard air tables with equivalent air depths assume). 

Could you elaborate?  Why will the partial pressure of O2 affect the
on and off-gassing of N2 save by reducing the ambient pressure of N2?

Cheers,

Dave Story@bent.wpd.sgi.com           NAUI AI Z9588, PADI DM 43922, EMT
    Spearfishing on SCUBA is like hunting bears from a helicopter.
From: m14494@mwvm.mitre.org (Mike White)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Renting a dive computer... ?
Date: 9 Sep 92 18:54:24 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: The MITRE Corporation

I'm planning a dive trip to the Carib. sometime later this year,
(Happy, Happy... Joy, Joy... !), and would like to use a dive
computer for safety & efficiency.  I checked out a comparison
article in a recent dive mag, and I'm experiencing sticker
shock!  Any one worth having is $500 and up, mostly up!
I just want to go diving for a week or so, not send the dive
shop owner's kids to college!  Do dive shops usually rent these
things out, say by the week?  If so, how much do they typically
charge?  Any recommendations on models to look for or 
avoid?  Thanks.

************************
* These are my opinions only.*
************************
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: gregr@joyce.cs.su.oz.au (Greg Ryan)
Subject: DCS hits - any personal anecdotes?
Reply-To: gregr@cs.su.oz.au (Greg Ryan)
Organization: Basser Dept of Computer Science, University of Sydney, Australia
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 23:34:23 GMT

This posting was prompted by mail to me by kparsons@osf.org (sorry, don't
have a real name) who has been following the thread on post DCS diving,
but is on a system that can't currently reply to news.

They write:

>Someone ought to ask, if they haven't already... who out there IS A DCS victim,
>what their experience was, and what the future diving habits are.  It would be 
>interesting to see how many respond.
>
>I am such a person! Type II hit... Table IV recompression...
>and a continued diver.

So is anyone else out there able to share first hand info on diving after
DCS?  

				Greg Ryan	gregr@cs.su.oz.au
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: mjs@hubcap.clemson.edu (M. J. Saltzman)
Subject: Re: Boyancy control with drysuits
Organization: Clemson University, Clemson SC
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 18:45:59 GMT

In article <1992Sep10.164810.20558@scifi.uucp> njs@scifi.uucp (Nicholas J. Simicich) writes:
>In article <14573@mindlink.bc.ca> Charlie_Gibbs@mindlink.bc.ca (Charlie Gibbs) writes:
>>In article <p0amsok@twilight.wpd.sgi.com> story@sgi.com
>>(David (Duis) Story) writes:
>>
>>>Still think you didn't exceed 100'/minute?
>>
>
>>     Oddly enough, when we examined the belt later we found that
>>the buckle itself hadn't let go.  It was still firmly gripping the
>>free end of the belt.  It was the other end, which should have
>>remained securely fastened to the buckle, that came unthreaded.
>>
>>     It was a good reminder that equipment needs to be inspected
>>at least as closely before its first use as at any other time -
>>and that nothing is so simple that it can't be screwed up.
>
>It is my personal opinion that the weight belt buckles that are being
>sold today are nothing short of shameful in their ability to hold
>weight.  I've seen similar things happen to many novice divers on
>their early dives, and it is a lot more scary for them than it is for
>you. 
>
>I've heard of wreck divers using two buckles to reduce the chance of
>an accidental weight belt drop.

Of course it also helps to thread the buckle onto the belt properly,
and to have a reasonable amount of excess belt.  I'm not saying that
wasn't done in this case, but I've seen some really poor threading
jobs.  An inadequately-secured buckle is certainly an accident of the
sort Charlie Gibbs describes just waiting to happen.


-- 
		Matthew Saltzman
		Clemson University Math Sciences
		mjs@clemson.edu
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: rbeck@mordor.dseg.ti.com (Ron Beck)
Subject: Re: scuba courses
Reply-To: rbeck@mordor.dseg.ti.com
Organization: When I get time...
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 18:14:58 GMT

In article <92Sep15.105038edt.126@orasis.vis.toronto.edu>, eyal@vis.toronto.edu writes:
|> 
|> hi, being a newcomer to rec.scuba, i appologize if this has been
|> extensively discussed before. I looked through the archives and
|> found lots of helpful info regarding dive locations etc. My query
|> is regarding taking a diving course in the caribbeans, where courses
|> are given, personal experience and references. It's a beginner's
|> course i'm interested in, and probably sometime close to the end of Jan.
|> Any recommendations / help would be greatly appreciated..
|> eyal
|> 

I would really recommend taking a local course and earning your
certification prior to taking a course in the carribbean.  Why, you ask? 
Well, mainly so you can enjoy the diving that the carribbean offers
without the stress of classroom requirements.

Some of the dive shops here in Dallas offer what they term an "executive
course".  This is where they teach the basic class in town (pool work &
classroom) and have the "open water experience" at a carribbean resort. 
The required certification dives are performed the first two days of the
trip & then the new students are taken for their first boat dives.  

