How does Nitrox work?

[mrlipis]

I would really like for Offthewall to answer my original question to him. If nitrox and air were the same price, what would you use?

I was on a liveaboard awhile back and my buddy dove on nitrox for 3 days and had no idea his fills were nitrox. I knew he was because it had the green cap on it. We got into a discussion about the benefits of nitrox and he was in Offthewalls camp. I asked him, why then are you diving nitrox and he said he wasn't. I pointed out his tank to the DM and in fact he was getting nitrox fills. An embarrassing moment for the crew. Don, you were on the same boat the week before me, the one where the guy had the heart attack.

 

[Teamcasa]

Back to the original thread... I may have changed my mind about Nitrox... not because you've all convinced me... but listen to this story... this actually just happened.

A customer of mind just came into my store... (A) student who is NOT Nitrox certified.
... and when he went in to get his tanks... they told him they had filled it with 30% Nitrox. They told him "don't worry about it - it'll be OK."

No education... no mention of MOD... no requirement for a C-card... and apparently no-concern for the customer's safety.

Am I the only one that sees a problem with what this operation did?

No. There is a problem and in a perfect world, your customer should have told them, "I'm not trained to dive Nitrox, please re-fill my tank.".

However, and maybe more realistically, if the site he was going to dive had a hard bottom well above the MOD, he is not taking much of a risk diving 30%. The bottom line is they did tell him and he did take the gas and he did do the dive.

This situation alone does not make enough of a case to worry about. Anyone of us can get bad gas, a little Nitrox without notice or any number of other bad air scenarios but we still take a risk if we don't test every fill.

The bottom line is that no one is holding a gun to our head and making us dive, we know it is risky but we love enough to take the chance.

 

[sabbath999]

check your math...

Ummm... errr... BUSTED!

Ken gets an F in math today!

 

[Teamcasa]

In fact, they used what they did to espouse the benefits of Nitrox and tried to sell him a $50.00 class after they had put it in his tank... how unscrupulous is that?

I know the outfit he dove with and I know how unprofessional they are. I had warned him prior to going not to go out with them...

This is clearly a shop integrity issue and has nothing to do with the merits or problems with Nitrox. Nitrox is just the vehicle of the shops misdeeds.

 

[letterboy]

Quite frankly I don't care what you find hard to believe... they did it... and I questioned it myself... until after I checked his tank (not labeled for Nitrox) and it had 29.8% in it.

I know he didn't put it in there... so I have to assume they did what he said.

I'd also like to know how you can assume the MOD was deeper than the hard bottom.. there are dives in NC deeper than 121 feet at 1.4... mind you this was given to someone who wouldn't know the difference between 1.4 and 1.6 (143 ft.) Now while you are correct in your assumption.... they dove a bottom at 110 feet... that doesn't excuse what they did.

In fact, they used what they did to espouse the benefits of Nitrox and tried to sell him a $50.00 class after they had put it in his tank... how unscrupulous is that?

I know the outfit he dove with and I know how unprofessional they are. I had warned him prior to going not to go out with them... but he couldn't get a spot with the outfits we had recommended (Olympus, Discovery and Atlantis IV,) so he took what he could get... you always have to wonder why some boats are full and some have plenty of room dont you.

I was out on the ocean a couple of years ago with a third party boat when the crew of this same unscrupulous outfit... who were fueding with another outfit down there... lined up along the rail and "mooned" the crew and customers of the other boat they were feuding with. Maybe crew to crew is OK... but paying customers shouldn't have to look at a bunch of bare ass...

Don, you just like to disagree with everything I say... I say it's time to get a job

Aren't there SCUBA police at 120 feet telling him not to go deeper?

 

[offthewall1]

I would really like for Offthewall to answer my original question to him. If nitrox and air were the same price, what would you use?

I was on a liveaboard awhile back and my buddy dove on nitrox for 3 days and had no idea his fills were nitrox. I knew he was because it had the green cap on it. We got into a discussion about the benefits of nitrox and he was in Offthewalls camp. I asked him, why then are you diving nitrox and he said he wasn't. I pointed out his tank to the DM and in fact he was getting nitrox fills. An embarrassing moment for the crew. Don, you were on the same boat the week before me, the one where the guy had the heart attack.

AIR

I've dove as many as 22 dives in one week to depths between 50 - 150 feet... group dives where everyone else dove Nitrox... Why did I dive air? because I didn't want to have an MOD. The conservative nature of PADI, SSI and other widely used dive tables as well as the conservative nature of computers as a whole allows one to dive air with very limited risk of DCS. As pointed out before in this thread.. marginally different from air to Nitrox.

Cost is not the primary factor for me... but it is a factor. I truly and honestly have not found a need for Nitrox in recreational diving.

It does of course in certain circumstances reduce nitrogen loading significantly enough that it may be considered a benefit. Multiple dives on multiple days. It may also shorten surface intervals for impatient individuals who feel they need to jump back in the water almost immediately after getting out.

