THE SYSTEM OPERATING MANUAL depth dive time Feet O2 % MIX NO STOP max. depth deco info ® American ® SWISS MADE BY UWATEC AG Safety considerations You must carefully read this entire manual before using your Aladin® Pro Nitrox. Diving has many inherent risks. Even if you follow the instructions of this manual in a careful fashion, it is still possible that you may be seriously injured or die from decompression sickness, oxygen toxicity or some other inherent risk of scuba nitrox. Unless you are fully aware of these risks and are willing to personally accept and assume responsibility for those risks, do not use the Aladin® Pro Nitrox! WARNING The Aladin® Pro Nitrox is a decompression tool to assist a trained and certified diver in making decisions concerning dive planning and execution. As with any tool, the Aladin® Pro Nitrox may be misused if the following safety and operational precautions are not strictly followed. If they are followed, careful use of the Aladin® Pro Nitrox can increase your diving enjoyment and reduce your risk of decompression sickness. If they are not, you will be placing yourself at serious risk for decompression sickness. While the Aladin® Pro Nitrox is a technically advanced tool based on biophysical models of decompression sickness and oxygen toxicity, neither it nor any other diving computer (or table) can actually monitor the physiological changes that occur in your body as you dive. In addition, each diver will vary in his or her susceptibility to decompression sickness. Not only that, but each individual diver`s own susceptibility may vary from day to day. Combined with the fact that decompression modelling is an inexact science, and of necessity must be based at least partly on certain unproven assumptions, it is incumbent upon you, the individual diver, to dive responsibly and to carefully follow all standard safe diving practices as well as the admonitions contained in this manual. Operating Manual Aladin® Pro Nitrox B Aladin® Pro Nitrox­The Diving System B dep th div DIV E e ti me ma x. d epth dec o in fo ® ­ Interface and logbook-software DataTrak (Option) + E Dive Computer Aladin® Pro Nitrox Operating Manual Aladin® Pro Nitrox C Operating Manual Aladin® Pro Nitrox Important remarks concerning signal words and symbols This operating manual makes use of the following icons to indicate especially important comments: Remarks: Informations and tips which are important for optimal use of the functions of your Aladin® Pro Nitrox. WARNING Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury. The following symbols are used in the operating manual: flashing display acoustic alarm signal B ­+E D Operating instruction for manual input (Example: bridging contacts B and E) February 1996, Copyright by Uwatec Switzerland Operating Manual Aladin® Pro Nitrox Safety considerations Guidelines for the use of Aladin® Pro Nitrox: The following guidelines for using Aladin® Pro Nitrox are derived from the latest medical research and the recommendations of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences for diving with diving computers. Following these guidelines will greatly increase your safety while diving, but cannot guarantee that decompression sickness will not occur. ­ The Aladin® Pro Nitrox is designed for dives made with nitrox and compressed air (21% O2) only. Do not use the Aladin® Pro Nitrox for dives made other mixed gases. ­ It is absolutely necessary to check the set mixture before each dive and to compare it to the gas mixture actually used. Always remember: Setting a wrong mixture cause either insufficient decompression calculations or a too low calculation of the oxygen-toxicity! ­ In accordance with the recommended maximum diving limit of all instructional agencies, do not dive deeper than 130 feet. ­ Always check the diving limits given by the used share of oxygen. ­ Do not use the Aladin® Pro Nitrox for planned decompression diving. The decompression algorithm contained in the Aladin® Pro Nitrox should be used only for emergency or unintended decompression. Operating Manual Aladin® Pro Nitrox E Safety considerations ­ On all dives with the Aladin® Pro Nitrox, make a safety stop for three to five minutes within the ten to thirty feet zone. ­ Never use the Aladin® Pro Nitrox for repetitive, "square" dives deeper than 60 feet. A square dive is a dive that is performed for its duration at a uniform depth. ­ Always make the deepest dive of the day first when repetitive dives are planned, and for each successive dive make sure that the deepest portion of that dive is done at the beginning of the dive. ­ All divers using dive computers to plan dives and indicate or determine decompression status must use their own computer. ­ If the Aladin® Pro Nitrox fails at any time during the dive, the dive must be terminated, and appropriate surfacing procedures (including a slow ascent and a 3 to 5 minute safety stop) should be initiated immediately. ­ On any given dive, all divers in a buddy