Getting Clear on the Basics: The Fundamentals of Technical Diving

[Mark Powell]

I've heard rumours for some time that "Getting Clear on the Basics: The Fundamentals of Technical Diving", which is currently only available in pdf format, is due to be revised and published in book format.

Can any of you DIR guys confirm or deny this? and if it's true any idea what the publication schedule is likely to be?

[Mark Powell]

I assume that if the rumour were true one of the DIR guys would have posted a response.

[And]

Hi

Sorry Mark, but I don't know.

Andy

[Mark Powell]

Assuming it's only going to be available in pdf then is it worth buying?

I'm a traditionalist and paying that money for a physical book seems more acceptable than paying for an electronic download. It also means that I can't browse it when im in UE and decide if it's a god buy

Can someone give me an idea of the contents, a virtual browse if you like.

[rasilon]

Actually, I think it's quite good -- if you've read "Fundamentals of Better Diving" they it's pretty much what you'd expect from the next book up. It does assume that DIR is the only reasonable way to dive (which should be unsurprising) and there were a few places where I wished they'd cut the dogma and admit the existance of other methods.

It claims to be the Tech 1 manual (or did when I bought my copy). It therefore covers what you'd expect from an intro to technical diving -- Nitrox (diving it, mixing it, analysing it etc.), a n intro to trimix, heliair etc., decompression and DCI, gas management, advanced dive planning and management ...

It's written by JJ so it's the sane and well behaved face of DIR and whilst I don't always agree with it, alongside the BSAC and NOAA manuals it tends to form my "how not to cock stuff up" library.


I'm not sure how this'll come out and presuming nobody objects, here's a quick text version of the contents:

