Deep Diving by B. Gilliam & R. Von Maier

[DaleC]

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:

• 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did but there is still plenty of interesting history and technical data contained within, even if it may be a bit outdated (or not?).

 

[travelersinparadise]

Great review. Very well done and detailed. Cool!

 

[K-Hoff]

Thanks for the title, I'm gonna look for this one in some local thrift stores!

 

[Rhone Man]

Brett Gilliam is known to a few members on the board; I think if you send a PM to HowardE, he can put you in touch with Brett and he can send you a personally signed copy for cheaper than you can buy it off Amazon.

That's what I did.

 

[Buoyant1]

The revision I have is circa 1995...some stuff MAY be a little outdated...wonder if there's a newer version?!?

 

[Garth]

My stance on independent doubles having two different types of gas in them is:

would you have enough back gas trimix to make it a deep dive? How big are your cylinders if this is what you wanted to do?

don't get me wrong I am not arguing with your choice to have two separate gases behind you that you cannot see the mode and gas markings, i'm rather arguing the gas planning side of it.

 

[DaleC]

Richard did many deep dives (I think he holds the record actually) so I guess he figured it out somehow.

Personally, I can see using two nitrox mixes quite easily and wonder why I don't hear much more about it. Probably because there is a prevailing atmoshpere of anti independant doubles out there currently coupled with the believe that the modern diver can't think for themselves outside of a cookie cutter dive regime.
In a couple of weeks I plan to do a dive in which I will use 32% in one tank and 40% in the other. It won't be particularily deep <100' or long <1hr but, because of the circumstances, I want to reduce my N ongassing as much as possible so I will use deep and shallow mixes accordingly. Both have appropriately low PPO2's but either can be used as a bailout if wanted. I will dive EAN using air tables in that case also so there is no deco adjustment needed.

I can also see using air and trimix for short dives in the 100-150' range but I haven't taken a trimix course yet so I won't be so vocal about that. I know one challenge might be varying deco schedules if air was used as bailout for some reason but I'm sure that could be worked out.

You won't hear many positives about mixing backgasses because the whole idea of ID's is frowned upon. I would look towards side mounting to see if such practices are common there. In fact, I'm going to post a thread to see what's what.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

An excerpt from this book was published in the first issue of Tech Diving Mag. Also the contact info of Bret Gilliam along with the price are available if you want a signed copy.