Decompression Tables for Nitrox

[Remy B.]

********
Last question - do you need to be breathing to off gas? Skip breathing or any other method - does it delay off gassing? Or is it off gassing through cells and blood that matter?
Yes - I agree / understand no one should be holding their breath or skip breathing... but it still begs the question for me.

If you are breathing a higher %O2 that the one you were using while diving then you Off gas faster, that is why the 100% O2 is used for deco as far I know, the higher molecular mass of Oxigen displaces faster the lower molecular mass of the nitrogen so far I understood

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Actually I am more curious about how it works - how does your breathing affect off gassing? If you hyperventilate, skip breath, hold your breath or just relax - is there any impact to the off gassing? Or is time the only factor?

I may be asking a question that should not be answered until I take a course which is fine - but I was curious about breathing and the impact on deco/off gassing...

 

[victorzamora]

The more thoroughly you exhale, the lower the N2 content of your lungs. The lower the N2 content of your lungs, the more your lungs will take out of your blood. Holding your breath is bad. However, I don't think that skip breathing is enough "breath holding" to make a big difference.

 

[boulderjohn]

If you are breathing a higher %O2 that the one you were using while diving then you Off gas faster, that is why the 100% O2 is used for deco as far I know, the higher molecular mass of Oxigen displaces faster the lower molecular mass of the nitrogen so far I understood

It has nothing to do with the oxygen. It has to do with the difference in the amount of nitrogen in the body tissues and the amount of nitrogen in the mix you are breathing. The bigger the difference, the faster the nitrogen leaves your system. The more oxygen in your mix, the less nitrogen.

Actually I am more curious about how it works - how does your breathing affect off gassing? If you hyperventilate, skip breath, hold your breath or just relax - is there any impact to the off gassing? Or is time the only factor?

I may be asking a question that should not be answered until I take a course which is fine - but I was curious about breathing and the impact on deco/off gassing...

This has been covered a lot in many threads. In theory it makes sense that breathing rate will have an effect, but in reality it does not. As I said in the section above, the rate of off gassing is based on the difference in the amount of nitrogen in the tissues and in the mix you are breathing.

 

[HIGHwing]

I thought your question was SUPER clever, and only mostly covered in BRD's answer. My point was that BRD asking his follow-up question is another example of someone "learning equations, but perhaps not the theory and basis"

Thank you. It was clever wasn't it?

BTW - Mark me down for the diver in the water is decompressing more quickly.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

*** adding - I am only talking about Air for gas not Nitrox or other mix... ****

BTW - Mark me down for the diver in the water is decompressing more quickly.

Counter intuitive... interesting...

In theory it makes sense that breathing rate will have an effect, but in reality it does not. As I said in the section above, the rate of off gassing is based on the difference in the amount of nitrogen in the tissues and in the mix you are breathing.

And Pressure? I guess or it would make more sense that the person with less pressure would be off gassing more?

If I understand what you all are trying to tell me - I am breathing more Nitrogen below the surface (notice I did not say how deep) than at the surface due to partial pressures. So I get that..

It seems counter intuitive -

The bigger the difference, the faster the nitrogen leaves your system.

- The bigger the difference would be at the surface or higher in the atmosphere? So it seems to conflict - If I am breathing in the water or at the surface (simultaneously) I have the same Nitrogen in my body. And I would be breathing more (air) Nitrogen at any depth than at the surface - again due to partial pressure. So it seems to me the bigger difference is at the surface not in the water...

Yes or No? Thanks.