group must follow the most conservative dive computer for that particular dive. ­ You should not dive for a period of twenty-four hours before activating the Aladin® Pro Nitrox to use it to plan or control your diving. F Operating Manual Aladin® Pro Nitrox Safety considerations ­ You MUST follow the ascent rates as indicated by the Aladin® Pro Nitrox, and should the computer fail for any reason, you must ascend at a rate of no greater than 60 feet per minute. ­ You MUST be familiar with all signs and symptoms of decompression sickness before using the Aladin® Pro Nitrox! Seek IMMEDIATE treatment for decompression sickness should any of these signs or symptoms occur after a dive! There is a direct correlation between the efficacy of treatment and the delay between the onset of symptoms and the treatment for decompression sickness. ­ Always observe the optical and acoustic alarm signals of the Aladin® Pro Nitrox. Avoid situations of increased risk which are marked with a warning sign in this operating manual. ­ Never dive the Aladin® Pro Nitrox to the limit. Neither the Aladin® Pro Nitrox, nor any other diving computer or decompression table should be pushed to its limit. Give yourself a margin of safety by always leaving at least a few minutes in the "no-stop" box before making your ascent. ­ Avoid repeated ascents and descents (yo-yo diving) while using the Aladin® Pro Nitrox. Operating Manual Aladin® Pro Nitrox G LIST OF CHAPTERS I II III INTRODUCTION ALADIN® PRO NITROX ­ THE SYSTEM DIVING WITH ALADIN® PRO NITROX 1I 13 II 31 III 57 IV 67 V 73 VI 83 VII 87 VIII 91 IX IV DIVING AT REDUCED RISK WITH ALADIN® PRO NITROX V LOGBOOK VI DIVE PLANNER VII INTERFACE VIII TROUBLE SHOOTING IX APPENDIX, Maintenance, Technical Information, Warranty I INTRODUCTION 1. Aladin® Pro Nitrox: Your Personal Companion 2. Aladin® Pro Nitrox 3. Aladin® Pro Nitrox ­ Reducing Risks of Decompression Sickness 4. The Calculation Model ZH-L8 ADT ______________________________________ 2 ______________________________________ 3 I ______________________________________ 7 4.1 Description _________________________ 9 4.2 Advantages _______________________ 11 _____________________________________ 12 5. Safety in Diving I Introduction 1 1. Aladin® Pro Nitrox ­ Your Personal Companion What can further increase your diving pleasure? The good feeling of having the highest possible safety and freedom to move. A dive computer which constantly controls the data of your dive and your individual behavior meets these requirements. Aladin® Pro Nitrox watches over the nitrogene and oxygene saturation of your body without interruption. With Aladin® Pro Nitrox you dive more safely than ever before. In addition, Aladin® Pro Nitrox offers an unmatched comfort in carrying and operation. Aladin® Pro Nitrox gives you increased safety due to the new calculation model. All informations necessary for safe diving are combined in one instrument. The Aladin® Pro Nitrox can increase both your diving pleasure and safety by reducing your risk of decompression sickness provided you carefully follow the instructions and guidelines given you in this manual. Unlike previous diving computers, which only base their decompressin information on depth and time data, the Aladin ® Pro X Nitrox also considers temperature, which is known to be additional r i s k factor for decompression sickness. Aladin® Pro Nitrox allows you to plan and execute dives with a greater degree of safety than with previous models of decompression computers. Please read this operating manual carefully and to the last page. 2 I Introduction 2. Introduction Aladin® Pro Nitrox I Nitrox is a gas mixture consisting of nitrogen and oxygen. The kind of air used for diving with compressed air is the same as the normal air of the earth`s atmosphere (78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% inert gases). Therefore, normal air is also Nitrox! When talking of Nitrox as the breathing gas for diving, it concerns a mixture with a higher share of oxygen. A higher share of oxygen (and automatically the reduction of the share of nitrogen) has the advantage of lengthening the no-stop phase (or reducing the decompression phase), since less nitrogen is dissolved in the diver`s body during the dive. But the higher share of oxygen in the Nitrox-mixture also causes additional physiological problems by the toxic effects at a higher partial pressure of oxygen (ppO2). When breathing oxygen at a higher partial pressure, two kinds of oxygen toxicity can occur: CNS damages: Symptoms of poisoning occuring at short notice in the central nervous system(CNS). Such symptoms are: irritations of the respiratory organs, sickness, headache, pulmonary oedema, cramps, unconsciousness. The symptoms occur at a ppO2 of more than 1 bar and depend on the term of exposure and on the partial pressure of oxygen. Damages of the lungs: Symptoms of pulmonary poisoning occuring in the long run. The symptoms occur at a ppO2 from 0.5 bar and higher and with