Risks of Diving
Diving has exposed the public to the many underwater wonders of the world. The beauty of the various kinds of life that is in the deep blue hides the biggest danger of diving. It isn't sharks or boats or anything else that may exist on or in the water. The real danger to divers is Caisson disease, or decompression sickness.
Also known as the bends, the disease can afflict anyone who goes from a high pressure to low pressure environment. The illness results from Henry's law, which says in short that when the pressure goes down, gas will form bubbles in a fluid. In the case of the bends, the fluid is the blood and the gas is typically nitrogen.
When the process occurs slowly, such as in an airplane cabin, the lungs can remove the gas before bubbles form. When it occurs quickly, such as a diver coming up too fast, it can result in itching skin and rashes, pain in the joints, paralysis and potentially death.
The Solution
Preventing the bends requires the diver to ascend slowly, allowing the gas to naturally de-gas. The number of variables to consider when calculating the time needed for slow surfacing makes it very difficult to determine. That is why the dive computer was invented. With its specialized timers and sensors, it can determine how deep the diver is and how long the diver was at that depth. Diving computers conduct its calculations in real time and determine how much time the diver needs to spend at a particular level to surface safely and prevent the bends.
A dive computer in just about every brand and model is able to sense the exact duration of divers being at certain depths. The diving computer can then estimate the blood gas level of the diver and figure out: the time period in which the diver can surface without having to worry about the bends; the duration of the divers stop at each depth in order to surface safely and the maximum depth the diver can reach amongst other things.
Integrated Diver Display
Visual displays which should be read clearly and visible while diving, are present on many forms of divers computer. To ensure that the diver does not experience information overload, the dive computer display should be uncluttered. Better models of diving computers, in addition to the information provided above, will display information such as the speed at which the diver is rising, the temperature of the water and the time of decompression at each depth. For analysis afterwards, many high end models can transmit the entire dive onto a computer.
Certain defining features can really set a dive computer ahead of the pack. By the time a diver has surfaced, high end dive watches will display the time before a diver can board an airplane. One of the quickest ways to get the bends is to board an airplane too soon. High end models are also able to keep track of the air supply in the scuba tanks.
Identifying how much information is provided on the display and if the display is clear and readable is essential when shopping for a dive computer. The consumer should also note the other features that the product contains and what it monitors in diving quantity terms. The Suunto D9 would be the perfect example of a diving computer with all the necessary qualities needed to ensure a safe and secure dive.
Diving has exposed the public to the many underwater wonders of the world. The beauty of the various kinds of life that is in the deep blue hides the biggest danger of diving. It isn't sharks or boats or anything else that may exist on or in the water. The real danger to divers is Caisson disease, or decompression sickness.
Also known as the bends, the disease can afflict anyone who goes from a high pressure to low pressure environment. The illness results from Henry's law, which says in short that when the pressure goes down, gas will form bubbles in a fluid. In the case of the bends, the fluid is the blood and the gas is typically nitrogen.
When the process occurs slowly, such as in an airplane cabin, the lungs can remove the gas before bubbles form. When it occurs quickly, such as a diver coming up too fast, it can result in itching skin and rashes, pain in the joints, paralysis and potentially death.
The Solution
Preventing the bends requires the diver to ascend slowly, allowing the gas to naturally de-gas. The number of variables to consider when calculating the time needed for slow surfacing makes it very difficult to determine. That is why the dive computer was invented. With its specialized timers and sensors, it can determine how deep the diver is and how long the diver was at that depth. Diving computers conduct its calculations in real time and determine how much time the diver needs to spend at a particular level to surface safely and prevent the bends.
A dive computer in just about every brand and model is able to sense the exact duration of divers being at certain depths. The diving computer can then estimate the blood gas level of the diver and figure out: the time period in which the diver can surface without having to worry about the bends; the duration of the divers stop at each depth in order to surface safely and the maximum depth the diver can reach amongst other things.
Integrated Diver Display
Visual displays which should be read clearly and visible while diving, are present on many forms of divers computer. To ensure that the diver does not experience information overload, the dive computer display should be uncluttered. Better models of diving computers, in addition to the information provided above, will display information such as the speed at which the diver is rising, the temperature of the water and the time of decompression at each depth. For analysis afterwards, many high end models can transmit the entire dive onto a computer.
Certain defining features can really set a dive computer ahead of the pack. By the time a diver has surfaced, high end dive watches will display the time before a diver can board an airplane. One of the quickest ways to get the bends is to board an airplane too soon. High end models are also able to keep track of the air supply in the scuba tanks.
Identifying how much information is provided on the display and if the display is clear and readable is essential when shopping for a dive computer. The consumer should also note the other features that the product contains and what it monitors in diving quantity terms. The Suunto D9 would be the perfect example of a diving computer with all the necessary qualities needed to ensure a safe and secure dive.
About the Author:
Ed J Price has had a marked interest in scuba diving for a long time. For additional information on a recommended diving computer like the Suunto D9 divers computer, visit his online resource site today.
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