Deep Sea Diving: The Importance of Trimix

Many people assume that scuba diving is all about attaching an oxygen tank to a person’s back and then having that person breathe through a regulator. Well, there is a lot more to scuba diving than this. In fact, pure oxygen is never used in scuba diving, especially during deep sea dives. Air is composed of 70 percent nitrogen and 30 percent oxygen. However, Nitrox mixes are now being used a lot more in recreational diving as it decreases the chances of a nitrogen related illness. Let’s take a look at Nitrox and Trimix and how scuba diving is all about melding the right mixture of gases together to make for a safe dive. 

Nitrox/Oxygen

Nitrox – which is composed of nitrogen and oxygen –has a far higher oxygen concentration than the air most of us breathe in on a daily basis. It is used to reduce the risk of nitrogen sickness or the bends, but it trades off depth. The more oxygen there is in your scuba diving tank, the shallower you will be allowed to dive. So, why is pure oxygen not used in deep sea diving? Strange as it may sound, oxygen can become toxic. In fact, the deeper you submerge, the greater pressure increases and oxygen toxicity becomes a factor. Thus, divers are actually able to go deeper by reducing the oxygen in the air they breathe. 

Trimix

Trimix is a special air mix designed for deep sea diving. Trimix is composed of oxygen, nitrogen and helium hence the term Trimix. The helium component of this gaseous cocktail reduces the proportions of nitrogen and oxygen. The other great thing about helium is that it can be breathable under pressure and it has little to no narcotic effect. Using this mixture, divers are able to dive deeper. And, because nitrogen is reduced, the diver will not experience nitrogen narcosis. Helium does have the disadvantage of conducting heat quite rapidly. If your goal is to move beyond recreational diving to become a deep sea diver then you will have to learn about the variations of Trimix and how this balance of gases help make dives safer and more comfortable.  

In short, deep sea diving is not as simple as it may seem. There are so many aspects to deep sea diving that you have to be aware of and the most important thing is that you have the right mixture of gases that can help you breathe easier and descend farther. So, before you put on your scuba diving gear and plan on going very deep, keep in mind that deep sea diving is a specialty. Also know that deep sea diving is different from recreational diving. You can learn more about this specialized form of diving on one of our private dive tours in Maui or on one of our custom diving packages in Maui. We strive to keep divers safe by keeping them informed.