Helium escape valve?

What is the function of the helium escape valve used for?


The helium escape valve was specially developed for use by professional divers. During deep-sea dives lasting several days, divers operate from diving bells. Prior to surfacing, these bells are filled with a mixture of helium and oxygen. The helium molecules are lighter than air and can therefore penetrate the watch in sufficient quantity to push out the crystal at atmospheric pressure levels. This can be avoided by opening the valve during resurfacing, which allows the helium to escape but prevents water from entering the watch.

Thanks. More than I knew, appreciate the info.

. . . and it is a sales feature. Something you really need to have on your diver 'eh?

Sort of like a button on the remote that doesn't do anything . . . but it balances the look of it . . .

kinda like a little fart machine for you non divers!

Honestly never quite knew 100% the definition of, or what the Helium escape valve
was actually needed for ! Had an idea about it..but now I know ! Pretty cool IMHO !!!
Thanks for the information Mark !

Nice to finally know!

So does this change anyone's opinion for them, good or bad?

Really backs up the claim of "professional" dive watches!

I thought it was just a metal butthole....good to know I was right!!

sixtysix wrote:

I thought it was just a metal butthole....good to know I was right!!

. . . . wouldn't that technically make it a "gas-hole"????

yep, a gas-hole.pretty funny. any watch thats rated at 300 to 1000m that doesn't have one like uts,can be used for the same thing.

ummm, and yet I have no plans on being under water for several days.

Damn you Mark.
I thought my expensive gaming mouse had crapped out.

andrema wrote:

What is the function of the helium escape valve used for?


The helium escape valve was specially developed for use by professional divers. During deep-sea dives lasting several days, divers operate from diving bells. Prior to surfacing, these bells are filled with a mixture of helium and oxygen. The helium molecules are lighter than air and can therefore penetrate the watch in sufficient quantity to push out the crystal at atmospheric pressure levels. This can be avoided by opening the valve during resurfacing, which allows the helium to escape but prevents water from entering the watch.

Not wanting to be negative, but the first half of your post is not right, please let me explain a little.
The second part is though, although you can just open the crown! But the HRV is cooler.

Divers do dive from the bell, but the dive lasts 6 to 12 hours at most, in the water, at one time. The entire Dive, can last from a day to however long you want to leave them there. 28 days is the general time now, with the regulations. Some jobs might only need 3 to 5 days, so thats it.
I know a few people who in parts of the world that lack some regs, have done back to back Sats, of 28 days, without doing the deco, so they remained in there for the 56 days or so.
The system is put down to storage depth, with the divers in it, and the bell is mealy a tool to reach the job. To leave the system, the bell it locked on, at the same pressure for the divers to get in, divers close the door, and the space between bell and system is vented, as to remove the bell and lower into the water.
So the bell is already at lets say 80M, as was the system.
The bell reaches the job, lets say 85 , 90 m, and then pressurized to equal the surrounding water pressure. The door equalization valve is open, and once the two pressures are the same, we open the door, and the water being the same, stays out.
The divers go out, do the job, return, close the door, and over pressure the bell a meter or two, to seal against the pressure outside.
They recover the bell at lets say, 92 m, and lock it onto the system. the space that we vented between bell and system ( trunk ) is not re-pressurized to the 80m, and we vent the 12m extra. the diver open the door, and go through into the system. The next divers get in, and the process repeats for the next 28 days, or the length of the job.
Those who just came back, will shower, eat, and secretly hope the weather blows up, so we can lay there and watch films for most of the 28 Days.

t20569cald wrote:

andrema wrote:

What is the function of the helium escape valve used for?


The helium escape valve was specially developed for use by professional divers. During deep-sea dives lasting several days, divers operate from diving bells. Prior to surfacing, these bells are filled with a mixture of helium and oxygen. The helium molecules are lighter than air and can therefore penetrate the watch in sufficient quantity to push out the crystal at atmospheric pressure levels. This can be avoided by opening the valve during resurfacing, which allows the helium to escape but prevents water from entering the watch.

Not wanting to be negative, but the first half of your post is not right, please let me explain a little.
The second part is though, although you can just open the crown! But the HRV is cooler.

Divers do dive from the bell, but the dive lasts 6 to 12 hours at most, in the water, at one time. The entire Dive, can last from a day to however long you want to leave them there. 28 days is the general time now, with the regulations. Some jobs might only need 3 to 5 days, so thats it.
I know a few people who in parts of the world that lack some regs, have done back to back Sats, of 28 days, without doing the deco, so they remained in there for the 56 days or so.
The system is put down to storage depth, with the divers in it, and the bell is mealy a tool to reach the job. To leave the system, the bell it locked on, at the same pressure for the divers to get in, divers close the door, and the space between bell and system is vented, as to remove the bell and lower into the water.
So the bell is already at lets say 80M, as was the system.
The bell reaches the job, lets say 85 , 90 m, and then pressurized to equal the surrounding water pressure. The door equalization valve is open, and once the two pressures are the same, we open the door, and the water being the same, stays out.
The divers go out, do the job, return, close the door, and over pressure the bell a meter or two, to seal against the pressure outside.
They recover the bell at lets say, 92 m, and lock it onto the system. the space that we vented between bell and system ( trunk ) is not re-pressurized to the 80m, and we vent the 12m extra. the diver open the door, and go through into the system. The next divers get in, and the process repeats for the next 28 days, or the length of the job.
Those who just came back, will shower, eat, and secretly hope the weather blows up, so we can lay there and watch films for most of the 28 Days.

