DaleC
Contributor
Deep Diving; An Advanced Guide to Physiology Procedures and Systems by Bret Gilliam and Robert Von Maier
Watersport Publishing Inc. San Diego. 1992. ISBN: 0-922769-30-3
This volume: PB, 255 Pg's with B/W photos.
An interesting book that explores the realm of deep air diving and the history, systems, techniques and physiology surrounding it. Half text book and half ancedotal, I think the authors did a good job of balancing breaking the taboo of deep diving with illustrating the hazards it represents. Just so the deep air "police" don't jump all over me the next book in the series is Mixed Gas Diving and even the authors of this book give the nod towards trimix when it's available. The book is from 1992 and what I found myself really wanting to do is to research some of the people and ideas listed in the book and to see if their views have changed over the years.
One example is a description of Richard Pyles deep diving rig. I dive independant doubles and have jokingly refered to the fact that on some dives I could fill one side with nitrox and the other with trimix. Well, lo and behold, there's a schematic of Pyles rig that shows exactly that!
It's true that great minds think alike...
The chapters are as follows:
Reading this book really drives home the point that there are some things you learn from reading and some things you learn from an instructor. Like cave diving, I don't think I would read this book and then go out and do it. The book only points the way and illustrates the areas where proper training and instruction is needed. I wouldn't want to go to 452 fsw on a single tank like Bret Gilliam did but there is still plenty of interesting history and technical data contained within, even if it may be a bit outdated (or not?).
Watersport Publishing Inc. San Diego. 1992. ISBN: 0-922769-30-3
This volume: PB, 255 Pg's with B/W photos.
An interesting book that explores the realm of deep air diving and the history, systems, techniques and physiology surrounding it. Half text book and half ancedotal, I think the authors did a good job of balancing breaking the taboo of deep diving with illustrating the hazards it represents. Just so the deep air "police" don't jump all over me the next book in the series is Mixed Gas Diving and even the authors of this book give the nod towards trimix when it's available. The book is from 1992 and what I found myself really wanting to do is to research some of the people and ideas listed in the book and to see if their views have changed over the years.
One example is a description of Richard Pyles deep diving rig. I dive independant doubles and have jokingly refered to the fact that on some dives I could fill one side with nitrox and the other with trimix. Well, lo and behold, there's a schematic of Pyles rig that shows exactly that!
It's true that great minds think alike...
The chapters are as follows:
- History
- Physiology and mental preparation
- Stress
- Nitrogen Narcossis
- Oxygen Toxicity
- Staged Decompression
- Equipment and self sufficiency
- Dive Computers
- Scientific applications
- Nitrox
- Overview of mixed gas
- Dive tables
- Decompression sickness, theory and treatment
Reading this book really drives home the point that there are some things you learn from reading and some things you learn from an instructor. Like cave diving, I don't think I would read this book and then go out and do it. The book only points the way and illustrates the areas where proper training and instruction is needed. I wouldn't want to go to 452 fsw on a single tank like Bret Gilliam did but there is still plenty of interesting history and technical data contained within, even if it may be a bit outdated (or not?).
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