From: fhd@panix.com (Frank Deutschmann)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Re: Filling Cylinders with Nitrox.
Date: 5 Nov 92 05:47:57 GMT
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC


My appologies for the suicide line, and the overly dramatic and rather
heated post. 

However, some clarification is in order.  First, this "homebrew
NITROX" thread started with a person with absolutely no exposure to
NITROX whatsoever asking how to do homebrewing (with what seemed like
serious intent to try it, with no mention of getting any real
training).  This really concerns me, because I am a NITROX diver (took
the ANDI course in March, and have done lots of dives with NITROX
since then) and pressure against NITROX has been really mounting in
my area (Long Island) lately -- now is an especially bad time for any
NITROX-related accidents.  Last year there was a CO poisioning death
blamed on homebrew, and this year I believe that we had three
accidents (don't have the references, and may be wrong).

Currently, obtaining NITROX is expensive and inconvenient for me as
the shop where I get it is quite a ways away, though
several other shops are considering it; however, with anti-NITROX
pressure mounting, they are less and less inclined to make the jump.
Anti-NITROX forces (SDM, PADI, DAN [Dr.Bennett]) are pointing to any
and all accidents that may possibly involve NITROX as a reason to
prevent divers from using NITROX -- I don't like this one bit, and I
find it REALLY FRUSTRATING!!  

Though my earlier post may have seemed like I am against NITROX and
homebrewing, that is not really the case -- I actually believe very
strongly in NITROX (and TriMix too, but that's another story)
availability, and I also think that it is acceptable for
_KNOWLEDGEABLE_ people to do homebrew.  Safety is, however, the prime
concern: errors when homebrewing can hurt not only yourself, but
others, and your errors may very well result in making it more
difficult for me to get NITROX.  I don't want that to happen!

Currently, NITROX is in the hot seat: until it becomes accepted diving
practice, it must maintain a virtually pristine safety record
(especially since the chief selling point is that it's safer!).  Until
trully accepted, homebrew probably should not be pushed in such an
open forum, and certainly how-to details should not be discussed with
complete novices.  While it may be argued that someone really intent
on diving homebrew NITROX will just go and work out the problems on
their own, putting themselves at much greater risk than if someone
told them what to do, I think that, as a community, we should point
this person to an organized program, rather than give them raw
information.  This serves our [the community's] purpose better than
giving out how-to info: 1) we prevent the novice from marring our
safety record, 2) we promote an image of organization and community.
This also servers the novice's purpose in that 1) they don't get hurt,
2) they get to meet other like-minded people, and begin steps to cause
some pro-NITROX pressure in their area.

I do believe that the decision to homebrew or not, or do whatever or
not, ultimately of course rests with the individual, AND that not all
activities are subitable for all individuals.  While I do not believe
in legislative restrictions on activities like these (activities which some
people perceive to be dangerous), I do think that when engaging in
these activities we must take into account how our actions and/or
errors will impact others, and must use that information, as well as
some serious self-assessment, to decide how to proceed.  Homebrewing,
and other diving-related activities, are activities that involve both
individual and community rights; both sets of rights must be
considered when undertaking these activities.

-- 
-frank
(fhd@panix.com)