Thanks for the real-life insight! I can tell you that the longest that I ever stay under water is about 10 seconds...in a pool

Do you have any pictures or videos that you can/want to show us from work? That would definitely be cool to see!!

For 98% of us, HEV is just bragging rights...LOL!

Good info all around though!

t20569cald wrote:

andrema wrote:

What is the function of the helium escape valve used for?


The helium escape valve was specially developed for use by professional divers. During deep-sea dives lasting several days, divers operate from diving bells. Prior to surfacing, these bells are filled with a mixture of helium and oxygen. The helium molecules are lighter than air and can therefore penetrate the watch in sufficient quantity to push out the crystal at atmospheric pressure levels. This can be avoided by opening the valve during resurfacing, which allows the helium to escape but prevents water from entering the watch.

Not wanting to be negative, but the first half of your post is not right, please let me explain a little.
The second part is though, although you can just open the crown! But the HRV is cooler.

Divers do dive from the bell, but the dive lasts 6 to 12 hours at most, in the water, at one time. The entire Dive, can last from a day to however long you want to leave them there. 28 days is the general time now, with the regulations. Some jobs might only need 3 to 5 days, so thats it.
I know a few people who in parts of the world that lack some regs, have done back to back Sats, of 28 days, without doing the deco, so they remained in there for the 56 days or so.
The system is put down to storage depth, with the divers in it, and the bell is mealy a tool to reach the job. To leave the system, the bell it locked on, at the same pressure for the divers to get in, divers close the door, and the space between bell and system is vented, as to remove the bell and lower into the water.
So the bell is already at lets say 80M, as was the system.
The bell reaches the job, lets say 85 , 90 m, and then pressurized to equal the surrounding water pressure. The door equalization valve is open, and once the two pressures are the same, we open the door, and the water being the same, stays out.
The divers go out, do the job, return, close the door, and over pressure the bell a meter or two, to seal against the pressure outside.
They recover the bell at lets say, 92 m, and lock it onto the system. the space that we vented between bell and system ( trunk ) is not re-pressurized to the 80m, and we vent the 12m extra. the diver open the door, and go through into the system. The next divers get in, and the process repeats for the next 28 days, or the length of the job.
Those who just came back, will shower, eat, and secretly hope the weather blows up, so we can lay there and watch films for most of the 28 Days.

great info, thanks for the lesson

[quote="andrema"][quote="t20569cald"]

andrema wrote:

Do you have any pictures or videos that you can/want to show us from work? That would definitely be cool to see!!

Sure, i will fire up the lap top in an hour or two, and start a new thread here, called Bell Diving.

t20569cald wrote:

andrema wrote:

What is the function of the helium escape valve used for?


The helium escape valve was specially developed for use by professional divers. During deep-sea dives lasting several days, divers operate from diving bells. Prior to surfacing, these bells are filled with a mixture of helium and oxygen. The helium molecules are lighter than air and can therefore penetrate the watch in sufficient quantity to push out the crystal at atmospheric pressure levels. This can be avoided by opening the valve during resurfacing, which allows the helium to escape but prevents water from entering the watch.

Not wanting to be negative, but the first half of your post is not right, please let me explain a little.
The second part is though, although you can just open the crown! But the HRV is cooler.

Divers do dive from the bell, but the dive lasts 6 to 12 hours at most, in the water, at one time. The entire Dive, can last from a day to however long you want to leave them there. 28 days is the general time now, with the regulations. Some jobs might only need 3 to 5 days, so thats it.
I know a few people who in parts of the world that lack some regs, have done back to back Sats, of 28 days, without doing the deco, so they remained in there for the 56 days or so.
The system is put down to storage depth, with the divers in it, and the bell is mealy a tool to reach the job. To leave the system, the bell it locked on, at the same pressure for the divers to get in, divers close the door, and the space between bell and system is vented, as to remove the bell and lower into the water.
So the bell is already at lets say 80M, as was the system.
The bell reaches the job, lets say 85 , 90 m, and then pressurized to equal the surrounding water pressure. The door equalization valve is open, and once the two pressures are the same, we open the door, and the water being the same, stays out.
The divers go out, do the job, return, close the door, and over pressure the bell a meter or two, to seal against the pressure outside.
They recover the bell at lets say, 92 m, and lock it onto the system. the space that we vented between bell and system ( trunk ) is not re-pressurized to the 80m, and we vent the 12m extra. the diver open the door, and go through into the system. The next divers get in, and the process repeats for the next 28 days, or the length of the job.
Those who just came back, will shower, eat, and secretly hope the weather blows up, so we can lay there and watch films for most of the 28 Days.

Awesome post, thank you!!

. . . great read! I was grounded in the fact that there is actually a real need for a dive watch, that the term is not just a style monicker.

What type of watches do you guys use when doing these kind of jobs? I'm guessing G-shocks maybe?

Redrum wrote:

What type of watches do you guys use when doing these kind of jobs? I'm guessing G-shocks maybe?

I think he wears a Panerai on a leather strap...I think that there are a few pictures on his Bell Diving posts...

andrema wrote:

Redrum wrote:

What type of watches do you guys use when doing these kind of jobs? I'm guessing G-shocks maybe?

I think he wears a Panerai on a leather strap...I think that there are a few pictures on his Bell Diving posts...

Not just leather... croc.

porschefan wrote:

andrema wrote:

Redrum wrote:

What type of watches do you guys use when doing these kind of jobs? I'm guessing G-shocks maybe?

I think he wears a Panerai on a leather strap...I think that there are a few pictures on his Bell Diving posts...

Not just leather... croc.

Hey, maybe because Panerai uses REAL croc the strap has lasted so long.
Mmmmm