I think the real point here is the boat arbitrarily pairing buddies who are on different mixes and thus potentially different profiles. I understand Don's concern, he has taken the time to learn Nitrox and paid extra for the gas only to not get to take advantage of it. I think the boat should not have paired him with an Air diver or at least offered some kind of compensation.
On the other hand, you dive enough trips and this is gonna happen now and then. When you get on the boat without a buddy you know you are going to be assigned one, and you don't know what you are going to get. Don, maybe you should just be glad you didn't get a buddy to freak out on the surface or "couldn't clear their ears" and had to abort the dive altogether.
BTW, I don't consider using max NDL as "pushing" the limits but rather "following" them.
On the other hand, you dive enough trips and this is gonna happen now and then. When you get on the boat without a buddy you know you are going to be assigned one, and you don't know what you are going to get. Don, maybe you should just be glad you didn't get a buddy to freak out on the surface or "couldn't clear their ears" and had to abort the dive altogether.
BTW, I don't consider using max NDL as "pushing" the limits but rather "following" them.