Karel_de_Goeiste
Registered
What are your toughts on (Isobaric) counterdiffusion? Or more specific: diving a high-nitrogen-content gas after a high-helium-content gas? So for example:
- During the same dive: switching from trimix (or heliox) to a high-nitrogen-content gas for decompression AND/ OR
- A repetitive dive: a (shallow) air or nitrox dive soon (lets say a couple of hours) after a (deep) trimix dive.
The theory behind this: "Helium has a diffusivity that’s approximately 2.65 times that of nitrogen (Lambertson, 1989), and because of that disparity it can diffuse into the skin quickly while nitrogen diffuses more slowly. The slow diffusion of nitrogen from the fluids and tissues of the body while the helium saturates the skin can cause supersaturation in some superficial tissues that can result in gas bubble formation" ... "These bubbles can cause itching followed by joint pain and have been more recently associated with inner-ear decompression sickness, although the bubble formation could contribute to other types of decompression sickness as well." - Isobaric Counterdiffusion in the Real World
Do you have experience with these kind of dives? And if so: did you experience any (DCS) problems?
- During the same dive: switching from trimix (or heliox) to a high-nitrogen-content gas for decompression AND/ OR
- A repetitive dive: a (shallow) air or nitrox dive soon (lets say a couple of hours) after a (deep) trimix dive.
The theory behind this: "Helium has a diffusivity that’s approximately 2.65 times that of nitrogen (Lambertson, 1989), and because of that disparity it can diffuse into the skin quickly while nitrogen diffuses more slowly. The slow diffusion of nitrogen from the fluids and tissues of the body while the helium saturates the skin can cause supersaturation in some superficial tissues that can result in gas bubble formation" ... "These bubbles can cause itching followed by joint pain and have been more recently associated with inner-ear decompression sickness, although the bubble formation could contribute to other types of decompression sickness as well." - Isobaric Counterdiffusion in the Real World
Do you have experience with these kind of dives? And if so: did you experience any (DCS) problems?