How does Nitrox work?

[Sas]

How many oxtox incidents have been reported by people using nitrox correctly anyways?

Yes I am still waiting to hear from offthewall about this... I have no idea how many recreational oxtox incidents there are and am quite interested in these statistics. Basically I posted a while back about nitrox courses without dives and a few people posted that it was important for students to be assessed in the water to make sure they do not exceed their MOD. Seeing as there seems to be more and more nitrox courses without dives and more people using nitrox I want to know if that has made any difference to the number of incidents that can be attributed to nitrox.

More importantly, I like it, I can afford it and fact or fiction, I feel better after diving it.

I feel no different after diving with nitrox though I rarely dive with nitrox ($5 versus $16 fill) and do not use it for repetitive dives in general. My buddy says he definitely feels better after a dive with nitrox though. I think regardless of whether it is a placebo effect, if people feel better, great!

Offthewall, I don't tend to change my plan by 30ft once I have made one, regardless of how many sharks there are on the bottom. So I have never felt constrained by my MOD.

Also I hope people don't take the "Thanks" thing seriously... I have never heard something so silly in regards to that feature. I pay no attention to people's "Thanks" ratio personally, as far as an indication of how worthwhile their posts are to read.

 

[Riger]

Excluding lung over-expansion injuries, equipment failure and other such misfortunes underwater;

One of the bigger risks of DCS is associated to excessive exposure to Nitrogen under pressure. If one accepts the reduced MOD then surely even extended NDL's are only part of the gains. Setting aside the "alleged" placebo effect, reducing the body tissues' exposure to Nitrogen must have some long term advantages of their own.

In a slightly different vein (pun unintended), aren't there medical (healing) advantages to breathing increased Oxygen levels (within CNSO2 limits)?

Serious Question - Are there any arguments (facts only please) that, MOD, CNSO2 and $$ aside, one should NOT use Nitrox?

I can afford it, I dive it. It certainly is not doing me any harm.

Best Regards
Richard

 

[Riger]

Also I hope people don't take the "Thanks" thing seriously... I have never heard something so silly in regards to that feature. I pay no attention to people's "Thanks" ratio personally, as far as an indication of how worthwhile their posts are to read.

I agree.

What I'd like to see is a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" option at a post. I suppose the "thanks option" covers the "thumbs up" part, the value it has for me in that I can see which posts have a positive response from the members.

Best Regards
Richard

 

[DaleC]

The Case for Nitrox:
*Increases bottom time within a limited range of depth
*Can reduce surface interval times
*If the profile between muliptle air dives and multiple nitrox dives is the same... nitrogen load is decreased... however if one stays longer because they're diving Nitrox... load is typically the same as a shorter air dive... making the nitrogen loading benefit insignificant other than to increase bottom time (doesnt make it safer / decrease DCS risk)

The Case against Nitrox:
*Higher Cost
*Marginal if any benefit in recreational diving
*Increased risk of Oxygen toxicity
*Limits in maximum depth (MOD) does not allow on the fly alteration of dive plan (in other words don't go taking pics of the shark an extra 20 feet down at 130 if your MOD is 110.
*Not always available
*Gives people a false impression they're diving safer

My biggest problem with Nitrox isn't the cost... it's the hokey sales pitches I hear in dive shops trying to sell it like "snake oil."

The biggest reason I don't personally dive Nitrox is because I like to be able to go where I want underwater - when I want to go there. If I'm diving a wreck that sits 140 to the sand... and my plan is to dive in the wheelhouse at 110... but on the way down I spot a pair of white tips mating at the bottom... I want to be able to safely go down and shoot my video. On the magic gas that isn't a good idea (given the common mixes of 32 and 36%)... but on air... no worries mate!

Yes, I could go with a lower mix percent... say 26%... but the reality is custom blends aren't done at a lot of resorts or on dive boats providing blends. If I'm mixing my own I could mix it and be prepared for anything knowing the bottom was at 140... but most of my dives are done around the world... so that's not so easy.

It's important that newbies understand the limitations Nitrox puts on them... not just the added cost... but the lack of mobility they may experience once they're on it. I don't like limiting my options on dives... and that's the biggest reason I don't use it.... I mean I own a shop for godsake... I don't need to pay much to mix my own.

Cheers to mobility!

and I'm sure that many of you have been duped into the greatness of Nitrox and so you therefore stick up for it.

It appears you have been duped into the uselessness of Nitrox and so you therefore argue against it. You acknowledge extended bottom times and decreased SI's but then say the benefits are marginal. They're not marginal if that's what you are after. These are the substantiated benefits of nitrox and a valid reason for using it. Just because you personally don't want that doesn't make the benefits marginal for everyone.

It's important that newbies understand the limitations Nitrox puts on them...

but your main reasoning for not using nitrox is so you don't have to follow a dive plan and can dive beyond recreational limits. I'm sorry, what was the message you wanted to send to the newbies???

*Gives people a false impression they're diving safer

Whereas, your suggestion of diving on the fly with no limits is actually safer. On air I suppose the recreational diver is good to about 280fsw then?



The rest I think I've already addressed previously.

 

[Texasdivechick]

Why dive Nitrox?
It helps cure pre-dive hangovers.

 

[DaleC]

Have all the pertinent facts been given a fair shake?

That's my feeling on this subject (particularily the supposed placebo effect). A lack of positive evidence does not neccisarily prove a negative. There are some physiological ideas that intrigue me but I also have humility to say I don't know if they are valid or not.

Also I hope people don't take the "Thanks" thing seriously... I have never heard something so silly in regards to that feature. I pay no attention to people's "Thanks" ratio personally, as far as an indication of how worthwhile their posts are to read.

Not so fast Sas. I will continue to take it seriously as long as it validates my position! Never rely on the posts own merits I say. When my posts/thanks ratio falls below acceptable levels I will, of course, reject the whole premise as absurd

 

[Sas]

Not so fast Sas. I will continue to take it seriously as long as it validates my position! Never rely on the posts own merits I say. When my posts/thanks ratio falls below acceptable levels I will, of course, reject the whole premise as absurd

I hope my "Thanks" helps you maintain your acceptable levels

 

[DandyDon]

I agree.

What I'd like to see is a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" option at a post. I suppose the "thanks option" covers the "thumbs up" part, the value it has for me in that I can see which posts have a positive response from the members.

Best Regards
Richard

The V-board software include a Reputation point feature so that posters can be awarded points for posts, or lose points for bad posts, even with optional power levels so that posters with more Rep can award or remove more points. It was tried here once, for a day or two I guess. Some complaints that posters could not ding the same person twice. It was a pretty silly idea.

If you reallllllly want to give a thumbs down to a post, just quote it with nothing more than :silly:, or bring in some from off site [img]http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/sprachlos/speechless-smiley-004.gif[/img] [img]http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/sprachlos/speechless-smiley-015.gif[/img] or even [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/DandyDon/Smilies/bananalame.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/DandyDon/Smilies/Jerrylaugh.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/DandyDon/Smilies/dork.gif[/IMG] and I have others that probly wouldn't pass standards here. Hehe, if you want to see those, scroll down...

but your main reasoning for not using nitrox is so you don't have to follow a dive plan and can dive beyond recreational limits. I'm sorry, what was the message you wanted to send to the newbies???

Why dive Nitrox?
It helps cure pre-dive hangovers.

Don't do that! :silly:, someone may take you seriously here!

 

[Blackwood]

What I really need for this thread is a issing match: smiley

 

[DandyDon]

What I really need for this thread is a issing match: smiley

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