Diving Nitrox to increase safety AND bottom time!

[beaverdivers]

I AM in the group of 'older' divers and was the reason I got N certified. I feel no difference whatsoever in the post dive 'bounce' when using N. Doesnt taste any difference and I don't feel any better/worse after. In fact, It may just not be worth the hassle, doing the whole analyzing thing over seas. Thinking of just using Air, not worth the hassle!

I'm sure that you realize as you get " older " you have an increased risk of the bends.

The extra minute of effort to use EAN may indeed be worth the " hassle "!

 

[AfterDark]

I'm sure that you realize as you get " older " you have an increased risk of the bends.

The extra minute of effort to use EAN may indeed be worth the " hassle "!

As we get older the only thing we don't have an increase risk of is getting younger. No IMO the expense at double the cost of 21% is not worth the slight chance of DCS at age 58 and beyond. After 40+ years of diving so far without a hit, DCS is not something that is a concern to me. My diving is mostly deep 100+fsw cold and dark. Monitoring depth, duration, and gas, staying the within NDL, slow ascents and SS will do more to prevent DCS than any bottle of Nitrox. Safe diving is between our ears.

 

[live_2_dive]

As we get older the only thing we don't have an increase risk of is getting younger. No IMO the expense at double the cost of 21% is not worth the slight chance of DCS at age 58 and beyond. After 40+ years of diving so far without a hit, DCS is not something that is a concern to me. My diving is mostly deep 100+fsw cold and dark. Monitoring depth, duration, and gas, staying the within NDL, slow ascents and SS will do more to prevent DCS than any bottle of Nitrox. Safe diving is between our ears.

I wholeheartedly agree with 99.9% of your post. I dive NITROX because it gives me a longer time at depth. Do I believe it adds a small bit of safety? Sure. Is that the reason I use it? Not at all. The extended BT is what justifies the cost for me. A smart diver will always be better off than a careless diver regardless of gas.


-------------------------------------------
PADI Rescue/DM 09100Z7445
Dr Dive/Wet Dream/Sea Cobra/Y-Knot/H2OBelow

Diving is my passion...I live to dive!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Now this is getting into the areas that I'm looking forward to experiencing first hand. My armchair-only nitrox experience tells me that there are three benefits to diving nitrox:

1. More NDL time
2. Reduced DCS risk
3. Reduced fatigue

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but those benefits flow from the following:


1. More NDL time - a result of there being less nitrogen in the tank hence less nitrogen in your system
2. Reduced DCS risk - as above, at least until the point where you've ongassed the same nitrogen as you would have on air
3. Reduced fatigue - a result of more oxygen in the tank

Benefits number one and two are a see-saw. The more advantage you take of one, the less you glean from the other. Push your bottom time to the max and you'll have the same DCS risk that you'd have on air (notwithstanding the middle ground I discussed in my OP). But point number three is different. It stands alone. It's not dependent on either of the first two benefits nor is it included in the aforementioned trade-off. So I don't automatically agree with your first point where you say "I would not expect breathing nitrox and pushing your diving to the new, more liberal NDLs to give you less fatigue or less DCS risk". I can see how pushing the new NDL's will reduce my DCS risk reduction (#awkwardsentences) but I don't see how it would affect the added energy benefit. More oxygen is more oxygen, period.

That said, the added energy aspect seems to vary from diver to diver. I've read of divers who indeed feel slightly energized after diving EAN, others who've noted no difference. Different results for differing physiologies, I suppose. I'm doing the Cayman Aggressor from October 20-27 (my first diving since getting my EAN card) and plan to dive, dive, dive so that should be a good litmus test to demonstrate any energetic benefit that nitrox will provide me with. I'll be sure to share my findings.



m.

Placebos are placebos. There is no scientific evidence that oxygen will give you "more energy" or less fatigue. Many people believe in placebos and insist that they work for them, but there is no magic elixir in Nitrox. I would suggest if you want less fatigue, shorten that manic dive schedule.

 

[vladimir]

3. Reduced fatigue - a result of more oxygen in the tank

Only to the extent that oxygen displaces nitrogen. An inert gas works just as well, as a trimix diver will attest. Trimix uses helium instead of oxygen to displace the nitrogen in the mix, giving you the benefit of less nitrogen without the risk of too much oxygen.

Those football players, breathing oxygen on the sidelines? They are just wasting oxygen, and perhaps indulging in the placebo effect.