Underwater Overtime

Ocean-dive longer with a military-style system that recycles your air
By Mark Anders Posted 03.05.2008 at 6:08 pm 2 Comments

Still Waters: This diving gear reuses air instead of emitting it, avoiding bubbles. Photo by John B. Carnett
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If you plunge into the sea to ogle exotic wildlife, why not stay a while—and get an even closer view? Cave-diving engineer Bill Stone [see “Journey from the Center of the Earth,” February 2007] makes that possible with the most user-friendly version yet of a rebreather, a device that recycles your exhaled air, removes carbon dioxide, and adds oxygen. (A scuba device quickly burns through tanks of fresh air.)

On a typical dive, the Poseidon Discovery lets divers stay underwater at least three times as long as scuba gear can, and since you don’t exhale into the water, you don’t create bubbles or noise that can scare off fish.

Careful Computer: A computer indicates how many minutes of air you have left. Photo by John B. Carnett
Lip Service : The mouthpiece vibrates and blinks to alert you of a malfunction. Photo by John B. Carnett

Military and advanced divers have used rebreathers for decades, but they’re pricey rigs (about $10,000) that require extensive training on how to manually mix gases in case the gear fails. Stone’s recreational model automates the safety system with built-in computers that check all components pre-dive, plus two oxygen sensors that monitor the gas mix. If the system spots an air-recycling malfunction, the mouthpiece vibrates and blinks an alert. Just flip its lever to inhale from a small fresh-air tank and return safely to the surface.

See more innovative diving products here.

2 Comments

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Sean R. Van Sommeran
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 03/07/08 at 3:31 pm

Sweeet....

Sean R. Van Sommeran
Executive Director/CEO
The Pelagic
Shark Research Foundation
831-459-9346
psrf@pelagic.org
WWW.PELAGIC.ORG
Santa Cruz California
Since 1990

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berto1228

from Barrington, NH

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 03/08/08 at 5:32 pm

This may be a shot in the dark. Litterly like dark smoke filling a room deplating it of all oxegen.

With my vew on the subeject, well, what if we could save lives. How? Good question.

I'm a futurest my mind always screamin how could i make that better.

What if these tanks were modified, heat treated and made of fire retardent materials.Still following?

Well i know i probubly wont make any mony off my ideas. So I guess someone else can.

"FIRE FIGHTERS" There's an an immadate applicaton.
But now that i think, really how much time dose a fire fighter stay in a collapsing burning building. With each second inceasing the chaces of a horrible deth.

Thats not a dis to Fire Fiters. Thats just bringing there crule world to your reality.Respect

But in the five minuts my brain took to crap out that idea, then possibly debunk it.

It brought me to another subject. Yoused to breath in a, once modified; steral steam of scrubbed air. It could be used travese an area were an airborn chemical or biological attack has occured. For longer or prolonged times, accrording to the limmits of the tecnology.

~ Roberto Pulcinella ~

Apprentice:
Electrishion, Plumger, HVAC Tec.

Ex Govenmet:
Civilan Apprentice,
Electrical Machanic
Ripping Out, Reparing, and Reinstalling
Steth Subaquatic Neclear Powerd Electical
Systems
For The Department of The Navy

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