Got our Nitrox certs today

[DukeAMO]

DH and I got our Nitrox certs today, and he signed up for Emergency First Responder. I'll take that class in the winter, when there's nothing better to do.

30% Nitrox is used by most divers off of the NC coast, because the wrecks are often deep (60-120 fsw), and you quickly run into your no decompression limits on air.

I found the Nitrox class vaguely interesting, and not too difficult. It helps that DH and I use the RDP tables after each dive, so working with the tables was easy. Our computers aren't that difficult to figure out, and the math is pretty easy. The analyzers were just a matter of practice.

I'm a little jealous; 6 people in our class are going to Bonaire in two weeks. Someday...

Next on the list: some basic skills practice in the quarry, before it gets too cold. We have about 1 1/2 more months of the dive season here.

BTW, our instructor team (Matt and Nikki Dunn) were very good, if anyone's looking for a class in the Raleigh area. Down Under Surf & Scuba.

 

[Scuba_Noob]

Congrats on your nitrox cert. I've had my cert for a short while, but I haven't had the need to use nitrox yet (mostly just local shore dives where I didn't want to pay extra for nitrox). Funny how you can get a cert without a dive (at least with PADI).

It's probably significantly more useful and worthwhile for your local diving. If you want to go on a scuba trip, just book one for next year right now. Then you won't be able to back out .

 

[DukeAMO]

Scuba_Noob, I like the way you think.

 

[KD8NPB]

Good work! I'll be getting mine on September 8th, then being doing the NAUI required 4 dives the week after.

$12 for a fill of EANx36 I believe? I need to O2 clean one of my tanks...

 

[Hawkwood]

... I need to O2 clean one of my tanks...

Remember, that is only if the blending is done in your tank. If it is banked EANx36, there will be no need. You'll learn that in September.

 

[DukeAMO]

Yeah, here most of the shops bank EANx30, and you don't need to have an O2 clean tank to get the "house blend" that they mix up in bulk. If you want a custom blend, then you'll need the O2 clean tank. Most of the rental Nitrox tanks aren't actually O2 clean, because that's labor intensive (read, expensive). They do need to be marked as Nitrox tanks, though, so they don't get mixed up with air cylinders.

You don't actually need to buy an O2 analyzer either (despite what the PADI book says), which is nice to know. You can borrow one at the fill station, or on the boat if they load the tanks for you. Worst case, if you can't use their analyzer, you can dive with air.

You do really have to check your own tank, though. Someone we know was accidentally given a 100% O2 cylinder right before a deep dive. If he would have skipped analyzing it, he'd probably be dead.

And yes, these gotchas are why there's a whole class on Nitrox. ;-)

 

[maniago]

You do really have to check your own tank, though. Someone we know was accidentally given a 100% O2 cylinder right before a deep dive. If he would have skipped analyzing it, he'd probably be dead.

And yes, these gotchas are why there's a whole class on Nitrox. ;-)

Holy cow, that's wack! Trust but verify is what we were always taught - I hate that phrase (seems like an oxymoron to me), but I guess it really applies in spades here. I talked to my dive intructor and we're going to add nitrox on to our AOW course - he wants to go up to Dutch Springs PA, family style, and then we can dive the day and sit around at night and do class. Seemed like a good idea to me...

 

[E8ArmyDiver]

DukeAMO : Next on the list:some basic skills practice in the quarry, before it gets too cold. We have about 1 1/2 more months of the dive season here.

...
Nonsense,it never gets too cold for diving,you just need the proper gear!Congrats on the EANx Cert.As for using it,your really on a stones throw(well a 16 hour drive anyway) from some excellent wreck diving off Key Largo!

 

[Bellaco]

Holy cow, that's wack! Trust but verify is what we were always taught - I hate that phrase (seems like an oxymoron to me), but I guess it really applies in spades here. I talked to my dive intructor and we're going to add nitrox on to our AOW course - he wants to go up to Dutch Springs PA, family style, and then we can dive the day and sit around at night and do class. Seemed like a good idea to me...

My wife and I will be doing the same thing within the next few weeks. Just trying to work things out with our very busy instructor. Looking forward to diving Dutch Springs. Much better than the mud hole that I got certified in from what I've heard. When are you headed up?

 

[Tigerman]

DH and I got our Nitrox certs today, and he signed up for Emergency First Responder. I'll take that class in the winter, when there's nothing better to do.

30% Nitrox is used by most divers off of the NC coast, because the wrecks are often deep (60-120 fsw), and you quickly run into your no decompression limits on air.

I found the Nitrox class vaguely interesting, and not too difficult. It helps that DH and I use the RDP tables after each dive, so working with the tables was easy. Our computers aren't that difficult to figure out, and the math is pretty easy. The analyzers were just a matter of practice.

I'm a little jealous; 6 people in our class are going to Bonaire in two weeks. Someday...

Next on the list: some basic skills practice in the quarry, before it gets too cold. We have about 1 1/2 more months of the dive season here.

BTW, our instructor team (Matt and Nikki Dunn) were very good, if anyone's looking for a class in the Raleigh area. Down Under Surf & Scuba.

Grats on your certs and thanks for reminding me that I will have to check if the airlines has started dumping the prices for the last week of september yet. I kinda have 2 weeks in the red sea booked (and yeah, Ill be on nitrox for all of it)