terms of exposure in the range of days/weeks. Aladin® Pro Nitrox considers the short term toxic effect of oxygen (CNS damages) by means of the so called ,,oxygen-clock". It is based on a list which showa the units of toxicity for oxygen per unit of time in dependence of the ppO2. The indication of toxicity uses ,,CNS O2 %" (= relative toxicity of oxygen for I Introduction 3 2. Introduction Aladin® Pro Nitrox the central nervous system). CNS O2 0% corresponds to the normal state before the first dive, and CNS O2 100% corresponds to the critical upper limit. The list, initially published by the US Navy, is nowadays known by the names IANTD- orNOAA-list. We modified this list for the use with Aladin NitroX in cooperation with Dr. Bill Hamilton, Hamilton Research Ltd. (Tarrytown, NY), a well-known specialist. The long-term kind of oxygen poisoning has practically no relevance for diving with independent diving equipment and is therefore not considered in the design of Aladin Nitrox. The physiological peculiarities of oxygen and the changing decompression due to the reduced share of nitrogen require a profound training, if nitrox is used for diving. Additional technical problems with the use and the maintenance of parts of the equipment bear further dangers when diving with nitrox. Therefore, I Introduction we recommend to adhere to the following guidelines by all means. 4 2. Introduction Aladin® Pro Nitrox I WARNING 1. Only dive with nitrox if you have been trained thoroughly by a recognised institution. 2. Only use Aladin® Pro Nitrox with open breathing systems. Aladin® Pro Nitrox must be set for a determined gas mixture. In partially-open and in closed circulation-systems, the gas mixture can vary considerably. The calculations may yield results different from those necessary for the actual muxture. 3. Only use Aladin® Pro Nitrox for diving with an indepent breathing apparatus. Aladin ® Pro Nitrox is not designed for long-term exposures with Nitrox. WARNING 4. Aladin® Pro Nitrox always calculates considering the gas mixture set by the user. It is absolutely necessary to check the set mixture before each dive and to compare it to the gas mixture actually used. Maximum deviation from the measured mixture must not exceed 1% O2. A wrong gas mixture can be lethal! 5. Aladin® Pro Nitrox disposes of a ppO2-warning, the default-limits of which are set at 1.5 bar ppO2max. This limit can be adjusted via Interface/ Data Talk in the range of 1.2 to 1.95 bar. An alternation of the ppO2max to higher than 1.6 bar is risky and we do not recommend it. I Introduction 5 2. Further Remarks on Aladin® Pro Nitrox WARNING 6. Frequently check the ,,oxygen-clock" (CNS O2 Limit), especially in the range higher than 1.5 bar ppO2. Close the dive if the CNS O2 Limit exceeds 75%. 7. Make sure you have a sufficiently long surface interval, just as when diving with compressed air. Oxygen also needs sufficient time to leave the body. Go on the next dive only when the CNS O2 Limit has dropped below 40%. 8. Of course, Aladin® Pro Nitrox is a personal instrument like any other diving computer. This also applies when diving with compressed air between two nitrox®-dives. Aladin® Pro Nitrox can be adjusted to compressed air (21% oxygen) WARNING and then also includes the calculation of the CNS O2 Limit in the same way as with any other nitrox-dive. Always remember: setting a wrong mixture causes either insufficient decompression calculations or a too low calculation of the oxygen-toxicity! 6 I Introduction 3. Aladin® Pro Nitrox­Reducing Risks of Decompression Sickness I By considering your individual gas mixture, depth and time profile and water temperature, the Aladin® Pro Nitrox can be considered a personal diving control instrument. Relying on the latest results of medical and physiological research for its decompression modeling, the Aladin® Pro Nitrox differs from earlier diving computers in a number of significant ways: · The ZH-L8 ADT decompression calculation model considers eight body tissues as well as the ambient temperature. This allows for an even more precise calculation of a modelled risk for decompression sickness which can lead to greater diving safety. · The Aladin® Pro Nitrox uses both optical and acoustic alarms. The acoustic alarm uses varied sound signals to assist in establishing the reason for the alarm. WARNING You must strictly observe all optical and acoustic alarms and take appropriate action based upon those alarms to avoid serious injury or death from decompression sickness! · By using the Aladin® Pro Nitrox`s logbook, a diver may directly call up information from the last 19 dives. When interfaced with a personal computer, 37 dives and 200 minutes of dive profile in intervals of 20 seconds can be read out. · The dive planner allows the advance planning of no stop dives with readily determinable surface intervals. I Introduction 7 3. Aladin® Pro Nitrox - Reducing Risks of Decompression Sickness WARNING Although the Aladin® Pro