depths you use Nitrox...

[HowardE]

I dive with Nitrox on just about every dive. Cost is not a factor, as my fill shop does Air, EANX 32, 36, and 40 all for the same price...

 

[Laser]

I use air for anything up to around 40-60 ft, depending on duration, 32% on anything from 60-100ft and generally use 21/35 for anything below that. If I'm doing a 110'-120' dive, sometimes I'll use 28% nitrox, but I prefer mix.

For deco, I use 50% from 70ft up.

This is basically exactly my approach as well.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

If you are using a single tank and making a single dive per day, then nitrox will usually only give you a somewhat longer no-deco time. If diving less than 60 feet, a single tank of air will probably be gone before you run out of no-deco time, so some would agrue that Nitrox provides little benefit.

The real benefit (extended bottom time) of nitrox is experienced when doing 3 or 4 dives per day at depths over around 50 feet.

I use 33 or 34% a lot when diving between 80 and 110..

 

[dumpsterDiver]

,

 

[Bwanar]

I agree with Dumpster, but I tend to push the MOD's a little more, keeping them between 1.5 & 1.6 if I'm not going into deco. Otherwise I plan to keep all my dives for the day within my CNS & OTU allowance.

 

[Soggy]

Perhaps contrary to popular belief, *oxygen* is the most dangerous thing we breathe underwater. An O2 hit is undoubtedly the worst possible thing that can happen while on SCUBA. For that reason, pushing PO2s is a horrible idea. Personally, I run a 1.2 max PO2 on the working portion of the dive and a 1.6 during deco. I think pushing a 1.5-1.6 for the duration of the dive adds a significant and unnecessary risk while providing negligable benefits. O2 hits are not simply a relation of PO2 and time. A high PO2 can cause a CNS hit even for only short duration dives.

 

[Talon]

I agree that O2 is much more likely to kill you if you have an incident that getting bent from Nitrogen. Unless you have a good buddy, a CNS hit will most likey take you out. At least with the bends, you are on the surface. It can still kill you in severe cases (i.e., the Rouses come to mind). But at least you have a shot.

With that said, for me personally a 1.2 max is a little too thin for my liking. I find myself in that range a lot of the time, but I do plan my dives with 1.4 in mind and have NO WORRIES dropping down to 1.6 for a moment (i.e., take a peek at the props).

Michael

 

[RonLykins]

I try and keep EAN50 in my pony for deco, but sometimes can only get 40 or 36.
Otherwise like mentioned try and use the best mix for the proposed depth.
A good Nitrox capable computer is very helpful, Test once, Test twice, Set mix in computer. (I use a Uwatec Aladin Pro Nitrox, the thing is conservative and fool proof as long as I put the mix in before the dive).

 

[Dragon2115]

I use it when on vacation doing a lot of repetitive dives or for deep dives. The mix varies depending on the dives planned. If going all the way to 130 fsw the EANx28 would be my choice. For shallower depths I use EANx32, most because that's what's commonly available.

For one or two dives per day lobstering on the weekends however, I use air.

 

[Charlie99]

I almost always use nitrox for flat bottom / square profile dives between 60 and 120 feet. If it's a wreck that is mostly at one depth, or a reef that is mostly at the same depth, then I'll almost always dive nitrox.


If the dive is a wall dive or a reef that has lots of interesting stuff all the way from deep to shallow, then you can do a nice multilevel profile on air. If doing 4 or more dives a day, then I might do nitrox even for multilevel dives like this.