Since I myself like to enjoy my vacation... I have a little lunch in between my dives, lay out in the sun... read a book (not very often,) reload my video camera, talk with fellow divers etc... I'm in no rush... I know I'll get my five dives in just like everyone else... just as safely... only for less money.

Remember... I don't say "NO" to Nitrox... I say yes only when it makes sense... and that scope is very limited in recreational diving.

 

[Blackwood]

AIR Why did I dive air? because I didn't want to have an MOD.

There's always a MOD if there is a maximum PO2. The latter is your choice.

Ummm... errr... BUSTED!

Ken gets an F in math today!

s'alright. You were only off by 100%

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I suppose I would find this outrageous... except that it seems to fit the mentality of those on this board that oppose my opinion. Nitrox is the end all be all gas... totally safe... no worries.

It's hyperbole like this that costs you your credibility ... well, that and stupidity like your "I've got more Thanks than you" posts.

It's not your opinion I find objectionable ... it's the fact that you seem to feel it's an "either/or" issue. That is FAR from the case.

Am I the only one that sees a problem with what this operation did?

Of course not ... but I fail to see how this pertains to the topic of the benefits and drawbacks of using nitrox. Rather than educating the consumer, using an irresponsible act by one outfit only obfuscates the issue ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Teamcasa]

• Cost is not the primary factor for me... but it is a factor.
• Since I myself like to enjoy my vacation...only for less money.
• I don't say "NO" to Nitrox... I say yes only when it makes sense... and that scope is very limited in recreational diving.

Pardon the editing above but let me ask this, If Nitrox was the same cost as air and the dives were well within MOD limits would you use it?

 

[DandyDon]

Quite frankly I don't care what you find hard to believe... they did it... and I questioned it myself... until after I checked his tank (not labeled for Nitrox) and it had 29.8% in it.

Oh, I've had 30% banked Nitrox put into my pony there before. Since it was banked, not PP blended, I thot it was cool. Other places with deeper hard bottoms I'd reject the Nitrox and request air as I like to keep that slung in case I need to dip much below MOD briefly.

I know he didn't put it in there... so I have to assume they did what he said.

I'd also like to know how you can assume the MOD was deeper than the hard bottom.. there are dives in NC deeper than 121 feet at 1.4... mind you this was given to someone who wouldn't know the difference between 1.4 and 1.6 (143 ft.) Now while you are correct in your assumption.... they dove a bottom at 110 feet... that doesn't excuse what they did.

My bad. It's been years since I dove there, and I didn't go get the formula to check the MOD @ 1.4pp so my memory did indeed slip. Your previous posts in this thread have been so questionable, and I knew that post was a setup anyway; I got careless.

In fact, they used what they did to espouse the benefits of Nitrox and tried to sell him a $50.00 class after they had put it in his tank... how unscrupulous is that?

I know the outfit he dove with and I know how unprofessional they are. I had warned him prior to going not to go out with them... but he couldn't get a spot with the outfits we had recommended (Olympus, Discovery and Atlantis IV,) so he took what he could get... you always have to wonder why some boats are full and some have plenty of room dont you.

I've heard of one I wouldn't dive with. For a new one, I'd run a search here and on google to get opinions. Here it's an unnamed operator by an absent diver, so - no further comments.

I was out on the ocean a couple of years ago with a third party boat when the crew of this same unscrupulous outfit... who were fueding with another outfit down there... lined up along the rail and "mooned" the crew and customers of the other boat they were feuding with. Maybe crew to crew is OK... but paying customers shouldn't have to look at a bunch of bare ass...

Oh big deal. I've mooned every cruise boat I got a chance to shoot without asking around if anyone minds. It's just mooning, not genitalia flashing. I would have helped the crew moon the other boat.

Don, you just like to disagree with everything I say... I say it's time to get a job

Given your posting in this thread, it seemed like a reasonable habit to get into.

I would really like for Offthewall to answer my original question to him. If nitrox and air were the same price, what would you use?

I was on a liveaboard awhile back and my buddy dove on nitrox for 3 days and had no idea his fills were nitrox. I knew he was because it had the green cap on it. We got into a discussion about the benefits of nitrox and he was in Offthewalls camp. I asked him, why then are you diving nitrox and he said he wasn't. I pointed out his tank to the DM and in fact he was getting nitrox fills. An embarrassing moment for the crew. Don, you were on the same boat the week before me, the one where the guy had the heart attack.

OOps & Wow! He dived voodoo gas 3 days not knowing, not testing. There are some deep spots around there. A very "embarrassing moment for the crew," uh - kinda dangerous one. But then on a busy liveaboard with air and nitrox whips flying on SI, not excusing the crew, but still - maybe all tanks should be analyzed. I've heard of similar mistakes before.

Not throwing blame; just discussing take away knowledge possibilities

Pardon the editing above but let me ask this, If Nitrox was the same cost as air and the dives were well within MOD limits would you use it?

I'd like to see the answer on record here.