Should I use Nitrox on liveaboard?

[Tool Belt]

I always dive nitrox on trips with consecutive multi-dive days. No reason to load any more nitrogen than necessary. Will be at CoCo View in March doing 24+ dives in a week and will be using nitrox.

 

[Nigel Bryant]

First liveaboard I did in the Red was on nitrox. Felt a lot less fatigued after 4 dives which meant I couldn’t sleep ! All the other liveaboards I have dived on air and slept a lot better. After 21 dives in six days I need a rest regardless of what I have been breathing.

 

[Esprise Me]

What's the price difference per dive? I just got my Nitrox certification at a place that gives it away; I figured I might as well. My air consumption is about what you'd expect for my level of experience, so NDLs aren't going to be the limiting factor in my diving for at least a little while. But I think it would have to be pretty expensive for me not to feel that even a tiny reduction in risk wasn't worth it. Your risk tolerance and financial situation may dictate otherwise.

 

[rongoodman]

Absolutely.

 

[Dan]

Hi,

I am due to go on a weeks liveaboard in the Red Sea soon. I had a similar trip last year and paid to use Nitrox throughout the trip.

Due to the profile of the dives and my own air consumption I never got any extended bottom time benefit from using Nitrox. However, I was told I would have got some benefit from breathing Nitrox in that I would have been less fatigued. We generally dived 3-4 times a day, and I completed all dives during the trip

Also, while we were supposed to get a 32% mix, it never measured much more than 29% when I tested it.

So I am wondering if it is worth paying for Nitrox this time around, or if I just stick to regular air

I would go with Nitrox. I've been on about 13 of 1-2 week long liveaboard trips, a couple times doing 11-12 diving days, raking up to about 40 dives/trip. I noticed some of those divers with air, just couldn't make all of the dives due to fatigue.

Typically Nitrox option cost an additional $100/trip. So, for 20 dives/trip, it'll be about $5/dives. If you are still an air hog, get the 100HP steel or 15-liter tank so you can dive to NDL.

 

[gbf]

I'm old.

I grab any advantage I can get.

5 dives/day, 10 day trips, you betcha, nitrox (I'm with Lorenzoid).

 

[MaxBottomtime]

In most of the agencies' nitrox textbooks it mentions the placebo effect. Many divers feel that if they believe it makes them less fatigued, who cares if it's only a placebo.
Start with DAN's report here. http://www.alertdiver.com/?articleNo=1836
Studies have shown that there was no conclusive evidence that nitrox reduces fatigue. http://dspace.rubicon-foundation.org:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/8005/AAUS_2008_1-11.pdf?sequence=1

 

[Hoag]

I always dive nitrox on trips with consecutive multi-dive days. No reason to load any more nitrogen than necessary. Will be at CoCo View in March doing 24+ dives in a week and will be using nitrox.

When in March will you be there? (I will be there at the end of the month.)

 

[tursiops]

In most of the agencies' nitrox textbooks it mentions the placebo effect. Many divers feel that if they believe it makes them less fatigued, who cares if it's only a placebo.
Start with DAN's report here. http://www.alertdiver.com/?articleNo=1836
Studies have shown that there was no conclusive evidence that nitrox reduces fatigue. http://dspace.rubicon-foundation.org:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/8005/AAUS_2008_1-11.pdf?sequence=1

As your references show, the jury is still out.

 

[Tool Belt]

When in March will you be there? (I will be there at the end of the month.)

16th - 23rd.....will be getting Pink Tags pretty soon!