The biophysics of pressure changes in diving and decompression is
extremely complex. Fundamental notions of underlying mechanisms of bubble
formation and gas transport are presented. Models are discussed for staging diver
ascents focusing on dissolved gas perfusion, bubble formation, and coupled mechanics.
Oxygen toxicity is also quantified and detailed. The focus is computational models that
have been encoded into underwater computers, tables, and dive planning software.
There are some 11 models that have been implemented and safely used by divers,
though not all have been tested nor validated.
Keywords: Bubbles, Dissolved gases, Models, Oxygen toxicity, Transport.