Neutral Buoyancy Lab and nitrox - -

[Liquid]

Doc Paul-

I think I must disagree with you. Maibe it's becouse I'm just to conservative, but still-

For the kinds of dive done in an open water course, nitrox is completly unnessacery, as it for the depth alowed to OW divers. I do think thoug, that the advantaes of nitrox SHOULD be advocated to new divers in their initial course, during the class about DCS. Let them know there is such a thing called "NITROX", explain shortly what it is, and let them decide for themselves if they want to take the course. I must also state that i am not on of NITROX's great belivers, though I do tend to use it, but only for dives that would be unsafe on air. for example- If I teach a Divcon (dive-master) course, I do the deapth dives (33-39M) using niterox, within the safe linits of the extended nitrox time, but in order to gain an advantage here, I am simulating the dive as if it is made with air- i.e complet deco plan and deco stops, to let the students taste those procedures.

 

[cpalerm]

I recently got certified (last week actually), and I agree that nitrox is something that should not be part of the basic OW. The instructor did give some motivation at the end, by highlighting some of the advantages of nitrox.
I'm currently getting nitrox certified, and will be doing some diving this weekend using EAN32.
In my group of 8 about half were having trouble with the concepts introduced in the OW course regarding the use of the tables and the general concepts behind them.
I agree with Dr. Deco that navigation is something that is more useful, specially since many have not even handled a compass before they learn to dive.
It is just that there is so much to learn and too little time to do so in the average OW course...

just my 0.02 ...

 

[diver/medic]

I will have to respectfully disagree about the notions of NASA's NBL. as a saftey diver at the facility from 1999 untill 2001, I have some insight. the nitox mix is blended onsite and is mixed to 36%. the original plan that Story Musgrave and other NASA big dogs brought to congress was an 80 foot deep pool with airlocks for engress/egress the other dimensions were a width of 200 and length of 400 feet.


Sean

 

[cmay]

I will have to respectfully disagree about the notions of NASA's NBL. as a saftey diver at the facility from 1999 untill 2001, I have some insight. the nitox mix is blended onsite and is mixed to 36%.

Actually it is a 46% mix. Straight from their site.

NBL Operations & Utilization
M-F daily ops can produce 2760 nbh / year (FY02: 1790 nbh)
10 run / week (dual ops), 46 weeks / year, 6 hour / run
460 events/year max (FY02: 370 events)
7 day / week surge capacity of 3864 nbh / year
2nd shift recon required to achieve 10 runs / week

Facility infrastructure to support dual operations
control rooms, cranes, staging areas, communications
umbilicals for 6 US / Russian suits: certified for 5, staffed for 4

8M scf of nitrox produced & consumed annually
46% O2 (nitrox at 40’ = air at 19’)

Mockups (without robotics, value > $30M)
Large-sized: 45+ (trusses, modules)
Medium & small-sized: 3500+ (ORUs, support stands, cradles, etc.)
Monthly average movement of 2000 items in support of testing, 1-g’s, etc.

Logistics and Mockup Facility (LMF) 41,000 ft2
47 total pieces of shop equipment (~20 different types: mills, welding, shears)