Argon?

[boulderjohn]

I fill from my tank if I have nitrox or air for back gas. I almost always use air from an argon system if diving mix. I have used argon when it was a easily available, which isn't often the case. I don't know if I could tell the difference. When using argon, I have frequently actually used "airgon." I accomplished that by transfilling whatever I could from an argon tank to my 6 cu foot bottle (no booster) and then topping off with air. Whatever amount of argon I had originally ends up being weaker and weaker "airgon" as I keep topping it off over time.

 

[PfcAJ]

Thermal Characteristics of Diving Garments When Using Argon as a Suit Inflation Gas.

This study showed a 20% increase in insulation ability with argon when compared to air. The caveat here is the flush cycle: 6 times. That's a lot, and I doubt most divers flush even once.

I think the value of argon comes into play on longer, deeper dives. On shallow dives where the diver does not need to add a lot of gas to equalize the suit, there will be more air in the suit when compared to a deeper dive where a lot of gas must be added. On shallow dives, if you aren't flushing, you won't get much benefit.

If I am diving helium, I will have a suit inflation rig. If I need an inflation rig, I'm going to fill it with argon. Even if I don't get a 20% advantage, anything that keeps me warmer, longer, is a plus in my book. A small advantage might matter a lot if the suit leaks during the dive with a long deco obligation.

 

[TSandM]

I'm a great believer in the idea that if a placebo makes me feel better, hooray for the placebo. I've done my own personal tests several times, by doing identical dives with argon or air, and I've concluded that I'm warmer with Argon. The gas is cheap and I already own the extra tank and reg, so I'm good with it.

Heated vests are better, though.

 

[rjack321]

Uncontrolled observations from the "technical" diving community claim superior thermal comfort when replacing air with argon as dry suit inflation gas during diving. The objective of the present experiment was to evaluate the effectiveness of argon compared to air during cold water diving. Body weight, urinary output, and rectal and skin temperatures were measured in six naval divers during two dives to approximately 10 m for 60 min. Level of thermal comfort was reported. Dry suit gas was either argon or air, divers and scientists were blinded for gas identity. Urinary output was approximately 200 ml less (P < 0.05) during the air than the argon dives. Rectal and all skin temperatures decreased significantly in both groups during the dive but no difference was measured between argon and air dives. Thermal comfort was not different between the groups. Replacing air with argon neither improves subjective impression of thermal comfort nor attenuates core or skin cooling during cold water diving to 10 meters of sea water for 60 min.

Thermal insulation properties of argon u... [Undersea Hyperb Med. 2001] - PubMed - NCBI

These divers were in neoprene drysuits with some sort of "woolly bear" undergarment. If the suit itself is providing a large portion of their insulation and maybe because of that they don't actually use that much suit inflation gas, or the undergarment is more like long underwear with minimal gas retention capacity, is it any wonder that they couldn't find a difference in suit inflation gases?

Poor study to compare to most sport divers, a good number of which are using shell or compressed neoprene drysuits with undergarments that are designed to provide the majority of their insulation through loft (gas entrapment) and the suit providing little or none.

---------- Post added April 17th, 2013 at 09:44 PM ----------

I actually don't think argon is all that useful for most dives. If its really long or cold I use it but its more of a "might as well" attitude. Electric heat, even just 25w, is huge compared to the "not sure if this is doing much, but maybe" factor with argon.

 

[vioch]

Diving cold water all year round we don't bother with argon, but with heated vests - we do.
If diving trimix, we just fill argon bottle with air.

 

[nimoh]

I don't even wanna know how they did rectal temps during the dives. Those Military divers sure get the short end of the stick....in this case literally.

I think in this case, they would prefer the short end of the stick

 

[DCBC]

Perhaps it's because I'm use to cold water. I was a Navy test Dummy for years and have been on the verge of hypothermia more often than I've liked (with and without the thermometer ). For me, the trouble of a separate inflation tank isn't worth it. Suit inflation gas is only one of the many factors that impact a Diver's overall thermal protection. You can use a bit more insulation and lose the extra bottle.

There's always a hot water suit... Who says that Commercial Diving doesn't have its advantages...:cold:

 

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

Perhaps it's because I'm use to cold water. I was a Navy test Dummy for years and have been on the verge of hypothermia more often than I've liked (with and without the thermometer ). For me, the trouble of a separate inflation tank isn't worth it. Suit inflation gas is only one of the many factors that impact a Diver's overall thermal protection. You can use a bit more insulation and lose the extra bottle.

Ok; I will fess up to having used a 40% helium back gas to fill my suit once on a 90 minute dive at 16 Celcius. Never again. That inflation tank is now a vital part of my kit.

 

[nimoh]

Ok; I will fess up to having used a 40% helium back gas to fill my suit once on a 90 minute dive at 16 Celcius. Never again. That inflation tank is now a vital part of my kit.

not to mention the cost of the helium being dumped into your suit and vented

 

[DCBC]

Ok; I will fess up to having used a 40% helium back gas to fill my suit once on a 90 minute dive at 16 Celcius. Never again. That inflation tank is now a vital part of my kit.

At 80 degrees F, Helium conducts heat approximately 7 times greater than air. It's definitely the wrong choice for a dry suit. LOL