Why dont seals get the bends??

[Carbon Blue]

Hey all ive been doing quite a bit of research on the bends but cant really locate an answer to fit the question. The question is Why dont seals get the bends despite their rapid ascent in every day diving? please help

[MantisMag]

the bends is caused by the nitrogen used to dilute the oxygen in a scuba tank. seals don't breathe out of scuba tanks. divers could ascend without worrying about the bends if they used helium instead of nitrogen. helium wouldn't form bubbles as large as nitrogen. however they would all sound silly and so nobody uses helium.

[SpecialBlend2786]

i was wondering that awhile ago. thanks

[Gunga]

the bends is caused by the nitrogen used to dilute the oxygen in a scuba tank. seals don't breathe out of scuba tanks. divers could ascend without worrying about the bends if they used helium instead of nitrogen. helium wouldn't form bubbles as large as nitrogen. however they would all sound silly and so nobody uses helium.

Uhm...no. The air we breathe is 78% nitrogen. Seals and other marine mammals store more oxygen in their blood than humans do, which helps them stay underwater much longer than we can just by holding our breath. As they dive, they also reduce bloodflow to non-critical areas which lowers that particular area's temperature, thus lowering the metabolic rate and oxygen consumption.

But...that's getting off track. In the case of seals, they mostly empty their lungs before (or as) they are going underwater. As the seal dives, the increasing pressure causes the lungs to collapse. Once the lungs collapse, no gas exchange between the lungs and bloodstream occurs. Thus the nitrogen in the lungs doesn't enter the bloodstream and dissolve while they're at depth.

[PyRo]

the bends is caused by the nitrogen used to dilute the oxygen in a scuba tank. seals don't breathe out of scuba tanks. divers could ascend without worrying about the bends if they used helium instead of nitrogen. helium wouldn't form bubbles as large as nitrogen. however they would all sound silly and so nobody uses helium.

Who told you that? Find them, slap them, then ask them to explain how miners can suffer from it after a rapid ascent from a deep mine.

[Mer]

They sure do use helium:

"It's also possible to safely breathe Heliox, a diving-gas mixture of helium and oxygen, which saves divers from the horrors of The Bends but has a curious side-effect of the alteration of the vocals."

the bends is caused by the nitrogen used to dilute the oxygen in a scuba tank. seals don't breathe out of scuba tanks. divers could ascend without worrying about the bends if they used helium instead of nitrogen. helium wouldn't form bubbles as large as nitrogen. however they would all sound silly and so nobody uses helium.

[Creative Mayhem]

Okay.. before i can answer with all my SCUBA knowledge, I need a defenition of "seal" are you talking NAVY SEALS or MArine seals?

Remember Clarification = good.

[Echo419]

Yah, you made me feel stupid reading this thread, cuz i have no clue what ur talkin about

[bjjb99]

I think the original poster was interested in seals, the sea mammals rather than human military version.

My guess would be that seals don't get the bends because they're diving on a single breath of air rather than continually breathing underwater. There's no continual influx of new gases at depth if you're operating on a single breath of air, so there's less gas in total that can be dissolved in the blood and tissues.

BJJB

[SAW]

My guess would be that seals don't get the bends because they're diving on a single breath of air rather than continually breathing underwater. There's no continual influx of new gases at depth if you're operating on a single breath of air, so there's less gas in total that can be dissolved in the blood and tissues.

BJJB

That's how I've always seen it. This topic brings back memories of Adv diving classes.

[Glickman]

I think the original poster was interested in seals, the sea mammals rather than human military version.

My guess would be that seals don't get the bends because they're diving on a single breath of air rather than continually breathing underwater. There's no continual influx of new gases at depth if you're operating on a single breath of air, so there's less gas in total that can be dissolved in the blood and tissues.

BJJB

i would lay my bets on this as well.


the bends, aka nitrogen narcosis (aka, getting "narc'd") is the buildup of nitrogen bubbles in the blood stream.

they would need barely any decompession time, just enough to catch their breath, empty their lungs, and go at it again

[maglover728]

Yeah, he said seals, not SEALs.

[SAW]

they would need barely any decompession time, just enough to catch their breath, empty their lungs, and go at it again

They're lucky...decomp is no fun, but neither is a helo ride to the hospital.

[Glickman]

They're lucky...decomp is no fun, but neither is a helo ride to the hospital.

but then again, neither is having you convulse so bad that you find your hand up your rear...


ill choose the chopper ride

[SAW]

Good call.