1 Danger of icing of the scuba regulator – a neglected risk while diving in mountain lakes Daniel Hothorn (sport student) and Hans-Volkhart Ulmer (Physiologist) Institute of sports science, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany, [email protected]4th international Symposium: “High altitude influence on human performance: science and praxis” – Bohinjska Bela (Slovenia) Sept. 8-13, 2009 ___________________________________________________________ HOTHORN & ULMER: Risk of icing scuba regulator, 4th Symposium: Altitude & praxis
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1 Danger of icing of the scuba regulator – a neglected risk while diving in mountain lakes Daniel Hothorn (sport student) and Hans-Volkhart Ulmer (Physiologist)
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Danger of icing of the scuba regulator– a neglected risk while diving in mountain lakes
Daniel Hothorn (sport student) and Hans-Volkhart Ulmer (Physiologist)
Institute of sports science, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany, [email protected]
4th international Symposium: “High altitude influence on human performance: science and praxis” – Bohinjska Bela (Slovenia)
Diving in mountain lakes is very attractive.Some special risks are described in literature, however:
Especially the problem of decompression during ascent of divers under changed pressure conditions as consequence of the lower ambient pressure in hight, relevant for diving in mountain lakes > 300 m
Introduction, aim, methods, results, discussion, final conclusions
caused by - lower water temperatures (permanent temperatures of 4 - 10 C° in depths > 20 m)- the Joule-Thomson-effect (decompression of gases in a pressure reducer effects cold)
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Introduction, aim, methods, results, discussion, final conclusions
Diving in mountain lakes is only marginally included in the basic courses of the great diving associations PADI and SSI, and only referring to the modified decom-pression conditions during ascent.
A similar situation was found in nearly all other special courses for diving in mountain lakes.
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Introduction, aim, methods, results, discussion, final conclusions
By literature and own experience it seemed for us that the danger of icing of the scuba regulator and the necessity of a redundant scuba regulator is not sufficiently known among divers
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Introduction, aim, methods, results, discussion, final conclusions
– Evaluate knowledge about the icing problem– Evaluate use of correct equipment against scuba regulator icing– Evaluate the risk of accidents by icing of scuba the regulator
In context with divers at a typical mountain lake (Walchensee, Germany, 802 m)
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Introduction, aim, methods, results, discussion, final conclusions
This study underlines the often neglected importance of icing of scuba regulators during diving in mountain lakes (definition > 300 m).
- Neglected in the curricula of basic courses- Neglected by divers to join special courses for diving in mountain lakes- Neglected by divers to use redundant regulator systems and to train how to use in case of icing under realistic conditions
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Introduction, aim, methods, results, discussion, final conclusions
- In every basic course for divers the risk of icing of the scuba regulator should be underlined, combined with the necessity to join special courses for diving in mountain lakes. - In these special courses the necessity to use redundant regulator systems should be explained and it should be trained during diving in darkness, how to use them in the case of icing of the primary system.
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Introduction, aim, methods, results, discussion, final conclusions