Sports Diver Theory - ST5 - Breathing Gas Planning and Systems

Sports Diver Theory

ST5 - Breathing Gas Planning and Systems

Lesson Objectives

Sport Divers will be extending their diving horizons and are beginning to update or expand their equipment. For the type of diving they want to do or progress towards, this lesson looks at breathing gas planning for deeper or more adventurous diving together with appropriate equipment configurations.

Achievement Targets

At the end of this lesson students will:

• Understand that in considering deeper or more challenging diving, possibly including decompression stops, that breathing gas planning and systems will be important
• Understand how to ensure they carry sufficient breathing gas to undertake a planned dive by being able to determine suitable cylinder size including the reserve supply
• Understand that a back up, alternate breathing gas supply is a must and that its capacity must be sufficient for the type of dive being undertaken
• Understand the different configurations of kit that are available and their appropriateness for types of diving being planned
• Understand that equipment, which is their life line, needs maintenance to ensure it is in good working order
• Understand that updating or expanding their equipment needs careful consideration so that it is appropriate for their current or intended future diving
• Understand that adding or updating equipment needs to be considered as part of their overall equipment system, as must its weight and implications on buoyancy
• Understand that any new equipment should be practiced with in shallow water before being taken on a real dive
• Understand that practise is extremely important, not only with new kit, but to ensure all skills are kept 'in practise' so they are not ignored - they should not be used for the first time when an emergency arises

Equipment Required

The following items will be needed:

• It is appreciated that all cylinder configurations may not be available but a single cylinder with octopus (generally used as training kit) and a single cylinder with pony AAS as a minimum should be shown, to demonstrate the difference between the two and that the latter demonstrates an independent back up breathing gas supply.