![]() Does your gas smell or taste funny? Thumb the dive and get a proper gas analysis done on the contents of your cylinder. Like I stated above, the sniff test is rather effective at detecting the presence of most petroleum-based contaminants. Like with anything involving diving, if you have any concerns regarding the gas in your cylinder…abort the dive and remedy the issue. As with any piece of equipment, the user should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the safe operation and maintenance of any gas analyzing equipment.Īs an educated and aware diver, you should know and understand the signs and signals that your breathing gas isn’t up to the quality needed for a safe and enjoyable dive. With this in mind, we need to understand that changes in pressure or altitude and ambient temperature can and often will skew this result. In using a Nitrox analyzer, the diver needs to be aware that the sensor detects the partial pressure of Oxygen contained within the sample and not the actual percentage…despite actually displaying the result as a percentage. The most common Nitrox analyzers use a replaceable sensor that allows for an accuracy of within 0.1%. With the growing popularity of Nitrox diving, amazing advances have been made in recent years with respect to Oxygen monitoring and testing technology for divers. This advance facilitates a quicker and more accurate analysis of your breathing gas. In recent years, electronic Carbon Monoxide detectors have hit the market with some even integrated into Oxygen analyzers. ![]() Quantitative Carbon Monoxide sensors are a little more intricate and have a color change “scale” that allows you to determine the amount of carbon monoxide present. There is a caveat with this type of sensor in that it only indicates that the individual sample has or has not exceeded acceptable limits. Qualitative devices that change color and give you a simple “good or bad” result. ![]() No sweat, though there are also quick and easy testing products for CO.Ĭolor change sensors are a quick and inexpensive means of detecting the presence of Carbon Monoxide in your breathing gas. While the sniff test is good for contaminants that you can smell, it does not allow for the detection of colorless and odorless gasses like Carbon Monoxide(CO). ![]() If something smells funny….return the cylinder to the dive shop for a proper analysis. To perform this test, simply crack open the cylinder valve just a little bit and give the contents a quick “sniff”. This rough test is effective in detecting contaminants from oil, diesel fumes, and other combustible products. Of course, there are simple steps that you can take to ensure that your gas is safe. Being the trusting diver strap them on and dive them…hoping that the shop has given you the proper mix. Or the dive shop, in their busy morning rush fill your cylinders and thrust them back in your direction without offering the opportunity to analyze the mix. You just got your tanks filled and want to get in the water, I completely understand. Any diver who holds a Nitrox card knows that they should be at a minimum verifying the oxygen percentage in their nitrox blends. With day to day operations, mechanical breakdown and environmental issues cannot be 100% percent eliminated. Of course, with anything…mistakes can be made. With compressor maintenance schedules, quarterly gas analysis, and creating a safe physical environment, dive shops should be applauded for their efforts to help keep us safe on our dives. While there are still remote incidents of bad breathing medium, most dive shops strive to pump safe gas. With that in mind, let’s discuss how easy and affordable it truly is to verify the contents of your cylinder and take this potential danger out of your personal dive equation. Lives have been and continue to be lost from this silent killer lurking in the shadows of an otherwise safe and benign sport, but it doesn’t have to be that way. A consideration that is often overlooked by divers is actually verifying the contents of their SCUBA cylinder prior to every dive. Beyond initial training and equipment, ongoing education and mentorship are key to the ongoing enjoyment of the sport. Secondly, the safe dive should endeavor to use only equipment of the highest quality that is meant for the sport. First being that whoever undertakes exploration of our beautiful underwater world should receive proper training from a reputable and affiliated instructor. Of course, the exemplary safety record that the sport enjoys does come with a few caveats. Given that it is a sport that delves into alien environments that require life support, it’s track record for safety is unparalleled. The sport of scuba diving has always attracted the adventurous and casual vacationer alike.
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