Benefit of Nitrox?

[AfterDark]

If you dive the same dive, same time, same everything, but different gas, the higher O2 in nitrox (assuming MOD is respected) makes it a (perhaps marginally) safer dive because you've accumulated less N in your body. This means reduced risk of DCS in its many forms. If you dove air and nitrox on two dives and just reached your NDL on both dives, yes, it would be a different story. But, you said that you're limited by volume of gas, so I responded with that in mind. If I'm wrong about this, please point me to the appropriate reference, I am always eager to learn (especially if it's a correction), but I think this is pretty straight forward.

I don't say you are wrong just kinda stretching a point to the point of huh?

So if I make a dive and surface with 10 min left before my NDL. I maybe at risk for DCS but if I use nitrox I reduce that risk. Do I understand correctly? Because if I do: I don't say you are wrong just kinda stretching a point to the point of huh?

 

[Tigerman]

Nitrox allow for longer bottom times with shorter SIs.
There is no significant reduction of risk, even diving air profiles on nitrox, because the risk is already minimal and there is too many other risk factors beyond gas choice - i.e pushing limits, which are unlikely to change with change of gas - you just push the new limits instead.
There is no good data proving less fatigue.
So what are the benefit? Its that on your 3rd dive of the day, you can still go down to 20 meters at the end of the dive to hang out with that turtle, while the people in the group diving air have to hang above you glowing green with envy
THAT also depend on you not having your profiles restricted by air consumption, guides not allowing people to go off on their alone and so forth...

 

[Aotus]

I don't say you are wrong just kinda stretching a point to the point of huh?

So if I make a dive and surface with 10 min left before my NDL. I maybe at risk for DCS but if I use nitrox I reduce that risk. Do I understand correctly? Because if I do: I don't say you are wrong just kinda stretching a point to the point of huh?

you were too fast (I was too slow) and quoted me before i finished my post. Please see the quotes and references provided.

 

[AfterDark]

Nitrox allow for longer bottom times with shorter SIs.
There is no significant reduction of risk, even diving air profiles on nitrox, because the risk is already minimal and there is too many other risk factors beyond gas choice - i.e pushing limits, which are unlikely to change with change of gas - you just push the new limits instead.
There is no good data proving less fatigue.
So what are the benefit? Its that on your 3rd dive of the day, you can still go down to 20 meters at the end of the dive to hang out with that turtle, while the people in the group diving air have to hang above you glowing green with envy
THAT also depend on you not having your profiles restricted by air consumption, guides not allowing people to go off on their alone and so forth...

Third dive of the day! I haven't done 3 dives in a day in 20 years! This thread just keeps reinforcing my regret at becoming nitrox cert.

 

[RJP]

Haven't there been several studies indicating that Nitrox is harmful to the walls of blood vessels and interferes withe their flexibility?

Google "Nitrous oxide, oxidative stress" etc. Not the same as "nitrox" per se.

 

[NAM001]

The benefit of nitrox is the additional bottom time resulting from lower N2 content. period the end.

Since bottom time is N2 driven the less N2 in the gas the longer it takes to get full lof it.
The longer time can be used ONE of 2 ways.

1. you get to stay down longer before hitting your NDL
2. You comply with the NDL's set by higher N2 content gas ( air) and end the dive with less N2 in your system. This allows a shorter time for your surface Interval to purge the N2 from your system.

So you get your benefit on the bottom time end of the dive or the surface time interval end of the dive.

The decision involved is which end do you want it on. If you are making 1or 2 dives then use it on the frontend. If you are making many dives and depending on depth and you are ok with being limited by your buddies NDL then use it on the back end.

So on a set of dives your ndl's s are

air 14 20 25 25 26
nitriox 22 36 40 31 32

needed for the dive 17 19 25 27 30
use ean air air ean ean

making all dives ean ultimately would be the way to go for simplicity of legistics. If you dove ean and your buddy dove air you can see the time conflict because of the gas ndl's and or the lower end of day N2 level in you if you do not go to ean ndl's.

There is a lot of discussion on whether you have increased time physiology wise (not ndl) suing nitrox. I feel better and use less gas. Others see no difference. I strongly suspect that if there is s difference that it may be a health symptom. Perhaps smokers feel better ect.
I used to smoke fm 68-97. I suspect strongly that my longs do not function any where near capacity If you become winded easily then I believe you are not getting enough O2 in you. In that case higher O2 mixes could compensate for poorer lung effeciancy. Hgher O2 mixes lower respiration rates less gas used. I know many will argue it but that is how I react to ean30+ the same dive on air and ean 25 vs 36 min. 80 ft dives on ean 72 min vs 50 on air. sac high .4's to low .5's on ean and high .5's to mid .6's on air. That thought process may not be correct but the explanation works for me.

With out reading the dan article linked in another posting I would guess that a healthy, never smoker, may see no difference at all. So I sould say that ean does not add bottom time, but poor longs detract from bottom more severely on when on air.

Welcome back to the wet side.

Regards

Rather than hijack the "Who Offers Free Nitrox" thread, I thought I'd start another one.

I'd been away from diving for twenty years and just started diving again about four years ago. So I was out of the loop concerning dive computers (I now use one and love the added bottom time rather than the old PADI dive tables and "plan your dive and dive your plan" restriction) and now since diving in Cozumel, nitrox, which seems to be the latest thing.

So what are the benefits of diving nitrox?

How has it affected your diving?


Thanks for informing and old "newby"

 

[RJP]

Since bottom time is N2 driven

Assuming enough gas and a low enough SAC...

 

[Max Speed]

Do you have one to share?

Here's one

http://www.divetable.de/skripte/Mainz1404.pdf

I am looking for the original results I saw a couple of years ago.

---------- Post added September 6th, 2015 at 08:53 PM ----------

Or this

http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/272075.pdf

---------- Post added September 6th, 2015 at 09:01 PM ----------

Or http://3.hidemyass.com/ip-1/encoded/czovL2VuLm0ud2lraXBlZGlhLm9yZy93aWtpL094eWdlbl90b3hpY2l0eQ==

 

[NAM001]

Sorry I was referring the bottom time limit placed by NDL

you are correct.

Assuming enough gas and a low enough SAC...

 

[Centrals]

I use Nitrox if it is on square profile(more or less) eg. wreck.
If I can do a multi-level dive then Nitrox 21 any time.

---------- Post added September 7th, 2015 at 01:29 PM ----------

This means nothing to me. I don't care about less N only too much. SI is for resting in my world. I like a long SI and take an hour min regardless of the need to off gas. I maintain Nitrox was a gross waste of time and money for me.

If the deck of a wreck is at 30m, EAN32 is a lot better than EAN21. Because it does extend the bottom time.
But if the wreck eg. San Francisco Maru(in Truk) at ~52m then it is either AIR or Trimix.
For me, nitrox has only a small useful range. But it is definitely not gross waste of money and time.