Deep Diving without Nitrox

[greg454]

Are there any deep divers without a nitrox certification or who simply don't use nitrox?

All I know about nitrox is that it extends your bottom time. And I see that most AOW curses don't requiere you be nitrox certified to take them. So since my money is tight, I was wondering if I can make that certification one of the last ones I'll get.

 

[Bubble Junky]

Nirtrox doesn't allow you to dive deeper. It limits your max depth more than air does. It is primarily used to extend NDLs.

 

[DiveMaven]

You can absolutely wait to do your Nitrox until later. If you're interested in nitrox, ask the op where you do your AOW and they might add it to the course for a nominal extra fee.

 

[minnesota01r6]

PADI no longer requires a dive on nitrox in order to be nitrox certified, so I'm not sure it would even be offered at a discount anymore. It used to be that you could use one of your AOW dives towards your nitrox, so that is where the discount came in.

 

[H2Andy]

Are there any deep divers without a nitrox certification or who simply don't use nitrox?

to recreational levels (130 feet) yes, many. to that depth, you can dive with
air (21% O2) or up to 28% Nitrox (i.e. 28% O2 in the mix) witt a 1.4 PPO2 or less
(to minimize the dangers of oxygen toxicity)

in terms of bottom time, you would get 8 minutes with air and roughly
12 minutes with 28% Nitrox.

here's some information on the benefits and problems with Nitrox:

http://www.online.uillinois.edu/oakley/nitrox.html

there are other issues to consider, such as the effect of narcosis, proper
dive planning, emergency issues, etc.

for true "deep" diving (say past 150 feet), people use trimix, which is a
mixture of helium, oxygen, and nitrogen. it reduces the narcotic effects
of nitrogen, and thus allows for much deeper diving. almost certainly, this
will include decompression obligations.

 

[Mrs.Prages]

I took AOW without Nitrox and still don't have Nitrox. I have done a few dives in the 100 ft range and don't have any problems. I have the same issue with Nitrox as you, I just have so many other things to spend the money on.

 

[Bubble Junky]

PADI no longer requires a dive on nitrox in order to be nitrox certified, so I'm not sure it would even be offered at a discount anymore. It used to be that you could use one of your AOW dives towards your nitrox, so that is where the discount came in.

You do still need to do the dives (2). But you can combine it with the advanced course, still doing 5 dives, but 2 of them on Nitrox (plus some extra theory), and get the two certifications.

 

[tracker]

Good thread! Thanks.

 

[drbill]

I have dived for 45 years and never once used nitrox (unless you count a 21/79 mix as such!). As others have pointed out, using Nitrox witrh higher than 21% O-2 limits your basement depth due to the increased change of oxygen toxicity. Personally, I don't want a "bottom" (MOD) that is shallower than 150 ft since I may find myself going to those depths and beyond to film.

If you are working in the 60-80 ft range (or thereabouts), it does increase your bottom time and may make you feel less fatigued after a day of diving. However, for me an air fill is free while a Nitrox fill is at least $10. Given the amount of diving I do, that is a serious consideration as well.

 

[minnesota01r6]

You do still need to do the dives (2). But you can combine it with the advanced course, still doing 5 dives, but 2 of them on Nitrox (plus some extra theory), and get the two certifications.

This makes no sense - you're saying that you can do 2 dives on a single specialty for AOW, when I thought you had to do 5 DIFFERENT specialties (night, deep, and navigation along with 2 electives). You cannot have the 2 electives be the same (or has this changed?)

Also, you are saying that the dives count towards a nitrox cert, but I am 99% positive that the PADI enriched air diver course no longer requires even 1 dive, it is only classroom (TDI and other agencies still require dives)

I will agree that any dive completed in AOW counts toward a dive in that specialty, but as I said there are no dives in enriched air diver anymore.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong??