01/06/2026
All ready for going a bit deeper than 40 meters.
In technical diving, we obsess over the numbers. We calculate our Maximum Operating Depths, meticulously blend our Trimix to manage narcosis, and analyze our percentages down to the decimal. We check the helium, we check the oxygen.
But there is a hidden killer that standard gas analysis completely misses: Carbon Monoxide (CO).
I always tell my students: What you don’t know below 60 meters won’t just end your dive; it can end your life.
At depth, the physiological effects of any gas are multiplied exponentially due to increased partial pressure. A trace amount of Carbon Monoxide that is harmless at the surface becomes highly toxic and fatal at depth.
Colorless & Odorless: You cannot smell it, taste it, or see it.
The Compressor Risk: Even the most sophisticated filling stations can suffer from a faulty filter or a poorly placed compressor intake.
The Illusion of Safety: A perfect Trimix blend of O2 and He is useless if it’s laced with a toxin that blocks your body's ability to carry oxygen.
Elevate Your Checklist
True professionalism in technical diving isn’t just about having the coolest gear or pushing the limits; it’s about absolute risk mitigation. If you aren't actively testing your tanks for CO before every deep mission, your analysis is incomplete.
One of my rules in diving: Never take a gas mix for granted. Analyze for composition, then verify for purity.
Dive deep, dive smart, stay safe and make sure you come back to tell the story.
