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Next Step - Oceanic Phibian
Source: The Philippine Diver
Author: Heneage Mitchell
Date: 1999-08-24
 
Back when this writer starting diving, the capillary depth gauge was the standard

by which all other depth sensors were measured. Relying only on a clear plastic

tube filled with air, the exact mid-point of which represents 33 feet (10 metres) of

sea water and Boyles law (?for any gas at a constant temperature, the volume

will vary inversely with the absolute pressure while the density will vary directly

with the absolute pressure?), the trusty capillary gauge accurately reports a

diver?s depth to the maximum sport diving limit of 130 feet. Unfortunately, there

are a few drawbacks. For one, after the 33 foot mark, the gauge becomes

increasingly more difficult to read as the scale reduces logarithmically; for

another, any water trapped in the tube renders it useless. Likewise, a small speck

of sand or even salt left over from a careless rinsing can cause the gauge to

misread. None the less, our instructor (Bill ?Bubbles? Burbridge of Seafari in

Pattaya, Thailand) stressed that the alternative bourdon tube type

gauges were certified ?to within plus or minus 10 feet? and were therefore

nowhere near as accurate as a properly functioning capillary gauge.

My, how times change. Many divers these days wouldn?t dream of diving without

their trusty dive computer lashed to their wrist or tank, faithfully reeling out

depth, time, temperature, tank pressure, adjusted no-decompression times and

decompression stops, SIT data and current maximum bottom times. I think most

divers trained within the last few years wouldn?t know a capillary gauge if it hit

them in the face.

So are you ready for the next step? The micro-processor technology that today?s

dive computer users are so familiar with has come of age in the new Phibian

Closed Circuit System from Oceanic.

Conventional SCUBA breathing apparatus is an Open Circuit System: that is, the

air you exhale is exhausted into the surrounding water. Much of the unused

oxygen which would otherwise have been available to you is thus lost.

Some early underwater breathers used Closed Circuit Systems, such as the World

War ll Navy frogmen whose units delivered pure oxygen which, when exhaled, was

passed through a soda lime ?scrubber? to remove the CO2 and returned to the

system. Some of the drawbacks to these systems included the limitation of a

maximum ?safe? operational depth of 33 feet, as oxygen becomes toxic at a

partial pressure greater than 2 atmospheres and the alarming reaction that

intruding water had on the soda lime scrubber, that of forming an burning, acidic

foam which, upon entering the breathing system, would quickly overwhelm the

diver.

Commercial divers have used closed circuit systems for decades, actually blending

gases to suit the requirements of the depth being worked at the surface and

piping it down to the divers (see SEAFORM CORNER on page...). Until now, this

technology was strictly off-limits to sport divers: Apart from the enormous cost to

set up such a system and the training required to use it, the equipment is so

bulky it requires a fair size tender to accommodate the compressors, gas bottles,

cascade systems, control boards and hoses. Not to mention the recompression

chamber.

Oceanic?s Phibian has changed all that.

Using the same micro-processor based technology that we are all so familiar and

comfortable with in our daily lives, the Phibian CCS 50 NITROX system and the

PHIBIAN CCS100 allows sport divers to easily and safely stay down longer at sport

diving depths and beyond by increasing the amount of oxygen available to the

diver while decreasing the partial pressure of nitrogen in the gas he is breathing,

thereby reducing the risk of decompression sickness. As the gases in the tanks

can be re-used over and over again, the chances of running out of air are slim.

Also, decompession stops, if required, are made shorter and safer by increasing

further the amount of oxygen delivered to the diver.

The CCS 50 has two separate tanks, one containing pressurised air, the other

oxygen. A sophisticated CO2 scrubber removes the exhaled CO2 and returns the

remaining gas to the system. The on-board computer analyses the oxygen

content of the scrubbed air during each breathing cycle and adds the correct

amount of oxygen to the breathing gas mixture to maintain the required partial

pressure of oxygen at any particular depth and workload. The electronic console

offers the same easy to read information as a regular dive computer plus rate of

gas usage on both dilutent and oxygen tanks, oxygen partial pressure status,

sensor conditions and various warning signals. Among the safety features is the

option to attach a standard open circuit SCUBA regulator to the dilutent (air)

tank, redundant sensors and easily accessible manual bypass valves.

The CCS 100 is rated to 100 metres and uses a 4 bottle system to blend a variety

of dilutant mixes including NITROX, heliox and neon oxygen coupled with an

oxygen bottle. Commercial divers will appreciate the umbilical gas support and

bailout system options.

All the components of both systems are mounted within a protective plastic and

fabric shell which is comfortable to wear while affording easy access for cleaning

and routine maintenance.

Oceanic say that a diver can learn to use the new Phibian units with 40 hours of

training, available at authorised Phibian sales outlets (Scubaworld in Manila and

Cebu). The challenge for diver training industry leaders now may be to produce

qualified Phibian instructors in sufficient numbers to capitalise on this new and

exciting advance. Anyone for a PADI Phibian speciality course?

So will this new technology take over from conventional SCUBA? Perhaps not in

the near future, as the price may deter the many sport divers who frequently limit

their diving to occasional vacation expeditions. However, if the right training is

available and enough dive centres are equipped with units for training and rentals,

the benefits of the new Phibian units (and others which are sure to follow) can be

widely understood. If the system performs to its advertised specifications, its







 

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