4 Contents Acknowledgements
10 Preface
11 Chapter 1: Technical Diving : Past and Present
12 History
12The Mysterious Malady
12 The Birth of SCUBA - Open, Closed and Semi-Closed Systems
13The Birth of Technical Diving
14 What is Technical Diving?
15The Fate of Technical Diving
15 How Can Divers Receive a Good Education?
16Global Underwater Explorers: Why Another Agency?
18 Self-Assessment
18Readiness for Advanced Diver Training
18 What Level of Experience Should One Achieve Before Taking a Technical Diving Course?
19What Buoyancy Skills Should One Master Before Taking a Technical Diving Course?
19 How Important is Physical Fitness to the Technical Diver?
19Are You Qualified?
20 Chapter 2: Introduction To Nitrox
21 Why Add Oxygen to Air?
21 What is Nitrox?
21 Nitrox History
21Advantages to Breathing Nitrox
22 Complications of Using Nitrox
24Looking into the Future
26 Chapter 3: Diving Physics Made Simple
27 Introduction
27 Basic Review of Gas Laws
27Charles' Gas Law
27 Boyle's Law
28Dalton's Law
28 Henry's Law
283
1
5 Oxygen Window Summary
29 3
2 Nitrox Parameters
303
2
1 The Big Three
30 3
2
2 How Deep Can One Go?
303
2
3 What Mix Should One Use?
31 3
2
4 What is the PO2?
32
5 3
3 There's Got To Be an Easier Way: MOD Planners
323
3
2 How Does it Work?
35 3
4 More About Nitrox
353
4
1 The Concept of Equivalent Air Depth (EAD)
35 3
4
2 Calculated Advantage
363
4
3 The T Formula and EAD Chart
36 Chapter 4: The Logistics of Diving Mixtures Other Than Air
39 Operational Aspects
39Nitrox Fill Techniques
39 Air Quality Concerns when Filling Nitrox
39 Special Preparations for Elevated Oxygen Concentrations
42Oxygen Cleaning
42 Preparing Nitrox
43Nitrox Availability Limited
45 All Fills Must Be Analyzed
45Analyzing a Cylinder
45 Tank Labeling
45Cylinder Marking: The Fine Points
46 Gas Switching Procedures
47 Chapter 5: Alternative Breathing Gasses
48 Background
48Definitions and Application of Mixed Gasses
48 Principal Reasoning for Helium-based Diving Gasses
49Misconceptions Associated With Helium Diving
49 The Reality of Mix Diving
49Historical Overview of Trimix Diving
50 Nitrogen (N2)
51 Nitrogen Properties
51Nitrogen Absorption, Diffusion and Other Considerations
51 Helium (He)
52Helium Properties
52 Advantages of Helium
52Disadvantages of Helium
52 Tissue Solubility
52Thermal Loss
53 High Pressure Nervous Syndrome (HPNS)
53Helium Gas Density
54 Helium Diving
54 Oxygen (O2)
55Oxygen Properties
56 Special Oxygen Considerations
56Carbon Dioxide (CO 2)
56Carbon Dioxide Properties
57 Other Breathing Gasses
58
6 Hydrogen (H2)
58Hydrogen Properties
58 Special Hydrogen Considerations
58Neon (Ne)
59 Neon Properties
59Special Neon Considerations
59 Argon (Ar)
59Argon Properties
60 Special Argon Considerations
60Gas Narcosis
61 Chapter 6: Oxygen - The Most Mysterious Gas
63 Introduction
63Common Oxygen Parameters
63 Oxygen: How Much is Enough?
63 What is Oxygen Toxicity?
64Central Nervous System Oxygen Toxicity
65 Pulmonary or Whole Body Oxygen Toxicity
65Symptoms of CNS Oxygen Toxicity
65 Off Effect
69Why Do We Get Oxygen Toxicity? (Paul Bert Effect)
69 Chapter 7: Avoiding Oxygen Toxicity
72 Introduction
72Toxicity Limits
72 The CNS Clock
74Rethinking the Oxygen Clock
75 Pulomary Toxicity (Lorraine Smith Effect)
76Oxygen Toxicity Impact on Lung Function
76 Tracking Pulmonary Oxygen Toxicity
76Review of Key Points Relevant to Whole Body Toxicity
81 Oxygen Recovery
84Redefining the Limits of Oxygen Exposure and Oxygen Recovery
84 Chapter 8: Decompression Illness
86 Introduction
86The Mysterious Malady
86 Hyperbaric Illness
87Traditional Classification of Decompression Illness With Sub-Classifications
88 Reclassification of Decompression Illness
89 Barotrauma
90Arterial Gas Embolism
91 Dissolved Gas DCI
91Symptoms
91 Musculoskeletal Symptoms
91Skin Symptoms
92
7 Isobaric Counterdiffusion
92Lymphatic System
93 Heart
93General Fatigue
93 Venous Gas Bubbles
93Contributing Factors to Decompression Illness
94 Inexperience/Ignorance
94Age
95 Linear Density
95Smoking
95 Fitness
96Exercise
97 Dehydration
97Temperature
98 Physical Injury
98Diving Profiles
98 Reverse Profile
99PFO
100 Complement Activation and DCI
100 Chapter 9: Decompression Mechanics
101 Background
101Introduction
101 Deep Stops
102Deep Stop Details
102 Deep Stop Advantages
103 Decompression Profiles
104What is Wrong With The Traditional Haldanean Decompression Model
105 Unconventional Decompressions
106 Chapter 10: Dive Planning
107 Introduction
107Pre-Dive Preparation
107 Prior to the Trip
107Arriving at the Dive Site
108 Prior to the Dive
108Building a Dive Plan
108 Define Dive Objectives
108Identify Risk
109 Diving Logistics
110Establish Parameters
110 Time
111Depth
111 Assign Responsibility
112 Contingency Planning
112Evaluate Equipment
112 Nutritional Requirements
112
8 Dive Planning Components
112Decompression Table Generation
112 Choosing the Right Gas Mixes: Standardized Mixtures
113Oxygen Planning and Narcosis Levels
113 Establishing Breathing Gas Parameters
114Nitrox Mixing Mathematics
114 Trimix Mixing Mathematics
115Topping Off a Partial Trimix Fill With Air
116 Adjusting a Mix from a Remaining Mixture
117Decompression Considerations
117 Cylinder Choices
118 Travel Mixes
118 Thermal Conductivity
118 Chapter 11: Managing Breathing Gas Supplies
121 Introduction
121Measuring Gas Consumption
121 SAC Rate Calculations
121The "One Third" Air Rule
123 Gas Management With Similar Tanks
123Dissimilar Fill Pressures
124 Gas Management With Dissimilar Tanks
124Limit the Team's Penetration to One Third of the Smallest Available Volume
124 Battlefield Example for Dissimilar Tanks Conversion - Imperial System
126Metric Dissimilar Tanks Conversion Example
127 Chapter 12: Diving Procedures
128 Introduction
128Accident Analysis
128 Relating Cave Fatalities To Technical Diving
130Exceeding One's Level of Training
130 Going Beyond One's Personal Level of Comfort
131Diving Beyond the Range of One's Gas Mixture
131 Using Improper or Insufficient Equipment
131Stress on the Diver
131 Recognizing Stress
132Coping with Stress
132 Panic
133Team Diving
133 Cave Diving
133Cold Water
134 Ice Diving
134Wreck Diving
135 Diving From a Boat
135 Anchor Diving
135Drift Diving With a Surface Marker
135 Drifting into a Fixed Point

[Mark Powell]

thanks Rasilon, just what I was looking for. Sounds like it's worth adding to the library.

[Mary]

Just a thought if this is supposedly the tech1 manual will it cover Deco on the fly which no-one who hasn't been on the course will dicuss?

[Mark]

Originally Posted by Mary

Just a thought if this is supposedly the tech1 manual will it cover Deco on the fly which no-one who hasn't been on the course will dicuss?

Hi,

the Tech-1 manual is primarily background reading that one should be familiar with prior to taking the class. No, deco on the fly (as it has come to be known on YD) is not in the manual.

Regards,

Mark.

[Mark Powell]

I received the following reply from GUE

"Thank you for your interest in GUE and our Fundamentals of Technical Diving book. I can confirm that we will begin the process to make it into book format. However, this is a very long process and I can not give you an estimated time on when it will be complete. As soon as it is available it will be posted on our website, so just keep watching for it there."