Equivalent air depth

This article is about calculating decompression using nitrox. For calculating narcotic effects using trimix, see Equivalent narcotic depth.

The equivalent air depth (EAD) is a way of approximating the decompression requirements of breathing gas mixtures that contain nitrogen and oxygen in different proportions to those in air, known as nitrox.[1][2][3]

The equivalent air depth, for a given nitrox mix and depth, is the depth of a dive when breathing air that would have the same partial pressure of nitrogen. So, for example, a gas mix containing 36% oxygen (EAN36) being used at 27 metres (89 ft) has an EAD of 20 metres (66 ft).

  1. ^ Logan, JA (1961). "An evaluation of the equivalent air depth theory". United States Navy Experimental Diving Unit Technical Report. NEDU-RR-01-61. Archived from the original on 2010-12-25. Retrieved 2008-05-01.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ Berghage Thomas E, McCraken TM (December 1979). "Equivalent air depth: fact or fiction". Undersea Biomedical Research. 6 (4): 379–84. PMID 538866. Archived from the original on 2010-12-25. Retrieved 2008-05-01.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ Lang, Michael A. (2001). DAN Nitrox Workshop Proceedings. Durham, NC: Divers Alert Network. p. 197. Archived from the original on 2011-09-16. Retrieved 2008-05-02.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)