Considering Nitrox Certification

[Blackwood]

Whilst we are all busy hijacking this post, I was recently reminded of another controversial issue about Nitrox that has yet to be resolved by a definitive study - whether Nitrox assists in reducing narcosis.

So, perhaps we should expect about a third the narcotic effect from oxygen as we do from nitrogen, and Nitrox should be slightly less narcotic than air

If you read Roles of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide in compressed-air narcosis, the summary of a study of gas narcosis experimentally investigated in a hyperbaric chamber, you'll come across this conclusion:

"... for producing equivalent degrees of decrement in mental function, the rise in nitrogen pressure has to be 3 to 4 times greater than that in oxygen pressure and, hence, that oxygen is 3 to 4 times as potent a narcotic as nitrogen."

So, rather, we should expect nitrox to be more narcotic than air.

Since I'm a big nerd, I'm going to suggest the equation:

Equivalent Narcotic Depth = [(FN2+3FO2)/1.42]*[D+33]-33


So at 100 feet, for example, EAN32 will be like air at 121 feet.

 

[DandyDon]

Measuring narcosis has always seem not likely to me, since it can vary so much in the same person. I just accept that Air & Nitrox are both narcotic at depth and assume that I'm drunk below 100 ft. Narcosis starts immediately on descent I think, and builds as you descend - with 100 ft being the general depth it seems obvious to most. I never really notice it, but then I used to enjoy getting drunk in my younger years.

 

[boulderjohn]

This is all very interesting, but, as was sugested, it is a complete hijack and will not attract the attention the topic deserves from knowledgeable people who left this thread long ago, thinking its topic had been exhausted. I would be interested in hearing the explanation for those who think it is less narcotic (which, as I said, I had never heard before), but I think it should be in a new thread.

 

[Blackwood]

This is all very interesting, but, as was sugested, it is a complete hijack and will not attract the attention the topic deserves from knowledgeable people who left this thread long ago, thinking its topic had been exhausted. I would be interested in hearing the explanation for those who think it is less narcotic (which, as I said, I had never heard before), but I think it should be in a new thread.

surewhynot

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ba...97-nitrox-more-less-equally-narcotic-air.html

 

[ScubaTodd77]

After reading this; I think I'm gonna get nitrox certified too

 

[Dan Weidert]

aubie 85

Its not a class that is worth financial stress. However, I would recommend taking it at some point. Extended bottom times or decreased surface intervals or a more conservative dive profile can be a benefit (especially in a series of multiple dive days).

However, I found the largest benefit to be the class itself. Learning about the relationships between partial pressures and maximum operating depth, contingency depth, equivalent air depth, etc, helped me gain a better understanding of what I am doing when breathing gas under pressure. It was a good refresher course for working with tables and it motivated me to use the info on this board to calculate a table of rock bottom pressures for my configuration (LP 95).


Dan

 

[Clanggedin]

I just finished Nitrox class and it was a good class. I wasn't planning on taking it, but I got a killer deal on the class and couldn't pass it up. I want to use Nitrox on my next dive, but I don't think I will have my C-card before then.