OPEN WATER DIVE TRAINING

ADVANCED
DIVING PHYSICS

STAN JACKSON UICC 5303

 REVIEW
 Sound travels about 5000 feet per second in salt water or
about four times faster in water than air.
 Underwater, objects appear 25% closer and 33% larger.
 Water conducts heat more than 20 times faster than air.
 Atmosphere or Air
At sea level, atmospheric pressure is equal to 14.7 psi.
or one atmosphere (ATA) or (ATMA). Air contains
21% Oxygen, 78% Nitrogen and 1% other gasses.
 PRESSURE
 Atmospheric – The pressure exerted by the earth’s
atmosphere. (14.7 psi) 18,000 feet = 7.35 psi

 Hydrostatic – Pressure due to the weight of water.

.445 psi per foot of seawater or 14.7 psi per 33 feet.
.432 psi per foot of freshwater or 14.7 psi per 34 feet.

 Absolute Pressure – The sum of atmospheric and

hydrostatic pressure. (ATA or ATMA)

 Gauge Pressure – The difference between atmospheric

pressure and the pressure being measured.
 PRESSURE
 Hydrostatic Pressure – How did we get .445 psi per foot
of seawater and .432 psi per foot of freshwater?
14.7 psi  33fsw  .445 psi per foot
14.7 psi  34ffw  .432 psi per foot
 What is the absolute pressure at 62 fsw?
.445 psi x 62 fsw = 27.59 psi + 14.7 psi = 42.29 psia

 What is the absolute pressure at 112 ffw?

.432 psi x 112 fsw = 48.38 psi + 14.7 psi = 63.08 psia
 PRESSURE
 Hydrostatic Atmospheres (working with)
Depth
1
33
 What is the absolute pressure (ATA) at 62 fsw?
62
 1  2.88 ATA
33
 What is the absolute pressure (ATA) at 112 ffw?
112
 1  4.29 ATA
34
 PRESSURE CHART
Gas Gas
Depth Pressure Volume Density

Sea Level 14.7 psia 1 ata 1 cu ft 1x

33 feet 29.4 psia 2 ata 1/2 cu. ft. 2x

66 feet 44.1 psia 3 ata 1/3 cu. ft. 3x
99 feet 58.8 psia 4 ata 1/4 cu. ft. 4x
132 feet 73.5 psia 5 ata 1/5 cu. ft. 5x
165 feet 88.2 psia 6 ata 1/6 cu. ft. 6x
 DENSITY
 Density – weight per unit volume. (pounds per cubic foot)
- Density = Weight / Volume or D = W / V

 Seawater – one cubic foot equals 64 lbs. (fsw)

 Freshwater – one cubic foot equals 62.4 lbs. (ffw)

 Density (Gas) – is related to absolute pressure. As depth

increases, the density of the breathing gas increases
and becomes heavier per unit volume.
 DENSITY
 Density – weight per unit volume.
• D=W/V
Multiply both sides by volume
V x D  W x V  W V x D
V

Divide both sides by density W

W V x D  V  W D
V
D D D
W V x D
D = Density of water
W = Total weight of diver W
V 
V = Water displaced (volume) D
 DENSITY
 If we have a diver in saltwater and he wants to dive in
freshwater, how much weight will he need to remove?
 First we need to know the volume of the diver in
saltwater.
180 lbs. Diver
W Total weight of diver. 50 lbs. Equipment
V
D Density of saltwater. 18 lbs. Weight belt
248 lbs. 248 lbs. Total weight
 3.875 cu ft
64 lbs. Now we know the volume of the
diver. Next we can find out how much freshwater he will
displace.
W = V x D 3.875 cu. ft. x 62.4 lbs. = 241.8 lbs.

248 lbs. – 241.8 lbs. = 6.2 lbs. Remove!

 DENSITY
 A dive team wants to recover (lift) a 432 pound (dry
weight) anchor from the bottom of the ocean. The anchor
displaces 3.5 cu. ft. of sea water. The bottom is flat and
firm. How many 50 pound lift bags will it take to recover
(lift) the anchor to the surface?