Anyway, hope this helps,
Ron
-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ronald J. Beck           | IP rbeck@mordor.dseg.ti.com |Do now what others
Member, Group Tech Staff | MaBell (214) 952-4566       |won't so you can do
Texas Instruments        |                             |later what others
McKinney, Texas          |                             |can't
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mayne@ds1.scri.fsu.edu (Bill Mayne)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Cross certifications and card collecting (Was Re: Information about advanced deep diving course wanted
Date: 9 Sep 92 14:44:55 GMT
Reply-To: mayne@ds1.scri.fsu.edu (Bill Mayne)
Distribution: usa
Organization: SCRI, Florida State University

In article <pk0vt6s@twilight.wpd.sgi.com> story@sgi.com (David (Duis) Story) writes:
>In article <1992Sep3.191821.19624@mailer.cc.fsu.edu> mayne@cs.fsu.edu writes:
>>
>>A PADI instructor I dive with told me that there are essentially
>>no formal requirements for instructors to teach specialties.
>>Just log some not very large number of dives in the specialty
>>(informally on your own appears to be okay) and pay PADI a fee.
>
>[Comments deleted. In summary PADI instructors do have to adhere to
>a PADI approved outline when teaching specialties, for what that is
>worth.]

Adhering to someone else's outline is not the same thing as being
qualified by your own knowledge and experience to teach.

>>For underwater basket weaving that may be okay. At worst a few people
>>may be getting ripped off for a few dollars. I hope this isn't true
>>of the cavern specialty...
>
>I'm not certain of the answer.  NAUI simply allows NSS/NACD
>specialty cross-certifications -- the instructor has to use the caving
>agency's outline and be a current instructor with that agency to issue
>a NAUI specialty.

I was surprised to learn that this is not the case with PADI,
since an active PADI cavern instructor was a student in my full
cave class and had very few cave dives even at the restrictive
intro to cave level. The NSS/CDS and NACD require significant
cave diving experience (50 or 60 cave dives) after completing
full cave for cavern instructors. The reason they specify dives
after full cave is that cave dives before full cave are supposed
to be very limited with respect to conditions and penetration.
Even having intro to cave certifications rather than an all or
none full cave certification (after cavern) has been controversial.

If NAUI relies on the NSS or NACD to determine the qualification
of instructors and course content what are they doing for their
$15 or whatever the cross certification fee is? Why do people want
cross certification at all, especially from an agency which doesn't
even claim to do anything different? In other words it seems to me
that certification from the caving agency which set the standards
for the course is the real thing. PADI and NAUI are just selling
cards without doing the work for the diving community.

I don't believe that NAUI or PADI cavern certification is a
pre-requisite for any other certifications. But perhaps they count
as one of your five for the bogus "Master Scuba Diver"? I've never
been able to understand collecting patches and C cards. For one
cavern course you could conceiveably get cards from the NSS, NACD,
NAUI, PADI, and maybe CMAS if you want to pay all those fees. The
excess cards convey no additional privileges, don't make you a better
diver, and impress only the ignorant.

Bill Mayne
From: fgz@brush.pa.dec.com (Federico Genoese-Zerbi)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Re: Flower Gardens Tragedy
Date: 10 Sep 92 21:44:25 GMT
Reply-To: fgz@brush.pa.dec.com (Federico Genoese-Zerbi)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation

In article <1992Sep10.204832.17155@mailer.cc.fsu.edu>, mayne@creat.cs.fsu.edu (William Mayne) writes:
> In article <1992Sep10.193751.20571@PA.dec.com> fgz@brush.pa.dec.com (Federico Genoese-Zerbi) writes:

> >
> >> |> When you say that being hit by DCS at 60 feet is virtually
> >> |> imposible you really show your ignorance. What if the guy made multiply
> >> |> dives, what if he was on his way up after being down too deep for too 
> >> |> long. You say that a "fatal DCS hit is unlikely anyway", reguardless of
> >>
> >> That's "regardless", BTW
> 
> Please. Let's don't get into spelling and grammar flames in this group.

That was not me, Bill.....

> Just out of extreme curiosity, what were you doing at 250' for
> 5 hours? Were you by any chance in a chamber? What were you
> breathing? Do you have any idea what decompression the tables
> would call for in this situation? Was the pain you felt at 60
> feet diagnosed as DCS, or could it have been something else.
> You must have a very interesting story to tell about this.
> Please say more.
> 
> Bill Mayne
> 

It was a joke, Bill....check out the smileys.  I never went to 250',
never got CNS complications from O2 toxicity, and never got
bent (as far as I know).  I agreed with your earlier post, and the
point of the note about the dive to 250' was that you'd have
to come up with a pretty unusual (and out of the sport diving
domain) profile to get symptoms of DCS at 60'.  I figured that my
reference to "pesky convulsions" would give away the fact that
I was joking.

I apologize to anybody else who may have been misled!

(and I'd like to meet anybody who's had CNS convulsions at
depth and not drowned, BTW)

F.
From: story@sgi.com (David (Duis) Story)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Re: ?diuretics and diving
Date: 9 Sep 92 00:08:26 GMT
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc.

