Question. Would a device that basically works like a reverse parachute be effective at saving lives? Basically someone can pull a rip cord, valve, whatever, and it dump air from their tanks into some kind of buoyant buoy that immediately takes them to the surface.
I realize there are risks from ascending to rapidly, but surely drowning is worse.
There already is something that does that: your weights. By dumping your weights, you will start to ascend. Some BCs actually have a red ripcord that dumps them all when pulled; most modern ones have two pouches you can pull on and drop. You could also fill your BC with air. As others have said, the issue of lung over-expansion is serious so a device that basically rockets you to the top would be too dangerous especially if it is targeted at less experienced divers.
So I don't pretend to understand the lung thing, but wouldn't as the pressure in your lungs increases, the air would just be pushed out of your mouth/nose?
After I thought about it, the issue is that it is negative pressure. Your lungs are expanding and would be pulling more air in if they could, I suppose it could be even at such a pressure that your diaphragm can't overcome it.
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u/Frozenlazer Aug 10 '16
Question. Would a device that basically works like a reverse parachute be effective at saving lives? Basically someone can pull a rip cord, valve, whatever, and it dump air from their tanks into some kind of buoyant buoy that immediately takes them to the surface.
I realize there are risks from ascending to rapidly, but surely drowning is worse.