Does Nitrox kill brain cells?

[Sas]

My question is how many of you Nitrox divers were taught the formula when you were trained and how many still remember it and use it and why or why not.

I was only taught by formula and not the tables. I was not given a copy of Nitrox tables in my course so I use the formulas now to calculate my dive plans.

I dive with air most of the time but when I use nitrox (generally in the 20-33m range) I dive with EAN32 as it is simple (my instructor was pro-GUE standard gases and he had good arguments for this) and the MOD suits the diving I do. So most of the plans for depths in that range I know automatically, without having to recalculate them (though I redo the plans always just in case I have a stupid moment and remember the wrong thing).

 

[DA Aquamaster]

With regard to backing off a bit from 1.4, I am a fan of 30% rather than 32%, but 32% is what is banked in N FL as opposed to the 30% I can get here.

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With regard to tank marking. Date mixed means very little as it will never be older than the VIP sticker. But tank pressure is worth noting (when the tank is cool). I will mark the tank after the fill and then cross it out and remark with the pressure after a dive. (I normally do not like to leave a cave fill in a tank between cave trips.) If I note a drop of a few hundred psi over a few weeks, it is an indication that it is time to rebuild the manifold or valve, but more importantly, if I thought I had 2400 psi of 32% in the tank but now have 3600 psi in the tank, it's obvious it has been topped with something and it is a clear indiction that the label may no longer be correct.

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More importantly, I analyze my gas prior to every dive, as switching to the wrong gas or otherwise exceeding the MOD of a gas is still the number 1 killer of technical divers.

 

[boulderjohn]

We don't supply a chart, and the diver can use whatever method they see fit for calculating MOD. We're not babysitting anybody, just making sure that the user has personally verified the tank contents.

Terry

I guess I'm confused. I did not think this thread was about verifyng tank contents. I did not think that was an issue. I thought it was about using the formula for calculating MOD as opposed to using other methods, like looking at a chart. I apologize if I misunderstood.

 

[DaleC]

Me use nitrox and me use chart. Formula too hard to remember. Me brain cell not killed but feels soft and squishy sometimes.

 

[deadly_risk]

I just finished the book work for the SSI nitrox class. They teach the tables, both nitrox and equivalent air depth. The equations are in the appendix and not gone over in the text in any depth at all. It is now however programed in my graphing calculator.

 

[ianr33]

What incidents were these?

The Deco Stop

The Deco Stop

 

[Kern]

So it was the nitrox.

I thought it was the cigarettes & whiskey & wild wild women or possibly the sex, drugs & rock & roll.

 

[mikemill]

Me use nitrox and me use chart. Formula too hard to remember. Me brain cell not killed but feels soft and squishy sometimes.

That isn't due to nitrox, that is due to Hulu...

 

[Sas]

So it was the nitrox.

I thought it was the cigarettes & whiskey & wild wild women or possibly the sex, drugs & rock & roll.

Yea good news hey? This means I can ditch the nitrox and go back to the sex, drugs and rock and roll without worry.

 

[Thalassamania]

The Deco Stop

I only found supposition to support the idea that this case was an oxygen hit.

The Deco Stop

The victim seems to have suffered an oxygen hit at 1.4 on 24/26 at 147 FFW.

Oxygen's a weird thing, in the old days we all did oxygen tolerance tests at 60 FSW, now they say that's meaningless and you could pass it on Monday and have have a low PPO2 hit on Tuesday; and with each such hit we get more and more conservative, 1.8 then 1.6 now 1.4 and even 1.2 ... with each reduction we lower our oxygen risk and raise our DCS risk, another problem that changes in level of risk from one day to the next. I think I liked it better when you tried to keep your PPO2 at or below 2.0, stayed inside the Navy tables and kept your ascent to 60 FPM.