How you ascend from a dive can determine whether more micro-bubbles are created or eliminated.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nUltimately, pausing an ascent with deeper safety stops can fix the micro-bubble problem. However, the diver absorbs more nitrogen because they stayed deeper for longer. Surfacing with a higher amount of nitrogen in the body causes more risk of DCS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In comparable decompression ascents, bubble models cause more incidents of DCS than traditional dissolved gas models, such as Buhlmann ZHL-16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As such, the process of addressing micro-bubbles can be a trade-off between what is best to remove nitrogen and reduce DCS risk, and what is best to prevent an excess of micro-bubbles from forming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Factors known to influence off-gassing efficiency and micro-bubble elimination include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Ascent speed<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ascent stops<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Dive profile<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ascent gas selection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Micro-bubbles summarized<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n- All divers develop small bubbles in their body after dives, but they are insufficiently large to cause immediate physical injury.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- These micro-bubbles form due to supersaturation, which is the difference between the pressure surrounding us and the pressure of nitrogen absorbed in our body.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Dive computers have algorithms that prevent large bubbles which DCS injury, but small bubbles are not a factor in most algorithms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Bubble-models include calculations that reduce the number of micro-bubbles by briefly pausing ascent at a deeper depth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- However, bubble-models allow more nitrogen absorbtion which raises the risk of DCS.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Factors that influence off-gassing efficiency and micro-bubble elimination include ascent speed, ascent stops, dive profile, and ascent gas selection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n