March 30, 2008

Proper Scuba Mask Clearing

Filed under: Beginner Diving — admin @ 3:07 am

It can be hard to enjoy scuba diving if you can’t see anything well enough, and it can also be dangerous. This includes when the mask fogs up or too much water gets into the mask.

Knowing about the methods of scuba mask clearing is essential for these reasons. By using the right scuba mask clearing techniques you will have a more enjoyable and safer scuba diving experience.

First of all you should understand how your scuba mask can become fogged up or retain water. During the scuba diving experience you can start sweating while underwater. The sweat droplets can come from the forehead and then condense onto the inside of the scuba mask.

Also, breathing warm air through the nose can cause the mask to become foggy. Also, when warm air hits the plate when it is cold the screen will become foggy due to the condensation of the warm air.

You’ll need to use good preventive care for scuba mask clearing. First, you should clean the inside of the mask and seal it with some material that can help dry up any sweat drops as they begin to form. For example, you can use anti-fogging spray to help prevent fogging from happening. There are several other methods that have been created by other divers over the years as well, and you can find more information about this online.

Another way of scuba mask clearing involves using shampoo. By rubbing some shampoo onto your fingers and spreading it around the inside of the mask and then rinsing it off you can help the mask to absorb any water molecules that may cause fogging. It is important that you use a tearless type of shampoo so that your eyes will not be irritated if you use this method of scuba mask clearing.

Sometimes when scuba diving water may seep into the inside of the mask through the skirt edge of the mask. Usually this involves a small amount of water, but it can grow over time if not taken care of. When you do see water get into the mask take a deep inhale through your mouth and breathe through your nose.

Also, at the same time you do exhale you should tilt the bottom part of the scuba mask. However, you will have to be sure that you exhale and tilt at the exact same time or else more water will come in. Try practicing this above water before trying it out for real. If the mask begins to fog during this scuba mask clearing process it should not be a problem, as that fog will disappear in a few seconds.

By knowing the right scuba mask clearing methods you will have a better scuba diving experience. Be sure to follow the methods exactly so that no additional water will be let into the mask. Also, by using preparation methods like rubbing shampoo around the mask and cleaning it you will be able to reduce the risk of water through condensation or sweating entering the mask.

For More Info, check out www.scubadivingfreak.com

Tag: Scuba Diving Mask

March 27, 2008

Scuba Diving and Nitrogen Narcosis

Filed under: Beginner Diving — admin @ 1:05 am

Nitrogen narcosis is a dangerous condition that can affect scuba divers, especially when diving deeper than 30 meters. The exact mechanisms behind nitrogen narcosis are still to be explored, but it has to do with nitrogen gas affecting the nerve transmissions in the body during high pressure. Nitrogen is not the only gas capable of affecting the nerve transmissions when the body experience high pressure; the same state of intoxication can for instance be caused by hydrogen and argon. Since the air inhaled by scuba divers contains a large amount of nitrogen (just like the air that we breathe above the surface every day), nitrogen narcosis was the first type of gas narcosis experienced by scuba divers, hence the name. Today, the condition is also referred to as Inert Gas Narcosis.

The effects of nitrogen narcosis are similar to the effects of anesthetic gas or alcohol. The well known diver Jacques Cousteau expressed it as the “rapture of the deep”. Since a diver needs to be focused and act responsible - and even more so at great depths - nitrogen narcosis can have disastrous effect. A diver can for instance forget to check how much air he or she has left, stay down to long or forget to do safety stops when ascending to the surface. Some divers have even begun to take off their equipment or tried to share their mouth piece with a fish. Nitrogen narcosis can also be lethal due to nitrogen poisoning.

It can be hard for the effected diver to realize that he or she is developing nitrogen narcosis, since the level of intoxication will increase gradually. It is therefore always important to keep an eye on your partner during the dive and try to detect illogical behaviors. Many divers regularly check the mental state of their buddy by showing the buddy a number of fingers. Before the dive, the divers have agreed that when 3 fingers are displayed, the buddy must respond by showing 2 fingers, when 8 fingers are displayed the buddy should hold up 7 fingers and so on. A diver suffering from nitrogen narcosis might calculate the wrong number, or display a number of fingers that is not coherent with the number that he or she calculated. The diver can also loose interest in carrying out these safety checks and ignore the buddy.

If you suspect that you or your buddy is suffering from nitrogen narcosis, you should immediately begin your ascent to shallower depts. Never panic and head for the surface as quickly as possible, safety stops are imperative. The effects of nitrogen narcosis will usually wear of as soon as you reach shallower depths, even if they are far from the surface. Sometimes an affect buddy can be very reluctant to ascend, since he or she is not aware of the problem. Before embarking on a deep dive, it can be a good idea to agree on a sign that means “Nitrogen narcosis, we must ascend”.

Never dive below 20 meters unless you have completed your deep-dive training. During the training, you will learn more about how to avoid nitrogen narcosis. A rapid descent should be avoided since it will make the pressure increase very quickly and nitrogen gas dissolves more slowly in the blood than many other gases. Nitrogen narcosis seems to be more common during dives where the diver has made a rapid descent, but it can occur even after a very slow descent. Many experienced divers recommend a descent at a very steady pace when deep-diving, since this will prevent any sudden changes and unbalanced solution of gas in the blood. This method has however not been scientifically proven.

Never use sedating drugs, including alcohol and marijuana, before you go scuba diving. Any sedating drugs will increase the risk of nitrogen narcosis. Keep in mind that THC is stored in your body for long periods of time. Sedating medications should also be avoided prior to dives, even when prescribed by a physician.

Read more about scuba diving and all the different forms of scuba diving such as cave diving, ice diving, wreck diving and nude scuba diving.

Tags: scuba diving, , traveling

March 24, 2008

Scuba Diving Dry Suits

Filed under: Beginner Diving — admin @ 1:09 am

Scuba diving dry suits are for diving in cold water settings and they only come in one type of style: full length arms and legs. The only difference among the different brands of dry suits on the market are in the materials used to create the suit and the placement of the zippers.

Dry suits maintain warmth by surrounding the scuba diver with a layer of warm air trapped in the clothing worn under the dry suit. As the scuba diver decends in the water, the air that is in the suit compresses, but the pressure can be equalized by the use of a low pressure hose connected to the divers air supply.

So as the diver ascends, air that was added to the suit must now be vented by use of a deflation valve.

The material used to make dry suits can be either neoprene, crushed neoprene or some other kind of lightweight fabric that is reinforced with a waterproof material such as vulcanized rubber.

Scuba diving dry suits are the only way to go if you are in cold water (50 degrees or less). Their negatives are as follows:

  • They are a maintennance hassle
  • They are rather bulky
  • Dry scuba diving suits are expensive
  • There is a learning curve to using them

Scuba Diving Equipment Guide

Tag: scuba diving equipment
Close
E-mail It