The Warm Mineral Springs decompression plan and tables.

Abstract

Archaeological work in the Warm Mineral Springs (WMS) sink hole had achieved considerable success in working at depths approaching 50 msw (165fsw), using air as a breathing gas with in-water oxygen decompression, but with the drawbacks of rather inefficient decompression and significant narcosis at the working depth. 10 improve this situation procedures using "trimix" with custom decompression tables of the sort developed by "high-tech" cave and other advanced recreational divers have been adapted to the WMS operation. This was done under new guidelines on the validation and implementation of new decompression procedures by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (74(VAL)1-1-88). An extensive decompression plan supported by a data base of relevant dive experience includes medical support, an on-site chamber, training, ongoing monitoring (including doppler), oxygen tolerance procedures, and a Decompression Monitoring Board. Our tables use trimix of20% 02, 40% He, balance N2 with 50% O2 enriched air "nitrox" intermediate mix (21-6 msw) and in-water oxygen at 6 and 3 msw.