What is decompression?
” Before the playa dust has completely settled and our heads have stopped spinning, many of us gather in the months after Burning Man to “decompress” by taking one more communal plunge into the depths of what we found so affirming and memorable at Burning Man. Decompression is an opportunity to dust off and share again playa art, performances, theme camps, photos, videos and stories from the playa; to re-connect with family and friends; and collaborate to create new art. It is, at its simplest, a reunion. But more significantly, it is a thoroughly participatory celebration of Burning Man art and community within our larger communities. And it is one of the more powerful ways many of us bring some of what is so inspiring about Burning Man to our cities and the rest of the year! Get ready for Decompression 2009!
When we dive, breathing compressed air (ambient air forced into a tank by a special compressor) a quantity of nitrogen is dissolved into our bodies due to the greater pressure from the water above us. This nitrogen forms bubbles in our body when we ascend and the pressure we support decreases. It could be compared to shaking a soda and opening it all of a sudden, a lot of bubbles appear when the pressure inside the bottle goes down right after we open it. If we keep ourselves within certain time and depth limits, estimated by immersion tables, that ‘nitrogen liberation’ is gradual and harmless. If we exceed these limits we are obliged to stop from time to time during the ascent to avoid these bubbles forming and putting our lives at risk. These stops are called decompression stops and in sport diving the tables are calculated to avoid them. • What physical condition do I need to be in to go sport diving? For the basic level any certifier will require you are in a pretty good physical c
