Switched from trimix to heliox for the deep stuff, here's why

Used to swear by trimix for anything past 150 feet, even in the Gulf. Then got on a job near Corpus Christi last spring where the narcosis hit me harder than usual, and the dive supervisor pointed out my reaction time was crap on the comms. Read up on the gas density numbers and tried heliox on a 180-foot pipeline inspection, felt way sharper and less foggy. Anyone else made the swap for deep work, or do you stick with trimix because of the cost?

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charles_green17d ago

Reaction time was crap on the comms" is a polite way of saying you sounded like a drunk parrot underwater. I feel you though, I did one job on heliox and my brain felt like it woke up from a nap halfway through the dive. The cost is stupid, sure, but so is nodding off during a pipeline inspection and waking up with a mouthful of sand and a snapped lift bag. Trimix keeps my wallet happy, heliox keeps my supervisor from drawing little charts about my speech slur. I'll take the lighter wallet over the lecture on gas density any day.