Deep Diving without Nitrox

[hlsooner]

The real benefit of Nitrox often shows itself in a much shorter surface interval, rather than greatly increased bottom times. If you only dive an 80 cf tank, unless your SAC rate is very low, the tank supply will be the limiting factor in most of the ranges that Nitrox is useful. The advantage from the Nitrox comes in allowing you to make your second dive much sooner.

 

[ocrmaster]

The real benefit of Nitrox often shows itself in a much shorter surface interval, rather than greatly increased bottom times. If you only dive an 80 cf tank, unless your SAC rate is very low, the tank supply will be the limiting factor in most of the ranges that Nitrox is useful. The advantage from the Nitrox comes in allowing you to make your second dive much sooner.

Your correct, unless you are using doubles.

 

[Irene]

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.

Don't forget...even though many "deep" dives might use air as their bottom gas, they will switch to a high nitrox mix to breathe during deco.

If you plan on doing a lot of diving (especially between the 60-130 ft range), get the nitrox cert. Even if you only plan to dive once a year on vacation, the cost of the class is worth being able to do more dives during that dive vacation.

 

[Sharkbaithawaii]

Although a buch of people in my AOW class looked at us strange when we didn't elect to take the nitrox cert with the AOW, i think they learned there lessons quick when we still stayed doen longer. LOL. For me right now its not worth the money

 

[H2Andy]

i think they learned there lessons quick when we still stayed doen longer.

there is no way you could stay down longer with air than with nitrox, at any
recreational depth, all other things being equal. of course, if you're a hoover,
no amount of nitrox will help you stay down longer than your air supply lasts.

(nitrox = greater than 21% O2 in your mix)

 

[Ice Mike]

If the information in the attached thread is correct, nitrox diving would help avoid long term damage to the cardiovascular system, when diving multiple times per day.

http://groups.google.nl/group/rec.s...ed+after+diving&rnum=5&hl=nl#3c845746aebf6500

 

[Puffer Fish]

If the information in the attached thread is correct, nitrox diving would help avoid long term damage to the cardiovascular system, when diving multiple times per day.

http://groups.google.nl/group/rec.s...ed+after+diving&rnum=5&hl=nl#3c845746aebf6500

Ice really interesting information - with only one concern - doppler studies have not been directly connected to injury or DCS hits. It is "assumed", because one can use one to see if DCS is a likely cause, that the reverse is also true (using one will tell you that there is a problem).

All of the information seems reasonable, but so far, studies have shown no direct relationship between holding a camera, and DCS issues (that I am aware of, and none was listed in the article).

I believe Nitrox is a very valuable mixture and would strongly suggest anyone taking AOW have Nitrox cert, but more because it makes technical sense, than because it absolutely does.

 

[Ice Mike]

Ok, I agree that Nitrox can/is valuable. I will be getting Nitrox certified in a couple of weeks. (AOW/Nitrox combination course)

I take your point on cause and effect not been proven.

The article mentions the following: " many of the world's top
underwater photographers, a large percentage of which have either arthritis
in their elbows, or a condition that feels like chronic tendonitis."

Maybe there is anybody out there, that has been photographing (or spearfishing) seriously and for a long time, care to comment on the arthritis and tendonitis claims?

 

[Dustinh]

I got nitrox certified for a few reasons. I honestly don't feel any of the "reduced fatigue" effects, and since I really don't dive doubles, I don't get much more bottom time out of single tank in that "idea" nitrox range.

I think the nitrox class is valuable because it teaches you a little bit more about decompression theory, and gas usage. It makes you more aware of what's going on with air you are breathing. I definetly see some advantage to using nitrox on multiple days for multiple dives. A good friend of mine got bent a few years back, but wanted to keep diving. DAN reccomended that he dive using lower nitrox mixes (such as EAN 32) which still has less nitrogen in it than standard air, but he use the time limits from regular air tables as an added safety factor. As long as he double checks his gas mix against nitrox tables and makes sure he's not pusing 1.6 ATA mark, it sounds like a smart move to me.

I'm glad i learned nitrox, but honestly the next time i see myself using it is maybe if i get into tech diving with deco mixtures.

 

[ocrmaster]

DAN reccomended that he dive using lower nitrox mixes (such as EAN 32) which still has less nitrogen in it than standard air

So in this case the only advantage will be a short Surface Time Interval.

I will use the 1.4 ATA mark.