Can I take my Nitrox with my open water class?

[dbulmer]

My comment about the added safety factor should have been better worded - it is not aimed at nitrox usage - it's about encouraging someone who is not yet qualified to consider diving safety in general.

Dive planning/gas management is essential in all forms of diving as I'm sure you would agree as are the other aspects I mentioned.

Again Damselfish made the point better than me.

 

[paddler3d]

Hi,
I have taken my open water book work and confined water dives. I will be doing my open water dives while on vacation in Florida. To maximize my dive time out there, can I take the nitrox now and be able to use nitrox the next day after getting my open water check off done?
Thanks,
Larry

Take the class and get certified. Just one less class to do down the road. As for your Florida trip, if you are going to be doing a fair amount of diving (3-4 dive a day) the Nitrox may be worth it. If you're going to knock out a few dives, a dive a day, sort of thing, I wouldn't worry about the Nitrox. It is something like $6-8 more per fill vs. air.

If you do want to dive Nitrox, get your self a bigger tank. Sometimes you can get an AL100 for the Nitrox.

That will help with your bottom time. That and a lot more diving.

 

[meierdierck]

Nitrox is a tool. Use the right tool for the job at hand.

As a brand new diver, let's assume you will not be diving deeper than 60 feet max.

Let's also assume you are using an Aluminum 80, the most popular size rental tank.

SSI air table shows a NDL of 50 minutes, PADI and NAUI air tables are slightly longer at 55 minutes. My PADI EAN 32 shows a max of 90 minutes and the PADI EAN 36 shows a NDL of 115 minutes. Quite an increase in bottom time as well as decreasing your nitrogen loading.

Most new divers deplete their breathing mix well short of reaching no decompression limits. For me, the more I dove, my increase in experience and knowledge, and the training I've taken have greatly improved my underwater comfort and breathing rate. My bottom time is now limited by NDL instead of remaining breathing mix.


I hope your dive career follows a similar path. Take the class, use the optimal mix for the dives you are planning. The course, along with a good instructor, will teach you how. I wish you well with your decision.

I agree with this post, dont put the cart before the horse, I would encourage my students to concentrate on one thing at a time, his stated goal is to increase bottom time, and I dont think its going to accomplish that end....I do tend to agree with getting it out of the way for future use, but I doubt it will extend bottom time on this trip.

 

[Scuba-Stu]

Sinbad the Diver is right in that some shops (or instructors) may not want you to use Nitrox for OW certification dives.

I recently completed my Rescue Diver certification and some of the participants were Nitrox certified, and others not. The instructor wouldn't allow Nitrox during the dives because of the share air scenarios (something you also do in OW dives). He didn't want a non-Nitrox certified diver sharing air with a Nitrox diver, even for that short interval to the surface.

It seemed really anal to me, but it was his call so we all used air that weekend.

That’s the one of the strangest things I've ever heard. I guess any buddies of mine, or yours, who are diving air while you dive nitrox are SOL in a real emergency.

 

[Scuba-Stu]

Even if you can do Nitrox during your OW class, I don't think you should. You will have plenty of information to digest and practice already.

Nitrox isn't exactly rocket surgery. Plus he'll already be learning the gas laws and he'll have to review them in the Nitrox class.

If the shop lets you, take the class.

 

[BonaireDan]

Lots of good thoughts. I suggest to my students to get Nitrox certified as their next step after OW along with AOW. Certainly bottom time likely is more limited by air use than NDL/oxygen partial pressures. However it may be useful for many divers on extended dive trips and live aboards.

I will use air for basic OW training dives since they are usually 20+ feet. But for AOW classes and any diving at 60+ feet I use EAN (usually 32). For all dive trips I will use EAN32 all the time.

 

[DevonDiver]

If, during your OW course, you found the tables and dive planning easy to grasp, then it is a small step to progress to nitrox. In a practical sense, doing the nitrox concurrently with OW will really serve to 'cement' your dive planning and knowledge at an early level.

 

[k ellis]

Nitrox is a great course and I would recommed getting the course. I do have to admit most new divers do tend to consume air faster then more experienced divers and nitrox cost a little more so I would recommend gaining some shallower experience before attempting to go nitrox though.

Now for the controversial part of the course which is you tend to not get wore down as much after the dive when you dive nitrox. All though I know this to be an added beneifit there are those who choose not to beleive in this. They consider it Placebo.

Go ahead and take the course is my recommendation and enjoy the dives!