Nitrox can be used to plan decompression dives, such dives are beyond the realm of recreational or sport diving and must not be attempted by recreational or sport scuba divers. · The Aladin® Pro Nitrox is designed to be mounted on the diver`s left or right wrist, which offers the maximum freedom of movement as well as easy operation and use. 8 I Introduction 4. The Calculation Model ZH-L8 ADT I 4.1 Description The Aladin® Pro Nitrox uses a new decompression calculation model known as the ZH-L8 ADT. This model uses eight compartments or "tissue" groups with nominal half time periods from 5 to 640 minutes. This model differs considerably from other models by its consideration of the following additional physiological processes: 1. Blood perfusion to the body`s organs is not constant. Skin and muscle tissues are in particular subject to changes in blood perfusion, depending on temperature and work load. Changes in blood perfusion to these organs change their nitrogen saturation tolerance. The model used by the Aladin® Pro Nitrox takes these effects into account and thus the "skin" and "muscle" compartments in the Aladin® Pro Nitrox show variable half-time periods and saturation tolerances. Decompression information is calculated I Introduction according to the diver`s individual behavior and decrease in skin temperature. The decrease in skin temperature is based upon the water temperature and the dive time. By considering these changes in saturation, the time that must be spent at the surface prior to flying can be considerably lengthened, depending upon the depth, time, and temperature of a dive, as well as the diver's behavior during that dive. 9 4. The Calculation Model ZH-L8 ADT 2. The decompression model used by the Aladin® Pro Nitrox considers nitrogen in both its dissolved as well as its gaseous phase (microbubbles). Formation of microbubbles is considered to be a strong indicator of a high risk of decompression sickness. The Aladin ® Pro Nitrox model calculates the formation of microbubbels depending on various assumed influences in arterial and venous blood. In normal, slow ascents, microbubbles form mainly in venous blood. During fast ascents, microbubbles may also form in arterial blood and in the body`s tissues as well. If a particular dive profile may result in the creation of microbubbles according to the Aladin® Pro Nitrox`s model, decreased bottom time and/or increased decompression times as well as increased "no fly" time will be indicated. · Microbubbles can form if the diver makes too fast an ascent, ignores required decompression stops, or makes repeated ascents during a dive (yo-yo diving). These microbubbles can form in arterial blood as well as in the body`s tissues. If these microbubbles partially impair circulation, the rate of gas diffusion and saturation tolerance for those tissues immediately surrounding this area of impaired circulation are changed. If required, both decompression time and RBT will be adjusted in such a way that already existing microbubbles will stop growing. Increased decompression time will also assist those local areas of impaired circulation to desaturate with less risk of decompression sickness. · The calculation of microbubbles results in altered ascent instructions. If microbubbles are assumed to be present based on the data used by the Aladin® Pro Nitrox, the ascent rate to the surface is reduced to 23 feet/minute. This will help prevent the formation of microbubbles in the arterial circulation and minimizes formation of microbubbles in the venous circulation after the dive. I Introduction 10 4. The Calculation Model ZH-L8 ADT I 4.2 Advantages On the first dives following responsible diving procedures, a diver using the Aladin® Pro Nitrox should never be required to decompress, although a three to five minute safety stop between ten and thirty feet is recommended for every dive. If, however, unplanned circumstances arise during the dive which increase the risk of decompression, the Aladin® Pro Nitrox can, if closely followed, reduce the risk of decompression sickness by reducing remaining bottom time and/or increasing decompression time. Some of the more common risk situations are as follows: · Repetitive dives, especially those deeper than 60 feet and those with short surface intervals. · Repetitive dives using square dive profiles. · Repetitive diving over the course of several successive days. · Diving in cold water. · Yo-yo diving (repeated descents and ascents to the surface during a given dive). I Introduction · Flying within 24 hours after diving. If a diver experiences any of these risk factors while diving, the Aladin ® Pro Nitrox will add required decompression time in order to help minimize the risk of decompression sickness. WARNING Do not use the Aladin® Pro Nitrox for planned decom-pression dives! If signs or symptoms of decompression sickness occur after diving with Aladin® Pro Nitrox, seek IMMEDIATE treatment at the nearest recompression facility. 11