Diving 32% Nitrox with "Air" Algorithms

[arew+4]

I leave my computer set on 31, and am happy diving up to 32.5 with that. I find the Buddy Dive blends to nearly always be under 32.

You know that's a 7.5% or 15% relative difference right. Not saying it's that important, but it's bigger than the 1.5% implies.

 

[tursiops]

I already expressed my opinion on this point, but I see that it is not easily adopted by others.
I consider Nitrox a partially technical mixture, which provides some advantages but also increases some risks.
I equate it to a medical drug: good for getting some health benefits, but always associated to their inherent risks.
If possible I would avoid hyper-oxygenated mixtures as much as possible, particularly for dive profiles where the risk of NDL is already very remote, as the NDL is far away.
If there is no benefit due to being already very far from NDL, while getting the many risks associated with Nitrox, for no benefits?
Oxygen is toxic and causes inflammation, cells are stressed and the body is pushed towards an "high metabolism" mode. Nothing of this is natural, nor healthy.
It can be useful as a therapy for some diseases, but, as any other medically relevant actions, I would avoid it, if not suggested by a medical doctor.
So, in the case of the OP, I would simply suggest to dive air, and to stay far away from NDL limits. Very simple...

I don't normally disagree with you, but in this case....
(1) The benefits you ignore are longer bottom times and/or shorter Surface Intervals, or some combination. the additional risk that concerns you should be balanced against those benefits, not "no" benefits.
(2) Just as there is an Equivalent Air Depth concept, which means at what shallower depth with air would the PPN2 be the same as that for Nitrox at some greater depth, you can work that equation alternately to ask at what greater depth with air would the PPO2 of air be the same as with Nitrox at a shallower depth. Example: for Nitrox 32% at 20m, the PPO2 is 3x0.32=0.96. With air, you get the same PPO2 at 38m. So, diving 32% to 20m is no worse on your body (with respect to possible bad effects of O2) than diving to 38m on air.

 

[tursiops]

You know that's a 7.5% or 15% relative difference right. Not saying it's that important, but it's bigger than the 1.5% implies.

Work out the changing MOD and changing OTUs from that difference; it is not significant, and that is what counts. Not to mention one also stays above 30m....

 

[arew+4]

You know that's a 7.5% or 15% relative difference right. Not saying it's that important, but it's bigger than the 1.5% implies.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Are all of your clocks set 10 minutes fast so that you’re not late?

Well, that's what my Dutch father did to my Greek mother (opposite sides of Europe, opposite sides of timeliness), though more than 10 minutes to help her get to work on time. She caught on and then ignored it. Until the time where the clock was correct and she was super late. She was maaaaaaaadddd! LOL

 

[Joneill]

I'm not sure what your point is.

It’s Centrals - we rarely do… lol

 

[Joneill]

I leave my computer set on 31, and am happy diving up to 32.5 with that. I find the Buddy Dive blends to nearly always be under 32.

It’s so quick and easy to update the Nitrox mix in my SW computers that I always take the few seconds to do so.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

The solution to this is very simple. Get a dive computer with Buhlmann ZHL-16c with user specified GF and set accordingly.

Any other computer settings that do not match gas being breathed is normalization of deviance, which should be avoided.

 

[mcohen1021]

I didn't see the error in this until I ran out of time on a liveboard when I was doing 5 dives per day and my computer went into Deco and I clearly was not because I was on nitrox the entire time

I have since bought a computer that can handle nitrox

 

[scubadada]

Hi @NW Dive Dawg

What computers do you and your wife dive? If applicable, what conservative settings do you use?