Posted by John Walker on August 31, 1999 at 02:33:41:
In Reply to: Re: What's at 218'? His personal record, or a mermaid? [-] posted by MHK on August 30, 1999 at 20:00:17:
MHK, The reason guys are doing this deep air crap is that they have no concept of the realm they are putting themselve in. Often, the reponse that I get when asking someone why they are diving deep on air is, its because I can handle the narcosis just fine and I have been doing so for years. Well the problem here goes way beyond their simple comprehension of diving. Inert gas narcisis can be decieving, especially between 70'and 200'. In this range many do not notice any buzzing in their ears or stupernous to them. But, put under any stress the truth quickley comes out. Complex logic and motor skills have declined without previos notice. This could be the worst possible time for this to happen (under stress). Their are also many other problems with diving deep on air. Its has long been noticed that adema is cause when gases permiate through tissues even at a cellular level. It has also been known that somehow, nirtrogen at high partial pressures in the blood causes red blood cells to become rigid, thus enableing them to conform to the smallest of capalaries. This is a problem because the rigid red blood cells will inhibit circulation thus causing hypoxia to tissues as well as a hypercapnic state inwhich more adema will accrue as well as the actions of the immune response system. Blood/gas transportation is screwed up at this point. Another probable point to look at as far as deep air goes is that running a higher PO2 will cause the reduction of reduced glutathoine which appears to control the other glutathoine in the detoxification of hydrogen peroxide in the brain, which is a by-product of metabolism,thus leading to a hyperoxic seizure. Another is that stress alone seems to increase the catacolimines in the blood that will posibly lead to a hyperoxic induced siezure. Trust me folks, it gets much deeper than this. And if you would like to learn more, GET TRAINED IN THIS STUFF before some has to tell your families that you will not be comming home from todays dive.