Error 130 dives on Fake Nitrox

[LFMarm]

We're heading to a little place in Belize later this winter and they only have air, so nitrox isn't an option. Obviously, there's no need to analyze those tanks.

This sounds like a place where I would never dive without testing for CO. In practice you should always test for O2, CO or better both.

 

[rmssetc]

There can be exceptions of course. We're heading to a little place in Belize later this winter and they only have air, so nitrox isn't an option. Obviously, there's no need to analyze those tanks.

Unless you are concerned about CO.

 

[Stoo]

This sounds like a place where I would never dive without testing for CO. In practice you should always test for O2, CO or better both.

I do. Not every tank but I also know that they’re very good at keeping their system clean and running well.

 

[Dan G]

Well, the issue is unless you have taken a Nitrox course, to my knowledge, no agency teaches even about the existence of such computer settings or Nitrox. You're supposed to be able to be oblivious to it all.

I agree with the first part of your statement. A recreational diver who is not Nx cert is not likely testing their gas for FO2, nor would they likely know how to. I do not, however, agree with the second part of your statement. Someone who has a dive computer, regardless of their experience level, needs to know how to use it properly. Setting the FO2 and PO2 are basic dive computer skills. Knowing what the numbers mean, regardless of cert level, is also a fairly basic PDC skill, too. Even simply knowing what the numbers should read is plenty for some who don't care or want to care.

I use Nx on virtually every dive. Therefore, I am in the habit of checking the FO2 on my PDC prior to every dive and asking my buddy if they did the same. I do this even if I am diving air because it is ingrained into my routine. Someone, such as the subject of this thread, who only dives air might rarely check their computer. They should still be in the habit and have the knowledge to check their computer on occasion and definitely check the settings prior to its first use in a while. They should not "be oblivious to it all."

 

[OctopusLover]

I don't disagree with "how things should be". I'm saying this is not part of the training of any open water course I know of, and in reality I'm very confident if you take 100 non-nitrox-certified in the real world and ask them to check what PO2 setting their computer is at, none of them would know what you're talking about or how to do it.

This strikes me as a serious oversight from the certification agencies. I'd argue even the fact that no instructors/dive masters involved in this diver career caught it is proof that even at the instructor level this "mode of accident" isn't really taught.

 

[Jai Bar]

This reminds me of Vance Harlow's "Oxygen Hacker's companion" book. It's about O2 cleaning, but still applies in this tipic nonetheless:

One way or another, it seems clear that there are a lot of people doing partial pressure mixing of nitrox who are not using professionally 02 clean tanks or hydrocarbon free air and appear to be getting away with it. Does that mean you should?
Don't expect me to tell you it's OK. It's one of those things that you may get away with ten or a hundred times, but if on the thousandth time it blows up in your face you're going to feel pretty stupid in those last micro-seconds."

 

[inquis]

This strikes me as a serious oversight from the certification agencies.

No, in this case, I'd say it's a serious oversight by the buddy who borrowed the computer and didn't return it a condition suitable for the owner.

 

[stepfen]

I thought "fake" nitrox for air dives was a quite popular way to tackle the famous over(?) conservatism of RGBM dive computers... I've seen it in use a couple of times over the years...

 

[OctopusLover]

No, in this case, I'd say it's a serious oversight by the buddy who borrowed the computer and didn't return it a condition suitable for the owner.

Sure, so what? As divers we're not supposed to depend on others for our own safety. Something within this diver control should have caught this.

 

[inquis]

As divers we're not supposed to depend on others for our own safety.

Is buddy support not one of the primary tenants of OW instruction? How many OW divers do you see with redundant gas supplies? @boulderjohn often mentions education theory and that students should only be taught what they NEED to know at that point. Otherwise, you risk them being confused about some topic that is truly necessary.

We'll have to agree to disagree whether the content of a nitrox class should be integrated into the OW class. I simply don't think it will be retained given the typical class timeframes of the mainstream agencies. (Note, this is ultimately driven by the consumer market.) I also don't think it's needed as long as someone doesn't muck with your computer, setting you up for a DCS hit behind your back.