Nitrox

Diving

TABLES
 PSS TABLES FOR AIR

SIMPLIFIED TABLES FOR AIR based on the U.S. Navy

Tables and valid for air as a breathing mix up to 300 meters a.s.l.
© PSS Worldwide 2004 - www.pssworldwide.org

FIRST DIVE (more than 12 hours from the previous dive)

depth
(meters)
Max Dive Time
(minutes)

REPETITIVE DIVE
Repetitive dives should
be carried out at least
6 meters (20 feet) shal-
lower. Dives made
within 10 minutes of
surfacing from the pro-
ceeding one are consi-
interval maximum dive time for repetitive dive (minutes) dered as one dive.
RATES EMERGENCY DECOMPRESSION AFTER DIVING
Descent: 20 m/min If you exceed the maximum dive time given in Before changing altitude
Ascent: 10 m/min the tables by not more than 5 min, make an or flying, you must wait
COLD OR FATIGUE emergency decompression stop for 5 minutes at least 12 hours if you
make one non-repetitive
Use the next greatest depth at 5 meters or 15 feet (as well as the 3 min
dive which does not
(+3 m or + 10 feet). safety stop). If you exceed the maximum dive require an emergency
SAFETY STOP time given in the tables by more than 5 min, decompression stop, and
3 min at 5 m (15 feet), not spend as long as possible at 5 meters or 15 at least 24 hours in all
included in max. dive time feet, but not less than 15 minutes. other cases.
PSS “BEST MIX / E.A.D.” TABLES
 NOAA pO2 exposure limits
pO2 single within 24 hours
(ata) (minutes) (minutes)

0.5 - 0.6 720 720

0.6 - 0.7 570 570
0.7 - 0.8 450 450
0.8 - 0.9 360 360
0.9 - 1.0 300 300
1.0 - 1.1 240 270
1.1 - 1.2 210 240
1.2 - 1.3 180 210
1.3 - 1.4 150 180
1.4 - 1.5 120 180
1.5 - 1.6 45 150
 NOAA pO2 exposure limits
TIME PARTIAL PRESSURE OF OXYGEN (upper figures in ata)
(minutes) 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6
5 1% 1% 1% 1% 2% 2% 2% 3% 3% 4% 11%
10 1% 2% 2% 3% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 22%
15 2% 3% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 10% 13% 33%
20 3% 4% 4% 6% 7% 8% 10% 11% 13% 17% 44%
SINGLE DIVE

25 3% 4% 6% 7% 8% 10% 12% 14% 17% 21% 56%

30 4% 5% 7% 8% 10% 13% 14% 17% 20% 25% 67%
35 5% 6% 8% 10% 12% 15% 17% 19% 23% 29% 78%
40 6% 7% 9% 11% 13% 17% 19% 22% 27% 33% 89%
45 6% 8% 10% 13% 15% 19% 21% 25% 30% 38% 100%
50 7% 9% 11% 14% 17% 21% 24% 28% 33% 42%
55 8% 10% 12% 15% 18% 23% 26% 31% 37% 46%
60 8% 11% 13% 17% 20% 25% 29% 33% 40% 50%

5 1% 1% 1% 1% 2% 2% 2% 2% 3% 3% 3%
10 1% 2% 2% 3% 3% 4% 4% 5% 6% 6% 7%
15 2% 3% 3% 4% 5% 6% 6% 7% 8% 8% 10%
WITHIN 24 HOURS

20 3% 4% 4% 6% 7% 7% 8% 10% 11% 11% 13%

25 3% 4% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10% 12% 14% 14% 17%
30 4% 5% 7% 8% 10% 11% 13% 14% 17% 17% 20%
35 5% 6% 8% 10% 12% 13% 15% 17% 19% 19% 23%
40 6% 7% 9% 11% 13% 15% 17% 19% 22% 22% 27%
45 6% 8% 10% 13% 15% 17% 19% 21% 25% 25% 30%
50 7% 9% 11% 14% 17% 19% 21% 24% 28% 28%
55 8% 10% 12% 15% 18% 20% 23% 26% 31% 31%
60 8% 11% 13% 17% 20% 22% 25% 29% 33% 33%