In article <1992Sep3.100632.3884@desire.wright.edu> wall@hel4.brl.mil (Jeff Wall) writes:
>In article <1992Sep1.045004.10756@ultb.isc.rit.edu> mstacc@ultb.isc.rit.edu
>(M.S. Tremblay) writes:
>>
>>Aside from being warm and comfortable under water, this has been one of
>>the biggest advantages of the dry suit.  I can dive all day and still
>>feel like doing something afterwards.  Its nice not to be wiped out
>>after just a few dives.
>
>What causes this effect??  I have heard from people who have dove on Nitrox
>that they feel much less tired after a dive.  They attribute that to the
>increased oxygen in the body as well as the reduced nitrogen.  What causes you
>to feel less tired after diving in a dry suit??  You are on air right??

The reduction in tiredness after using Enriched Air is believed to be
due to the reduction in asymptomatic DCS, not increased O2 (which your
body can't use anyways.)  You get all the O2 you need at depth from
plain air -- in fact, at sufficient depth you don't even need red
blood cells anymore since the plasma will carry enough O2 to supply
metabolic needs.

The reduction in exhaustion after drysuit diving is due to reduction
in heat loss, which is a tremendous factor around Monterey (50-59F
water temps).  Did you know that you lose heat as quickly in 80F water
as you do in 42F air?

After my first long drysuit dive, I got out of the 45F water and said
"I can't believe I *ever* dove a wetsuit!  I must have been crazy!"

I repeat this to myself each year when I send my suit in for patches.  :)

Cheers,

David Story                        NAUI AI Z9588, PADI DM 43922, EMT
story@bent.wpd.sgi.com           Better diving through inflatables.
From: shawn@ut-emx.uucp (Shawn Boyd)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Re: mask strap
Date: 11 Sep 92 14:42:33 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin; Austin, Texas

In article <1992Sep9.142411.20169@axis.dsg.ti.com> rbeck@mordor.dseg.ti.com writes:
>In article <1992Sep5.004651.22879@hplabsz.hpl.hp.com>, howeird@hplabsz.hpl.hp.com writes:
>|> 
>|> The only reason you need the strap is if your mask isn't fitted correctly,
 
 ...or if you have a mustache, in which case a strap is often (though for 
 some not always) necessary.

>equalizing the mask (exhaling through the nose) to alleviate mask squeeze may
>cause the mask to float off your face.  A strap helps keep the mask in place. 

 Absolutely.

>The strap should *NOT* be used to keep the mask tightly against the face.  If
>this is the function your strap is performing I would recommend a new mask.

 Yes, generally this is true.  The special case of mustaches is a real problem
 for me.  I suppose I'll have to shave to ultimately solve the problem.  I 
 hate smearing vaseline on my facial hair to try to acheive the "oclusive 
 seal" necessary for the mask to not trickle (and ultimately flood) so I 
 settle for clearing my mask from time to time.  At depth, this becomes less
 of a problem.

 Shawn Boyd
 Austin, Texas
From: pky@fmg.bt.co.uk (Pete Young)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Plastic coating weights
Date: 10 Sep 92 12:19:19 GMT
Organization: British Telecom
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

I seem to remember that a couple of months ago there was a thread
on this newsgroup, concerning some magic substance which could be
used to plastic-coat lead diving weights.

Could someone please tell me the name of the product, and where I can
get hold of some?

Regards

Pete



-- 
  ____________________________________________________________________
  Pete Young        	  pky@fmg.bt.co.uk        Phone +44 473 227151
  
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
From: davidw@cie.uoregon.edu (David Weingarten)
Subject: Re: scuba job possibilities in Florida or Island areas
Keywords: job Florida
Organization: University of Oregon Campus Information Exchange
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 92 08:29:00 GMT

Quite a few of us live in places that require drysuits...
And some of us still can't afford them...
But that doesn't stop us...  ;-)


The organization is probably PADI (patti? hehehe), the Professional
Association of Dive Instructors.  If he's looking for a job there,
(florida) he should call some of the shops.  Dive stores will usually
give you a pretty straight answer as to whether or not they're looking
for somebody.  I called a couple in Hawaii and they told me straight
out that they were totally full and didn't need anybody else.  They
even told me how much their instructors made on the average (which was
then confirmed by a few of the instructors when I went to visit with my
family) and how much they worked on the average.  It's really not THAT
much of an insider's business.  Having connections with pools and
schools (colleges) is a hell of a lot more important than knowing somebody
at a scuba shop.
					-- David
From: story@sgi.com (David (Duis) Story)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Re: Buhlmann Tables: Source?
Keywords: buhlmann tables source english
Date: 8 Sep 92 23:52:32 GMT
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc.

In article <1992Aug25.184058.28470@walter.bellcore.com> devetzis@bellcore.com writes:
>Does anyone know of a source for Buhlmann tables suitable for
>carrying on dives?  The wallet-sized version that comes with
>the Aladin Pro is less than ideal.  I'm looking for a large,
>easy-to-read-when-narced table (preferably in English ;-).

Why not photocopy and laminate the version reproduced in John
Lippmann's great book, _Deeper Into Diving_?

Cheers,

David Story                        NAUI AI Z9588, PADI DM 43922, EMT
story@bent.wpd.sgi.com		  Better diving through computers.