New Technical Gas

[Ray]

Trying to find out about a new gas mix of oxygen and bollidiam. It is supposed to be cheap compaired to heliox. Can anyone help me to track this down?

[richard2338]

Trying to find out about a new gas mix of oxygen and bollidiam. It is supposed to be cheap compaired to heliox. Can anyone help me to track this down?

Ah yes, bollidiam/oxygen gas mixtures (abbreviated to BOLx as per nitrox/EANx) are used in some commercial diving circles, increasingly we will see them available in the amateur diving world.

The benefits of oxygen/bollidiam gas for breathing underwater was actually first discovered by veterinary scientists in the 1980?s when looking at preventing certain animals from succumbing to decompression illness during hyperbaric testing. Animal experiments proved that this gas mixture was particularly effective and on dogs was also shown to prevent the onset of narcosis, reduce anxiety and breathing rates. This gas became known as the Dogs BOLx.

I would definitely recommend the use of BOLx fills where possible, there are many positive benefits, and certainly any diver that uses them will tell you their life would not be the same without BOLx.

For a complete BOLx fill, I would recommend Divers Down in Swanage, they are well-known for producing such gas mixtures.

[Nigel Hewitt]

Ah yes

*sigh*

When Keith said he hoped traffic would increase I don't think an attack of Divernet was what he hoped for. I think we can expect the axe to fall quite promptly on this thread.

[richard2338]

:=Ah yes

*sigh*

When Keith said he hoped traffic would increase I don't think an attack of Divernet was what he hoped for. I think we can expect the axe to fall quite promptly on this thread.

Keith's hope that BSAC forum traffic would increase mirrors BSAC's hope that membership will increase again.

Unfortunately, if they want a good reason why it isnt, Nigel, its summed up neatly in your email. A few people like yourself have forgotten that scuba diving is a hobby to the rest of us mere mortals.

[Keith Lawrence(BSAC)]

When Keith said he hoped traffic would increase I don't think an attack of Divernet was what he hoped for. I think we can expect the axe to fall quite promptly on this thread.

No reason to can it, if people fall for it then that's their problem ;-) If it gets excessive and people complain then yeah, may cut it down a bit.

K

[Andy Wade]

:=When Keith said he hoped traffic would increase I don't think an attack of Divernet was what he hoped for. I think we can expect the axe to fall quite promptly on this thread.

No reason to can it, if people fall for it then that's their problem ;-) If it gets excessive and people complain then yeah, may cut it down a bit.


It caught me out at first when I read the title, but after reading further I had a bit of a chortle.
No harm in that.
I've been half expecting someone to bring up the dangers of breathing dihydrogen monoxide
;-)

[Keith Lawrence(BSAC)]

I've been half expecting someone to bring up the dangers of breathing dihydrogen monoxide

They are very real Andy, all divers should be concerned about dihydrogen monoxide.

Keith L

[Vic]

>> I've been half expecting someone to bring up the dangers of
>> breathing dihydrogen monoxide
>
> They are very real Andy, all divers should be concerned about
> dihydrogen monoxide.

That's a rather draconian position, I feel.

A small amount of dihydrogen monoxide (partial pressure of about 0.06bar, IIRC) is actually beneficial to the diver, and should be considered appropriate for diving.

So do we have any proper guidelines as to what partial pressure constitutes "toxic" for this rather maligned substance?

Vic.

[Andy Wade]

>> I've been half expecting someone to bring up the dangers of
>> breathing dihydrogen monoxide
>
> They are very real Andy, all divers should be concerned about
> dihydrogen monoxide.

That's a rather draconian position, I feel.

A small amount of dihydrogen monoxide (partial pressure of about 0.06bar, IIRC) is actually beneficial to the diver, and should be considered appropriate for diving.

So do we have any proper guidelines as to what partial pressure constitutes "toxic" for this rather maligned substance?

Vic.

Draconian, I say Draconian?
That's easy for you to say.
My doctor has advised me that I may have been poisoned by this stuff and has told me that I may have up to 60 or 70 percent of this evil substance in my body.
He further suggested that I may have been poisoned whilst in the womb! Mine is a chronic case I'm afraid.
I'm currently on a strict detox diet of about 2 litres of dihydrogen monoxide a day and I may be on it for the rest of my life.
Draconian?
Pah, I say Pah.
They should ban it.
Of course the government has stated that they will continue to add it to our water supplies and say that there's no evidence that it is dangerous.
For crying out loud, it's even at high saturation levels in our beer!

