The Physiology of Compressed Gas Diving

SCUBA diving equipment is the most commonly used compressed gas system in civilian diving and illustrates the important features and function relevant to diving physiology. Basic SCUBA equipment consists of a cylinder of air at high pressure, a demand valve regulator, and a device for holding this equipment on the diver's back. In the modern context the latter is usually an inflatable jacket called a buoyancy control device (BCD) whose dual function it is to allow buoyancy adjustment in-water and carriage of the tank and regulator. Together with the wetsuit necessary for temperate water diving and weightbelt, this apparatus may constitute a significantly restrictive force over the diver's chest and abdomen.