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Beest · 02-15-2012, 03:24 PM

When you're at depth the air in your lungs is at the same pressure as the surrounding water. If you're breath holding from the surface the air is still pressurised , it just reduces in volume, the risk of narcosis and bends are the same.
It takes time for nitrogen to be absorbed into tissues, just as it takes time for them to be released, the time spent at depth is very small, so the bends are unlikely. I don't rememeber if narcosis is also time related but I rememeber them saying it's something you can get accustomed to, like drinking.

Only the air spaces in the body are subject to volume change, at 300m you lungs would be 1/30 th the size !

I skimmed the article and didn't find any reference to "open your mouth and your dead', maybe it's in the video, but since pressure it equalized it shouldn't matter if you open your mouth.

02-15-2012, 03:24 PM	#11
Beest Adapt and Survive Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ann Arbor, Mi Posts: 957	When you're at depth the air in your lungs is at the same pressure as the surrounding water. If you're breath holding from the surface the air is still pressurised , it just reduces in volume, the risk of narcosis and bends are the same. It takes time for nitrogen to be absorbed into tissues, just as it takes time for them to be released, the time spent at depth is very small, so the bends are unlikely. I don't rememeber if narcosis is also time related but I rememeber them saying it's something you can get accustomed to, like drinking. Only the air spaces in the body are subject to volume change, at 300m you lungs would be 1/30 th the size ! I skimmed the article and didn't find any reference to "open your mouth and your dead', maybe it's in the video, but since pressure it equalized it shouldn't matter if you open your mouth. Last edited by Beest; 02-15-2012 at 03:38 PM.