W W V x D
V x D xV
V

W=VxD 3.5 cu. ft. x 64 lbs. = 224 lbs.

224 lbs. ÷ 50 = 4.48 bags

 TEMPERATURE
 Temperatures must be converted to absolute when the
gas laws are used.

 Rankine – Based on Fahrenheit scale. R = F + 460

 Kelvin – Based on Celsius scale. K = C + 273

 F = (9/5 x C) + 32

 C = 5/9 x (F – 32)
 GAS LAWS
 Boyle’s Law of Pressure and Volume – If the temperature is
kept constant, the volume of a gas will vary Inversely with
the absolute pressure.

1 1  P2V2
A sealed flexible container at the surface
PV has a volume of 10 liters. The container is
submerged to a depth of 79 feet in the ocean. What is the
volume of the container at 79 fsw?

Divide both sides by P2

1 1  P2V2
PV PV
 V2 1 1
P2 P2 P2
 GAS LAWS
 Boyle’s Law of Pressure and Volume – If the temperature
is kept constant, the volume of a gas will vary Inversely
with the absolute pressure.

1 1  P2V2
A sealed flexible container at the surface
PV has a volume of 10 liters. The container is
submerged to a depth of 79 feet in the ocean. What is the
volume of the container at 79 fsw?

PV
1 1 1 ata x 10 liters 
V2 2.95 liters
P2 3.39 ata

79
 1  3.39 ata
33
 Ratio or Percentage
 If a cylinder contains 80 cu. ft. of air at 3000 psig, how
many cubic feet of air remains if the cylinder pressure is
reduced to 2200 psig? (temperature remains constant)
P1 P2 3000 2200 176000
   58.6 cu. ft .
V1 V2 80 V2 3000

 Percentage

2200 psi
 .73 x 80 cu. ft.  58.6 cu. ft .
3000 psi
 GAS LAWS
 Charles Law of Temperature and Volume – If the
pressure is kept constant, the volume of the gas will vary
directly with the absolute temperature.
V1 V2

T1 T2
 If a balloon at the surface has 12 cu. ft. of air at 86ºF,
what would the balloons volume be at 55°F?
 First determine absolute temperatures.
T1 = 86°F + 460° = 546°R V1 T2 V2 T2
T2 = 55°F + 460° = 515°R

T 1 T2
V1 T2 12 cu. ft . x 515R
V2   11.3 cu. ft .
T1 546R
 GAS LAWS
 Gay-Lussac’s Law of Pressure and Temperature – With a
constant volume, the pressure of a gas will vary directly
with the absolute temperature.
P1 P2 P1 T2 P2 T2
 
T1 T2 T1 T2
 A scuba cylinder contains 3000 psi. at 64°F. It is left on the
boat deck, on a hot summer day. What will the cylinder
pressure be if the temperature of the air inside reaches
102°F?
T1 = 64°F + 460° = 524°R P1 = 3000 psi. + 14.7 psi.
T2 =102°F + 460° = 562°R = 3014.7 psia.

P1 T2 3014.7 psia x 562R

P2    3233.3 psia
T1 524R
 GAS LAWS
 Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressures – The total pressure
exerted by a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the
pressures of each of the different gases making up the
mixture. P  PP  PP  PP
t 1 2 3, etc .

 The partial pressure of oxygen in air at a depth of 128

fsw is:
128
 1  4.88 ata x .21 po2  1.02 po2 at 128 fsw
33
 Henry’s Law of Dissolved Gases –The amount of any
given gas that will dissolve in a liquid at a given
temperature is proportional to the partial pressure of that
gas.
 GAS LAWS
 General Gas Law or Ideal Gas Law – is a combination of
Boyles and Charles Law.
PV P2V2
1 1
 An open diving bell of 24 cu. ft. capacity
T1 T2 is lowered to 99 fsw. Surface
temperature is 80°F and the depth temperature is 45°F.
What is the volume in the bell at depth?

