What's it like to be in a hyperbaric O2 chamber??

[hongqixian]

I was thinking of signing up for a short diving course (couple of weeks - I don't think it's scuba - it says diving with compressed air to depth of 10m or sth like that) and the application form says that all applicants have to be tested in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. what exactly does it feel like?

and what does it(pressure) feel like 10m under water? i dunno, haven't even gone snorkeling b4.

It's not a professional lesson, just a school experience thing. i just want to sign up for the fun of it. anyone has any advice to offer?

[hoppinghippos]

hi, I doubt its scuba if its just a school experience thing, or rather its not a proper scuba open water certifying course, but yes it prob is diving using scuba gear. "compressed air" is basically scuba diving already, where you take a tank of compressed air and breathe it underwater, else its considered snorkelling or free diving. I"m just guessing but I think its similar to PADI's experience diving prog, not sure what it entails (can just from padi website) but it essentially just lets you try out scuba diving in a very controlled manner (hence safe).

hyperbaric chamber is simply a pressure chamber where you sit or lie in, and they increase the pressure inside the chamber to mimic the pressure you'll feel deep in the sea. donno what is the pt of being inside for tests, but maybe just to screen out pple who freak out easily or something? Usu it is only used to treat a diver with decompression sickness or bends. so heh EVERYONE here will NOT want to be able to tell you what it feels like to be inside a chamber!!!!

The important test you should do is check if your ear passage is normal. go swimming pool, deeper the better, dive to the bottom, as you go deeper, "pop" your ear by holding shut your nose and blowing out air. is this easy to do? some pple have very narrow middle ear passage which closes shut upon pressure and so difficult to equalise or "pop". but there are also doctors who can simply check for you too.

10m pressure is no big deal, when you equalise your ears you'll feel no pain or squeeze on your ears (like when you go swimming and you swim deep), and when you breathe compressed air which is supplied at the same pressure as the water around you (10m) you won't feel any difference than breathing on land. so the feeling is like as tho you are simply swimming in the swimming pool!

my advise is GO FOR IT MAN!!! shiok experience! don't care what test test they give you, just anyhow go and hantum! Oh and try to be fit and healthy to minimize any risks of diving! oh and lastly bring along a kodak underwater disposable camera! (the kind up to 30m one, blue colour)

[kelstorm]

hyperbaric chamber is simply a pressure chamber where you sit or lie in, and they increase the pressure inside the chamber to mimic the pressure you'll feel deep in the sea. donno what is the pt of being inside for tests, but maybe just to screen out pple who freak out easily or something? Usu it is only used to treat a diver with decompression sickness or bends. so heh EVERYONE here will NOT want to be able to tell you what it feels like to be inside a chamber!!!!

i dun think any divers would want to ever enter one... especially after diving..

[hongqixian]

hi, I doubt its scuba if its just a school experience thing, or rather its not a proper scuba open water certifying course, but yes it prob is diving using scuba gear. "compressed air" is basically scuba diving already, where you take a tank of compressed air and breathe it underwater, else its considered snorkelling or free diving. I"m just guessing but I think its similar to PADI's experience diving prog, not sure what it entails (can just from padi website) but it essentially just lets you try out scuba diving in a very controlled manner (hence safe).

hyperbaric chamber is simply a pressure chamber where you sit or lie in, and they increase the pressure inside the chamber to mimic the pressure you'll feel deep in the sea. donno what is the pt of being inside for tests, but maybe just to screen out pple who freak out easily or something? Usu it is only used to treat a diver with decompression sickness or bends. so heh EVERYONE here will NOT want to be able to tell you what it feels like to be inside a chamber!!!!

The important test you should do is check if your ear passage is normal. go swimming pool, deeper the better, dive to the bottom, as you go deeper, "pop" your ear by holding shut your nose and blowing out air. is this easy to do? some pple have very narrow middle ear passage which closes shut upon pressure and so difficult to equalise or "pop". but there are also doctors who can simply check for you too.

10m pressure is no big deal, when you equalise your ears you'll feel no pain or squeeze on your ears (like when you go swimming and you swim deep), and when you breathe compressed air which is supplied at the same pressure as the water around you (10m) you won't feel any difference than breathing on land. so the feeling is like as tho you are simply swimming in the swimming pool!

my advise is GO FOR IT MAN!!! shiok experience! don't care what test test they give you, just anyhow go and hantum! Oh and try to be fit and healthy to minimize any risks of diving! oh and lastly bring along a kodak underwater disposable camera! (the kind up to 30m one, blue colour)

thanks! very detailed explanation. i'll take your advice and go for it

[kelstorm]

had to stay in one for a week some couple of years back.. i was working in the Red Sea diving for the offshore rigs... all work related... went down one day to 120m... had to swap tanks.. from normal to nitrox to helix..... all for only a half hour work at the bottom of the sea bed on the rig equipment..... but the only upside was that i got to see all the corals and fishes... as the slowly brought the chamber from the sea bed up.... then for the rest of the six days was like in a prison..... but it sure beats the hella of stayin in the water to de-compress.... at least i was dry then...

120M!!!!!

[kelstorm]

yea... work related... nothing to see at that depth.... had to use flashligts to work... only when i was coming up in the chamber.. from about sixty meters onwards.... then got light and fishes and corals to see....

at that depth, u see any ship wrecks?? u using trimix?

[Sinn]

got giant octopus?

or flaslight fish ?

[kelstorm]

got giant octopus?

or flaslight fish ?

flashlight fish??

[kelstorm]

cos at that dept very dark.. had to use four flash lights in order to see what i was doing... and have a backup diver holding another two more lights...

wah lau...scary leh.. not being able to see what u doing...