Why get Nitrox certified?

[beaverdivers]

Because that's the percentage of oxygen in air.

Correct, but how do know it is 21% unless you analyze it.

---------- Post added at 09:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:34 AM ----------

Beaverdivers likes to 'sell' concepts on the basis of "you're gonna die".

That is your personal opinion, not as a moderator; Correct?

Any recreational diver who follows the most basic safe diving practices and applies their training appropriately has little to no risk of DCS.

Any diver has some risk of DCS. To quote a 2004 DAN article: "It occurs in approximately 1,000 U.S. scuba divers each year. "

Nitrox isn't a solution for DCS avoidance - it's tool to extend bottom times, whilst still engaging those safe diving practices and the application of training to maintain safety.

To qoute Dan Harper of DAN: "Although nitrox can be used to lower DCS risk, it is important to understand that nitrox dives are not inherently safer than air dives. They can be made safer (from a DCS-risk perspective) if the diver uses nitrox but dives within the NDL of an air dive to the same depth. On the other hand, nitrox can also be used to increase a diver's bottom time, but this eliminates the protective effect."

It's the attitude and application that keeps you safe, not the tool you use.

The proper tool can be used as an application to develop a proper attitude.

 

[redacted]

Correct, but how do know it is 21% unless you analyze it.

How do you know your tank does not contain unacceptable levels of oil vapor or other contaminants?

How do you know the drinking water in your house does not contain dangerous levels of e. coli?

How do you know the chef did not contaminate your food?

Just look at all the scuba accidents recorded that were attributed to the wrong gas in the breathing cylinder. There appear to be a number in the tech community but they seem to be a marking or cylinder management problem rather than a fill error problem. Aren't there enough real hazards in scuba that divers need to respond to without chicken little crying unlikely warnings?

Maybe everybody should wear a hard hat in case something should fall out of the sky.

 

[beaverdivers]

It takes less than a minute to analyze a tank. Is it that hard to analyze a tank?

Why not follow the proper procedure to insure that you know what mix you are breathing?

 

[TSandM]

I have to say, on this issue I am with beaverdivers. When we picked up tanks from a shop that filled both air and Nitrox, we analyzed them ALL, the air tanks and the Nitrox ones.

 

[redacted]

It takes less than a minute to analyze a tank. Is it that hard to analyze a tank?

Why not follow the proper procedure to insure that you know what mix you are breathing?

Do you have a reference for that "proper procedure"? If I had an analyzer and were planning a dive where it could make a difference, I might be tempted. Otherwise, I see no sense in mitigating non-existent risks.

 

[beaverdivers]

Do you have a reference for that "proper procedure"?

Yes, the Technical Diving International ( TDI ) Nitrox manual ( 1994 ), page # 57.

"Nitrox

Always Analyze! Before you breathe, Check for correct Depth Limit, EAD and FO2!!!"

 

[redacted]

Yes, the Technical Diving International ( TDI ) Nitrox manual ( 1994 ), page # 57.

"Nitrox

Always Analyze! Before you breathe, Check for correct Depth Limit, EAD and FO2!!!"

Is TDI, or any other agency, calling for the O2 content testing of air fills?

 

[BVickery]

My LDS had a special where they threw in the Nitrox Cert w/ the Adv. OW. About a month later dove the 4th of July Weekend int he Keys, all on Nitrox. Felt ton more refreshed than I did the first time diving there on air.

 

[Splitlip]

I have to say, on this issue I am with beaverdivers. When we picked up tanks from a shop that filled both air and Nitrox, we analyzed them ALL, the air tanks and the Nitrox ones.

+ 1 here. I analyze my daughter's air tanks as well as my nitrox tanks. I was told a particularly sobering tale by my nitrox instructor more than 11 years ago. My LDS at any time may have close to a hundred tanks in two queues at the fill station as the staff fills them while keeping up with demand. Mistakes can happen.

Time was you would put a gauge on your valve to check psi, then you used an analyzer. My LDS now is set up to test o2 and psi with one device, so very easy check all.

---------- Post added at 02:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:12 PM ----------

If you are the 2 dive a day vacation diver, don't waste your money on nitrox training or diving nitrox.

I'm gonna disagree. Or at least add the caveat that it depends where you vacation dive. Herein Jupiter/Palm Beach, most ops do a 2 tank trip in th morning and a 2 tank in the afternoon. Typically, for 2 tank trips, an air diver has up to 40 minutes less dive time than a nitrox diver. And if you want a 3 tank trip. Forget it. AFIK, the ops won't even let you dive without nitrox.

As I said before, if on a guided dive, that guide is gonna stay at least 45 minutes. He/she will not turn a dive because a diver has hit his ndl or turn pressure.

 

[beaverdivers]

As just posted in the thread: DCS type II in Cozumel by drapap:


"I am probably going to get Nitrox certified before my next dives, and was told that using Nitrox, but following an "air" protocol could somewhat reduce the change of a re occurrence. "

I wonder if he would have been bend if he had been diving nitrox?