Main description:

This is a brand new technical guide which provides a comprehensive overview of the principles underlying decompression theory. Mark Powell has written a book that for the first time allows the average diver to fully understand the principles behind this fascinating aspect of diving. This book bridges the gap between introductory books and source scientific information. What I wanted was an intermediate overview that went into more detail but wasn't written for academics or researchers. When I became a technical diving instructor I started teaching other people about decompression theory.I tried to give an overview of decompression theory at this intermediate level to give my students a better understanding of what was happening during decompression dives. This was always very popular amongst divers who, like me, had always wanted to understand more about the concepts and models underlying decompression theory. I was always being asked if I could recommend a good book which covered this area but as before, there was no such text available. Over time I started giving out notes for the decompression theory portion of my courses and these notes started building.
Initially they were just a few pages but the notes became more and more comprehensive and started to cover more and more areas. Eventually they grew into this book. Winner Eurotek 2010 - Publication of Significance Award

Contents:

Introduction...1;Chapter 1;Historical Perspective...7;Robert Boyle (1627 - 1691)...7;Rediscovery...8;Caissons Disease...8;Paul Bert (1833-1886)...10;John Scott Haldane (1860-1936)...12;US Navy...15;Robert Workman...17;Professor Albert Buhlmann (1923-1994).17;Chapter 2;Decompression Principles...21;Overview...21;The Air we Breathe...22;The Effects of Pressure...24;Dalton's Law...25;The Lungs...26;Henry's Law...29;Diffusion...30;Gas Transport...31;Perfusion...33;Saturation...34;Tissue compartments...35;Half times...36;Supersaturation...38;Critical supersaturation...40;Controlling ratio - M-Values...40;Ascent rates...43;No-Stop dives...47;Bubble Formation...48;Silent Bubbles...48;Safety stops...50;Decompression stops...52;Oxygen Window...57;Chapter 3;Decompression Illness...61;Burst Lung...61;Arterial Gas Embolism (AGE)...62;Interstitial Emphysema...62;Pneumothorax...63;Decompression Sickness...63;Decompression Classification...63;Reclassification of DCS and AGE...68;Signs and Symptoms...69;Symptoms of the Bends by Frequency ...70;Time of Onset of Symptoms ...70;Predisposing Factors...71;Dehydration...71;Dive profiles...73;Repetitive Diving...75;Temperature...76;Obesity...76;Exercise...77;Smoking...79;Age...80;Flying after diving...80;Reverse profile...82;Previous injury...84;PFO...84;Lung Shunts...88;Doppler Bubble Detection...89;Medical implications of DCI...91;First Aid...93;Oxygen...94;5 Minute Neurological Exam...96;Recompression...99;In Water Recompression...105;Omitted Decompression...108;Chapter 4;Saturation Diving...111;Development Of Saturation Diving...112;Commercial Saturation Diving...115;Saturation Decompression...116;Chapter 5;Nitrox...119;Using Nitrox...121;Using Nitrox as Decompression gas...125;The Oxygen Window Revisited...131;Chapter 6;Deep Stops and Bubble Models...137;Deep Stops...139;Gradient Factors...144;Dual Phase (Bubble) Models...147;Individual Bubble Behaviour...149;Multiple Bubble Behaviour...154;Gas Switches and Bubble Models...157;Specific Bubble Models...159;Varying Permeability Model...161;Critical Volume Algorithm...164;Development of VPM...166;Reduced Gradient Bubble Model...168;Chapter 7;Mixed Gas...171;Choice of Gas...172;Trimix...176;Trimix Decompression...181;Helium in Decompression Gases...187;Isobaric Counter Diffusion...189;Chapter 8;Other Decompression Models...199;RNPL - Slab Diffusion...200;BSAC-88...203;US Navy Exponential Linear Model...205;Probabablistic Models...207;DCIEM...209;Ratio Deco...213;Chapter 9;Decompression calculations...219;References and Further Reading...236;