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REVIEW OF OVERALL FUNCTION (updated at pre-production review 06/15/10) It is important to understand that the Freediver's Recovery Vest (FRV) will NOT prevent freediver blackout (FB), nor is it designed to prevent FB. FB occurs when the level of oxygen in the brain decreases below the level necessary to support consciousness. (For a more complete description of FB see : http://www.freedive.net/SWB/vest1_lo_rez.pdf.) Only good diving practices, fitness and good judgment will prevent FB. FB may occur under the water during any phase of the freedive and it may also occur on the surface immediately after ascent. The FRV is designed to deliver the freediver, who has exceeded his self-set parameters, to the surface in a face-up position where recovery and rescue attempts will be more successful than if he had sunk to the bottom, which is where most victims of FB are found. Also, it is important to understand that even if the victim (we'll call him that now) reaches the surface, there may well be serious consequences, for example continued airway obstruction due to laryngospasm (the vocal cords have slammed shut, shutting of any airway exchange), aspiration, and continued apnea due to sever hypoxia and cardiac arrest. Therefore, the diver returned to the surface may still suffer airway compromise and require immediate intervention from a rescuer who should provide rescue breathing and eventually, the basics of CPR in order to avoid permanent injury or death. As with any product, there are limitations and warnings regarding it use. To use the FRV the diver sets both the maximum time, and separately, the maximum depth when he wants the vest mechanism to deploy and send him face-up toward the surface. In other words, the user sets the maximum time he wants to be underwater. Upon exceeding this maximal time, the vest will deploy its flotation bladder. Similarly, the diver will set the depth at which he wants the vest to inflate. As long as the diver’s profile remains within these settings, and the diver deactivates the vest on the surface in time (with the Surface Minder Feature ON), the vest remains inactive. Deactivation of the vest is accomplished by either swiping the Computer/Console past the chest magnet, or simply pressing any button on the Computer/Console. After initial prototype testing ending April 2009, the concept of the FRV has been simplified. The FRV is composed of three major components, the Computer/Console computer and console, the back-mounted inflation unit, and the flotation vest. The arm unit is a combination freedive computer and command console. The computer tracks over 4,000 dives, graphs each dive and reports real-time dive information. On the surface, with a single button push it toggles between the elapsed time since your last dive (keeps counting for 99 minutes) and the time-of-day screen. Because of the large numbers, during a dive it is a simple matter to check you time and depth—no need to bring your hand up to your eyes as you need to do with a typical dive watch. Three buttons allow you to customize your dive envelope, to change parameters, to manually inflate the vest while underwater or on the surface, to review your dive graphs and stats and its where you set triggers and surface minder options. Using the Computer/Console, the freediver sets the dive parameters and monitors the progress of his dive. The activation unit contains the electronic chips that monitor the dive and activate two redundant valves, which release air from the integrated compressed air tank into the inflation bladder. It is retained within a pouch, which is connected to the inflation bladder and the waist belt. The flotation vest covers the activation unit and houses the inflation bladder—it’s streamlined and contains a single sleeve to route the communication wire to the Computer/Console.. The external surface of the flotation vest is built from a durable material similar to that used in scuba buoyancy compensators . It lies flat against the diver’s body and when it fills, air pressure forces out several layers of folded pleats, which provide for expansion. The pleats are brightly colored to signify to others that the vest has deployed. The vest supplies approximately 35-pounds of lift on the surface. Ironically, a significant number of freedivers who suffer FB do so at the surface, after the otherwise successful completion of a freedive. When the vest, using it’s electronic sensors, determines that the diver has reached the surface, it will then accept an optional (Surface Minder ON) disarming signal from the diver. With Surface Minder OFF, the diver does not have to swipe the vest after 30 seconds have passed. However, if he chooses to dive before 30 seconds is over, he must swipe or press a button otherwise he will go into Premature Dive Mode after descending past 10 feet when he must swipe or press a button acknowledging that he is making an intentional dive otherwise the vest will fire. In either mode, if the diver descends prematurely past 10 feet within the first 10 seconds after surfacing (to catch some gear or a fish) he must acknowledge that this dive is intentional or the vest will fire. Because it is possible for the diver who has recently surfaced to be confused or only partially aware and conscious, the diver may forget to deactivate the vest while using "Surface Minder mode ON,", and the vest will fire. We expect that a significant number of freedivers will be surprised by vest inflation while on the surface due to their decreased—and unacknowledged—level of awareness, which caused them to fail to voluntarily disarm the device. Also, from early user feedback, divers become so comfortable with wearing the vest while freediving, that it virtually disappears and they may simply forget to swipe, therefore we added the option to turn off the Surface Minder. With Surface Minder ON, upon surfacing, the diver must wait 30 seconds before the unit will accept a disarm swipe . He then has 15 seconds to successfully swipe his arm by the magnets in the chest pad or by simply pressing any button. With Surface Minder OFF, if he needs to dive after 10 seconds and before 30 seconds, a swipe or a button press will allow him to do this. A Premature Dive occurs when a diver descends below 10 feet anytime during the 25-second period with Surface Minder ON, or after 10 seconds and with no swipe or button press in the Surface Minder OFF mode. In either mode, should the diver descent below 10 feet during the first 10 seconds of surfacing, they must swipe or press a button to enter Premature Dive Mode. In this mode, the diver "buys" himself 15 seconds of additional dive time sequences, which must terminate with him reaching the surface or by swiping again at the end of the 15 seconds. Otherwise, the vest will fire. A deployed vest can be made ready for reuse by repacking the flotation bladder into the over-garment pouches and by recharging the integrated compressed-air cylinder, which supplies the air to fill the inflation bladder. The maximal service depth, with a fully charged air cylinder is 120- to 150-feet. The cylinder can be filled at a dive shop, but more conveniently for the freediver, directly from a standard 3,000 psi scuba tank. Should the charging scuba tank hold less than 3,000 psi, it will not adequately fill it at 150 feet, but it will calculate a more shallow depth where there may be sufficient pressure to provide adequate inflation. The electronics and sensors contained in the activation unit will measure the air pressure in the air cylinder and then will calculate the maximal dive depth that the freediver may set—up to 150 feet. In addition, the electronics constantly poll the inflation air cylinder and inform the user if there is inadequate compressed air to inflate the bladder at the diver’s selected depth or if the battery is getting low. The Computer/Console will monitor the elapsed time and depth of the dive and supply the water temperature. When the user approaches his trigger time, a warning will appear on the Computer/Console and a LED will light,. When the user approaches the last 10 seconds of his dive, a numerical countdown preceding inflation will start. Freedivers may re-set the next dive’s parameters on the surface. The user may also use the large monitor to review his last 4,000 dives in graphical format. The diver may also annotate special dives for review later, for example when a record fish was taken or the dive was otherwise memorable. While in Dive Mode, the user may also command inflation of the vest at any time by pressing a 3-button sequence on the Computer/Console. The inflation unit in addition to providing the basic function of inflation of the flotation bladder, the electronics provides for the following:
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Copyright 2010 Oceanic Safety Systems LLC |
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