Risks of Diving
The many wonders of the underwater world have been exposed to the public due to diving. The biggest danger of diving is often hidden by the various kinds of beauty that the deep blue contains. Many people may think that the real danger to the divers would be sharks or boats or anything else that may exist in the water, but it is in fact Caisson disease or decompression sickness.
Also known as the bends, the disease can afflict anyone who goes from a high pressure to low pressure environment. The illness results from Henry's law, which says in short that when the pressure goes down, gas will form bubbles in a fluid. In the case of the bends, the fluid is the blood and the gas is typically nitrogen.
When the process occurs gradually, such as in an airplane cabin, the lungs have enough time to remove the gas before the bubbles form. When it occurs quickly, such as in the case of a diver surfacing too fast, it may result in itching skin and rashes, pain in the joints, paralysis and potentially death.
How to avoid the bends
To prevent the bends, the diver must give the gas a chance to naturally de-gas by ascending slowly. Calculating the time required to come up can be very difficult due to the number of variables that need to be taken into consideration. This is the primary reason as to why dive computers were developed. Timers and sensors are used by dive computers to determine the depth of a diver and the exact duration of the time the diver was at that depth. Calculations are performed by the diving computers in real time and determine the correct process for the diver to ascend without causing the bends.
A dive computer in just about every brand and model is able to sense the exact duration of divers being at certain depths. The diving computer can then estimate the blood gas level of the diver and figure out: the time period in which the diver can surface without having to worry about the bends; the duration of the divers stop at each depth in order to surface safely and the maximum depth the diver can reach amongst other things.
Integrated Diver Display
Visual displays which should be read clearly and visible while diving, are present on many forms of divers computer. To ensure that the diver does not experience information overload, the dive computer display should be uncluttered. Better models of diving computers, in addition to the information provided above, will display information such as the speed at which the diver is rising, the temperature of the water and the time of decompression at each depth. For analysis afterwards, many high end models can transmit the entire dive onto a computer.
Certain defining features can really set a dive computer ahead of the pack. By the time a diver has surfaced, high end dive watches will display the time before a diver can board an airplane. One of the quickest ways to get the bends is to board an airplane too soon. High end models are also able to keep track of the air supply in the scuba tanks.
Identifying how much information is provided on the display and if the display is clear and readable is essential when shopping for a dive computer. The consumer should also note the other features that the product contains and what it monitors in diving quantity terms. The Suunto D9 would be the perfect example of a diving computer with all the necessary qualities needed to ensure a safe and secure dive. - 14915
The many wonders of the underwater world have been exposed to the public due to diving. The biggest danger of diving is often hidden by the various kinds of beauty that the deep blue contains. Many people may think that the real danger to the divers would be sharks or boats or anything else that may exist in the water, but it is in fact Caisson disease or decompression sickness.
Also known as the bends, the disease can afflict anyone who goes from a high pressure to low pressure environment. The illness results from Henry's law, which says in short that when the pressure goes down, gas will form bubbles in a fluid. In the case of the bends, the fluid is the blood and the gas is typically nitrogen.
When the process occurs gradually, such as in an airplane cabin, the lungs have enough time to remove the gas before the bubbles form. When it occurs quickly, such as in the case of a diver surfacing too fast, it may result in itching skin and rashes, pain in the joints, paralysis and potentially death.
How to avoid the bends
To prevent the bends, the diver must give the gas a chance to naturally de-gas by ascending slowly. Calculating the time required to come up can be very difficult due to the number of variables that need to be taken into consideration. This is the primary reason as to why dive computers were developed. Timers and sensors are used by dive computers to determine the depth of a diver and the exact duration of the time the diver was at that depth. Calculations are performed by the diving computers in real time and determine the correct process for the diver to ascend without causing the bends.
A dive computer in just about every brand and model is able to sense the exact duration of divers being at certain depths. The diving computer can then estimate the blood gas level of the diver and figure out: the time period in which the diver can surface without having to worry about the bends; the duration of the divers stop at each depth in order to surface safely and the maximum depth the diver can reach amongst other things.
Integrated Diver Display
Visual displays which should be read clearly and visible while diving, are present on many forms of divers computer. To ensure that the diver does not experience information overload, the dive computer display should be uncluttered. Better models of diving computers, in addition to the information provided above, will display information such as the speed at which the diver is rising, the temperature of the water and the time of decompression at each depth. For analysis afterwards, many high end models can transmit the entire dive onto a computer.
Certain defining features can really set a dive computer ahead of the pack. By the time a diver has surfaced, high end dive watches will display the time before a diver can board an airplane. One of the quickest ways to get the bends is to board an airplane too soon. High end models are also able to keep track of the air supply in the scuba tanks.
Identifying how much information is provided on the display and if the display is clear and readable is essential when shopping for a dive computer. The consumer should also note the other features that the product contains and what it monitors in diving quantity terms. The Suunto D9 would be the perfect example of a diving computer with all the necessary qualities needed to ensure a safe and secure dive. - 14915
About the Author:
Ed J Price has had a keen interest in scuba diving for a long time. For more information on a recommended diving computer such as the Suunto D9 dive computer, visit his online resource site now.
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