This table allows you determine the percentage of exposure in respect to the NOAA limits for a given partial
pressure of oxygen without having to make calculations. Just intersect the line representing the time passed at
a given partial pressure of oxygen (round up to the next greatest number of minutes if exact time is not shown)
with the column showing the partial pressure of oxygen (rounding up to the next greatest value of ata if exact
figure is not shown). There are two tables: for a single dive and within 24 hours.
Example: a single dive of 40 minutes at 1.4 ata: by intersecting the 40 minute line on the “Single dive” table
with the 1.4 ata column we get 27%. If we want the percentage of exposure within the 24 hours, by intesecting
the 40 minute line on the appropriate table with the 1.4 ata column we get 22%.
 Partial pressure of oxygen
PARTIAL PRESSURE OF OXYGEN (meters / feet)
% O2 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 40
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130
21% 0.21 0.27 0.34 0.40 0.46 0.53 0.59 0.65 0.71 0.78 0.84 0.90 0.97 1.05
22% 0.22 0.29 0.35 0.42 0.48 0.55 0.62 0.68 0.75 0.81 0.88 0.95 1.01 1.10
23% 0.23 0.30 0.37 0.44 0.51 0.58 0.64 0.71 0.78 0.85 0.92 0.99 1.06 1.15
24% 0.24 0.31 0.38 0.46 0.53 0.60 0.67 0.74 0.82 0.89 0.96 1.03 1.10 1.20
25% 0.25 0.33 0.40 0.48 0.55 0.63 0.70 0.78 0.85 0.93 1.00 1.08 1.15 1.25
26% 0.26 0.34 0.42 0.49 0.57 0.65 0.73 0.81 0.88 0.96 1.04 1.12 1.20 1.30
27% 0.27 0.35 0.43 0.51 0.59 0.68 0.76 0.84 0.92 1.00 1.08 1.16 1.24 1.35
28% 0.28 0.36 0.45 0.53 0.62 0.70 0.78 0.87 0.95 1.04 1.12 1.20 1.29 1.40
29% 0.29 0.38 0.46 0.55 0.64 0.73 0.81 0.90 0.99 1,07 1.16 1.25 1.33 1.45
30% 0.30 0.39 0.48 0.57 0.66 0.75 0.84 0.93 1.02 1,11 1.20 1.29 1.38 1.50
31% 0.31 0.40 0.50 0.59 0.68 0.78 0.87 0.96 1.05 1,15 1.24 1.33 1.43 1.55
32% 0.32 0.42 0.51 0.61 0.70 0.80 0.90 0.99 1.09 1,18 1.28 1.38 1.47 1.60
33% 0.33 0.43 0.53 0.63 0.73 0.83 0.92 1.02 1.12 1.22 1.32 1.42 1.52
34% 0.34 0.44 0.54 0.65 0.75 0.85 0.95 1.05 1.16 1.26 1.36 1.46 1.56
35% 0.35 0.46 0.56 0.67 0.77 0.88 0.98 1.09 1.19 1.30 1.40 1.51
36% 0.36 0.47 0.58 0.68 0.79 0.90 1.01 1.12 1.22 1.33 1.44 1.55
37% 0.37 0.48 0.59 0.70 0.81 0.93 1.04 1.15 1.26 1.37 1.48 1.59
38% 0.38 0.49 0.61 0.72 0.84 0.95 1.06 1.18 1.29 1.41 1.52
39% 0.39 0.51 0.62 0.74 0.86 0.98 1.09 1.21 1.33 1.44 1.56
40% 0.40 0.52 0.64 0.76 0.88 1.00 1.12 1.24 1.36 1.48 1.60
This table allows us to determine the partial pressure of oxygen on the basis of the breathing mix and the depth
without having to make calculations. Example: you are thinking of making a dive to 30 meters [100 feet] brea-
thing nitrox with 40% oxygen. By intersecting the 40% oxygen line with the column representing a depth of 30
meters [100 feet] you immediately see that the partial pressure of oxygen is too high. In fact, the two factors
intersect in a box with a shaded background showing that the partial pressure of oxygen is equal to 1.6 ata. If
you do have to dive to that particular depth, you must choose a different mix. In this case, go down the 30 meter
[100 feet] column until you come to the last box with a white background, which in this case falls on the line
indicating 35%. This is the correct percentage of oxygen in the nitrox mix. Instead, if you want to use the 40%
mix anyway, you must go to the right along the line indicating 40% oxygen until you come to the last box with
a white background, which in this case corresponds to a depth of 24 meters [80 feet], the maximum depth
(MOD) that can be reached with this mix.