For more information go to www.beer.org.uk

[Ray]

Ah yes "sigh", humour. Available at any BSAC branch.

[Khaled Alwassia]

I had a good laugh reading this.

[Nick McV]

Beer huh? aka Decompression Fluid - an essential at the end of the diving day.

It is worth noting that a suitable quantity of Decompression Fluid promotes the production of Carbon Dibackside which is useful for inflating the dry-suit on the following day's dive, thus saving on Argon or breathing mix.......

Incidentally, another advantage of using self generated Carbon Dibackside to reduce suit squeeze is that it has no effect on your net buoyancy and as a 'hands free' process tends not to increase your task-loading. It is, though, vitally important not to 'Follow-through' as this will significantly increase task loading. I think it's called the 'Incident Pit' - or at least it sounded like that.

[John Williams]

Ah yes "sigh", humour. Available at any BSAC branch.

I'm a DO who is really quite worried by this newfangled gas!

My major reason for being so disquieted was the number of requests from branch members for me to organise an SDC in the use of the stuff!

What do other DO's out there think of my response:

I told them not to go near any Dihydrogen monoxide until they were fully familiar with the level of interaction that it diplays with bollidiam/oxygen mixtures (aka BOLx!)

I referred them to the link below for further information about di-hydrogen monoxide and told them to be particualrly aware of the dangers when in the kitchens and bathrooms of their caves!

John

[Paul Oliver]

I think it's called the 'Incident Pit' - or at least it sounded like that.

Damn, I've just spilt some top quality Shepherd Neam Decompression Dilutant over my keyboard reading about that one.

[Adrian Kelland]

:= I think it's called the 'Incident Pit' - or at least it sounded like that.

Damn, I've just spilt some top quality Shepherd Neam Decompression Dilutant over my keyboard reading about that one.

Spitfire?

[Allan J Bretherton]

You really are all missing the point, it?s the oxygen that is toxic and not just at elevated partial pressures ? everyone that breaths oxygen will eventually die.

TFIC??Allan

[Adrian Kelland]

You really are all missing the point, it?s the oxygen that is toxic and not just at elevated partial pressures ? everyone that breaths oxygen will eventually die.

TFIC??Allan
Oh dear.

Damned if we do, damned if we don't :-)

Adrian

[Paul Oliver]

:=:= I think it's called the 'Incident Pit' - or at least it sounded like that.
:=
:=Damn, I've just spilt some top quality Shepherd Neam Decompression Dilutant over my keyboard reading about that one.

Spitfire?

Mind reading again Adrian?

[John Williams]

You really are all missing the point, it?s the oxygen that is toxic and not just at elevated partial pressures ? everyone that breaths oxygen will eventually die.

TFIC??Allan


That's why I tend to use the stuff diluted with 79% Nitrogen ...only occasionally giving myself a "treat" by taking it with less diluent!

You generally have to pay a premium for the Oxygen enriched stuff though!

I do always go through a licensed "dealer" though!

John

PS
Have you noticed that breathing the remainder of your "treat" the morning after over-indulging in the decompression fluid (also sold in licensed premises) - that it seems to help overcome the fuzzy-headedness that some of the more toxic decompression fluids might engender?

I used to think that "technical diving" meant something about extra kit...now I understand that it means more about understanding the interaction of all these gas mixtures and their post-dive requirements. (Good Job that the brewing industry so kindly set up so many of their distribution outlets in such close proximity to where we go diving!)

[Nick McV]

Life itself is a sexually transmitted terminal disease....

I reccommend more decompression fluid.
While I recognise the excellence of the Shepperd Neame type, my preference goes to Fuller Smith & Turner

[Adrian Kelland]

Life itself is a sexually transmitted terminal disease....

I reccommend more decompression fluid.
While I recognise the excellence of the Shepperd Neame type, my preference goes to Fuller Smith & Turner

I understand there is a direct correlation between the two.