Diving Air vs Nitrox

[maniago]

Since tables aren't taught in OW classes anymore.....

eh? They are at all the LDSs I frequent...at least the RDP table is. And sure enough in the DMC tests its all tables all the time. The Nitrox ones do tend to be more complicated going back and forth and such....

 

[Malpaso]

Imagine it because yes, yes you do. Or you should. In fact I'll add that its thought of as a bit odd if you don't. Though you can use the shop ones if you want, think about the abuse they take and whether you the gas breather are willing to trust them with your life. The LDS is not expecting you to trust them on this; they are expecting you to verify what they read.

There are horror stories on badly wrong shop analyzers. Its probably low risk, but like the lottery, it only takes one.

Poor choice of words on my part. I only "imagined" that because I'd never seen anyone add the cost of the analyzer when mentioning the cost of the class and adding the relative costs between air fills and Nitrox fills. I'm not going to cut financial corners if having an analyzer is the right thing to do. This is just the first time I've heard it as a recommendation.

---------- Post added July 13th, 2013 at 03:52 PM ----------

Since tables aren't taught in OW classes anymore...

They were taught in my OW class. In fact, you could get an 80% on the final test, but you needed 100% on your tables test.

 

[maniago]

I'm not going to cut financial corners if having an analyzer is the right thing to do.

If you can solder, you can make this for about 1/3 of the cost of the slick shop ones: EL Cheapo II Analyzer Kit : OxyCheq - DiveOps, Analyzers and Scuba Diving Equipment

I did in about an hour. I probably took too long really. And it works top notch. I carry it in a ziplock in the pouch of my boat dive bag.

 

[Paulmal]

Every shop I have got Nitrox from has had on O2 analyzer. Shoot shops that sell tri-mix have had the combo He&O2 analyzer.
And in the whole scheme dive gear an O2 analyzer is pretty cheap.

 

[AfterDark]

A set of gills is good too....!

I used to day dream about having gills someday when I was a kid!

 

[scubadada]

My husband and I are 71 and 66 years young. We were both certified in the 80's and then didn't dive for 20+ years and are now actively back in the water and loving every minute. Neither one of us is nitrox certified - and do we want to be? My husband is somewhat of an air hog so he always runs low on air long before he reaches no deco limits. If you were me/he - is there an advantage to us in getting nitrox certified? The price of the course could just as well be spent on more dives.

Any/all thoughts and input appreciated. If we'll benefit then that's what we'll do. But if not -- why bother?

Thanks.

Thank you, thank you everyone. I'm convinced. We'll get certified on our next trip to Bonaire.

Good choice, for nearly all divers, nitrox certification makes sense, for at least some of their dives. As previously stated, I would not waste valuable dive time to obtain certification. Online certification is quick and easy. My wife used PADI and went to local dive center very close to our house to analyze her tanks, worked flawlessly.

Benefits are in the eye of the beholder. Personally, I do reap the benefit of less fatigue, perhaps that's because I push or exceed the NDLs just as much on nitrox as I used to on air. I certainly get a lot more bottom time. I do much of my diving in Boynton Beach at about 60 feet on the beautiful reefs. I often do four 75 minute dives per day using 36% and never come close to deco. I appreciate the extra time using 32% on the Castor too

 

[dmoore19]

This looks like a good way to go.

DiveNav - Products - Nitroxbuddy

 

[boulderjohn]

They were taught in my OW class. In fact, you could get an 80% on the final test, but you needed 100% on your tables test.

If you are talking policy, that is a shop policy, not an agency policy. The agency policy is that you have to get 75% on the test as a whole, but the instructor has to go over every question that was missed to make sure the diver thoroughly understands the correct answer.

There are a couple different versions of the OW class today. Some teach the tables. Some teach computers.

 

[TSandM]

Pulmonary toxicity is not relevant to SCUBA diving.

This is VERY untrue! It IS true that pulmonary toxicity is not really an issue for recreational divers, whose dives are relatively short and who keep their ppO2s low. But divers doing technical dives with significant decompression obligations, who are spending sometimes hours on 50 or 100% O2, DO get into pulmonary toxicity problems.

Beaverdivers, according to your profile, you are an instructor trainer. I'm rather perturbed that you do not know this.

[abstract] PULMONARY OXYGEN TOXICITY AT 1 ATA AND ABOVE - A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.

 

[ranchonodinero]

Let me qualify my remarks first. Relative rookie with only 49 dives. On a recent trip to the Caymans my wife and I dove nitrox. The dive profiles there required us to be a bit cautious on our first deep dive due to potential toxicity issues. However, program your computer and take note when you analyze the gads and you will be fine. Saying that, we experienced longer bottom times and had less fatigue. Our mixtures ran typically 32-34% and we were diving 2 to 3 tanks per day. The price difference was negligible. Use a computer and you will be fine. And congratulations to you two!

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