P1 V1T2 14.7 psia x 24 cu. ft . x 505R

V2   5.61 cu. ft .
T1 P2 540R x 58.8 psia
 The volume was reduced, due to the drop in temperature
and the increase in outside pressure.
 GAS LAWS
 Archimedes Principle of Buoyancy – Any object wholly
or partly immersed in a fluid is buoyed up by a force
equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.
 You have an object that weighs 300 lbs. and displaces
4.5 cubic feet of saltwater.
Will the object float or sink?
300 lbs.
W=DxV 64 lbs. x 4.5 cu. ft. = 288 lbs.
12 lbs. (sink)
 SURFACE AIR CONSUMPTION
 SAC Rate – At the surface, note the beginning pressure
on your gauge. Swim at the surface for 10 minutes
(moderate work load) then note your ending pressure.
 Aluminum 80 @ 3000 psi
Start 3000 psi – ending 2500 psi = 500 psi used.
500 psi ÷ 10 minutes = 50 psi per minute, at the surface.
50 psi per minute x ata = Depth Air Consumption.
 Problem: A diver has a SAC of 40 psi per minute. The
diver wants to know how long their air will last at a depth
of 62 feet in sea water. Assume aluminum 80 @ 3000
psi.
SURFACE AIR CONSUMPTION
First – Assume, Aluminum 80 @ 3000 psi.
3000 psi – 500 psi (reserve) = 2500 psi.
2500 psi ÷ 40 psi = 62.5 minutes at the surface.

 Depth   62 
ata =  33   1  33   1  2.88 ata
   
(SACR) 40 psi x (Depth in ata) 2.88 ata = DACR
DACR = 40 psi x 2.88 ata = 115.2 psi per minute.
2500 psi ÷ 115.2 psi = 21.7 minutes at depth.
 KEY POINTS
 Sound travels 4 times faster in water.
 Objects appear 25% closer and 33% larger underwater.
 Atmospheric Pressure – Air column.
 Hydrostatic Pressure – Water.
 Absolute Pressure – Atmospheric plus Hydrostatic.
 Gauge Pressure – minus Atmospheric Pressure.
 Density – weight per unit volume.
 Fahrenheit to Rankine + 460° = R
 Boyle’s Law of Pressure and Volume.
 Charles Law of Temperature and Volume.
 Gay-Lussac’s Law of Pressure and Temperature.
 Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures.
 KEY POINTS
 Henry’s Law of Dissolved Gases.
 General Gas Law or Ideal Gas Law.
 Archimedes Principle of Buoyancy.
 Surface Air Consumption, in psi per minute.
 QUIZ
1. Sound travels _____
4 times ______
faster in water than in air.
2. Objects appear _____%
25 closer and _____%
33 larger
underwater.
3. What is the atmospheric pressure at sea level?
14.7 psi.
• What is absolute pressure?
Atmospheric Hydrostatic = Atma
__________ + __________
• Weight per unit volume.
Density is defined as _________

6. 62.4 lbs. ffw.

One cubic foot of fresh water is equal to ______
7. If a diver descends to 92 feet in seawater what is their
absolute pressure? _________________________
55.64 psi or 3.79 ata
 QUIZ
8. A diver has a SAC Rate of 30 psi. per minute. How long
will their air last at 72 feet in seawater? (show all work).
First – Assume, Aluminum 80 @ 3000 psi.
3000 psi – 500 psi (reserve) = 2500 psi.
2500 psi ÷ 30 psi = 83.33 minutes at the surface.
 Depth   72 
Atma =  33   1  33   1  3.18 Atma
   

(SACR) 30 psi x (Depth in Atma) 3.18 Atma = DACR

DACR = 30 psi x 3.18 Atma = 95.4 psi per minute.
2500 psi ÷ 95.4 psi = 26.2 minutes at depth.
 OPEN WATER DIVE TRAINING

LBFD

Stan Jackson UICC 5303