Question How to dive nitrox for the first time

[gamon]

"almost pointless"? In the situation you describe, you do not get more bottom time or shorter surface intervals, but you DO on-gas less N2, and many feel that is good.

Many might feel that way but so what? Many people feel the earth is flat too.

 

[lowwall]

Many might feel that way but so what? Many people feel the earth is flat too.

Except we know the Earth isn't flat.

We don't definitively know if N2 loads that are somewhat less than those required to cause clinical DCS symptoms can cause or exacerbate other conditions. But we do know that DCS is not a binary condition, it gets worse as N2 loadings increase. So it is not illogical to posit that this continuum also exists at loadings below whatever point we decide constitutes clinical DCS.

Edit to add.

A quick search finds that there is at least preliminary evidence to suggest fatigue is ameliorated when using Nitrox versus air. Fatigue is likely to be a marker of some sort of decompression stress.

Also, use of Nitrox appears to result in clearer thinking which could certainly be useful in an emergency.

 

[ttc008]

In fact where I was diving with Savedra in Moalboal you cannot take a nitrox tank without you first checking the mix in front of the staff, and writing the date, your name, cert level, gas mix and gas tank pressure in the shops nitrox log book.

On most my dives the guides and other divers were on 21%. This just meant that as they needed to ascend due to NDL I would just continue the dive at around 20m depth or a bit deeper and then ascend near the end of the dive. This let me enjoy being on my own chilling out with the other divers just above me.

That seems like good practice by Savedra. I know Savedra is a popular shop there. Are you saying even with them there most likely won't be enough nitrox divers to form their own group? Did you have to communicate to the DM beforehand that you will probably ascend later than others and the DM was ok with it? I imagine the DM would come back to find you after everyone else has surfaced?

 

[Blackcrusader]

That seems like good practice by Savedra. I know Savedra is a popular shop there. Are you saying even with them there most likely won't be enough nitrox divers to form their own group? Did you have to communicate to the DM beforehand that you will probably ascend later than others and the DM was ok with it? I imagine the DM would come back to find you after everyone else has surfaced?

Divers choose what gas mix they want. One of the staff is not nitrox certified or a DM yet. So they let him dive with me as my "guide" to let him get some experience with me. So really I could just dive as I want. Great young lad but not too good on gas consumption. At times I was with guides and divers on nitrox. At other times I was on nitrox with a guide and diver not on nitrox. Yes the guides are advised I will remain deeper as they ascend. By the time I was doing these nitrox dives the guides had been diving with me for over 3 weeks so as a known experienced diver they don't need to be concerned about me. One one dive with a regular dive buddy the guide took the divers deeper and my buddy and I headed off on our own dive but stayed shallow around 12m - 15m for the dive. This was pre planned but it was the first time for the DM to have had two experienced divers head off on their own and meet up at the dive boat at 55 minutes for the safety stop.

PS We did the safety stops together on the dives. Just because I stayed deeper for some part of the dive does not mean that the safety stop is not done together. If you see my dive log post you see that after 50 mins I come up to around 10m where the guide and diver were and then at 55 minutes we ascended and did the safety stop. You will see when diving some divers ask for nitrox and some do not. So you can see groups only on 21% or you might see a group with one diver on 32% and others on 21% but they all stay at the same depth more or less.

So for me I enjoy being able to do dives where the guides are there more for the other divers than for me lol Sometimes back on the boat divers would ask the guides why they don't ask me to check my gas too often. They just reply that fat dude is just better than any of the guides on air lol. I always let them known when I have one hundred bar but many times I was back on the boat with more than 100 bar.

The Savedra manager Koz I have known before she became an instructor and is now an IDC Course director. So when you have someone you have known for 8 years and done many dives together it's great. But I still follow the guides dive briefings and the 60 minute dive time.

Trip Report Thread 'Moalboal: Savedra Dive Centre'

Mar 29, 2024

Recently did a 3 day trip to Moalboal, which is famous for the Sardine ball just off the beach.

Accommodation: We stayed at the Dreamcatcher Hostel, which is in Panagsama approx 300m from the beach. We picked this place on arrival as it’s up a small lane and therefore escapes all the traffic noise. The rooms are comfy enough with fan and a/c. There is a nice area out front with hammocks and chairs to chill. Staff were really nice.

Diving: We initially went into ‘Amigos Dive Centre’ but the music was just too loud for us in there. Asking questions at the reception desk and had to strain...

• carono6333
• Replies: 12
• Forum: Philippine Paradise Divers

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[Blackcrusader]

That seems like good practice by Savedra.

Yeah they have great staff there. They do have some freelance DM's as well as they can get pretty busy.
So some divers will be doing shore dives, some on one of the three dive boats they use going to different sites. Pescoder island they do the second dive every day as it is the most popular dive site. Visibility can be hit and miss but when vis is not so great I might look for macro stuff to take video or photos of.

One piece of advice. Learn the functions and settings of your dive computer. If it has audio alarms then learn what they sound like. My Shearwater Perdix does not have Audio alarms. Yet on dives I hear alarms going off and the diver with the alarm going off is pointing at my dive computer clueless to their own alarms. My settings are such that my dive computer does not give you a safety stop. You have to manage that by yourself. Also when ascending from the safety stop ascend slowly. Many people just rush to the surface after a safety stop risking a lung injury

 

[Centrals]

There is no difference in diving between air and Nitrox. Depth is the limiting factor. BTW, air is Nitrox 21.
Any responsible operator would not mix air and nitrox divers together. If they do then they should provide TWO guides to take care of the respective group.
In Moalboal, Nelson's diver shop is the place.

 

[happy-diver]

If I'm doing a couple of shore dives I'll breathe nitrox100 driving between dive sites, like last Wednesday

 

[EFX]

If you are going to do only two dives for the day and you are not going to extend your bottom time nitrox probably isn't necessary. This is most common during DM group led dives. Where nitrox makes a big difference is when doing multiple dives a day (more than two) and especially when diving over multiple days. The accumulation of nitrogen will begin to limit your bottom time to stay within your NDL. This is common when diving at a resort or on a live-aboard. In these cases I highly recommend getting nitrox certified. Usually, it's class room training only -- no dives are needed. You will learn about oxygen toxicity, how to calculate MOD, and how to test your tank among other things.

 

[uncfnp]

Any responsible operator would not mix air and nitrox divers together.

It happens. In fact it is not uncommon around the Caribbean but fortunately these operators don’t require you to ascnd as a group so your bottom time is not restricted by air divers.

But this also just happened to us in Indonesia on a Raja Ampat liveaboard. There were two air divers and there were 4 to a group. Of course we were the couple grouped with the air divers. Fortunately they also did not require us to ascend as a group so Eric and I could continue the dive if the 2 air divers went up early.

 

[Blackcrusader]

If you are going to do only two dives for the day and you are not going to extend your bottom time nitrox probably isn't necessary. This is most common during DM group led dives. Where nitrox makes a big difference is when doing multiple dives a day (more than two) and especially when diving over multiple days. The accumulation of nitrogen will begin to limit your bottom time to stay within your NDL. This is common when diving at a resort or on a live-aboard. In these cases I highly recommend getting nitrox certified. Usually, it's class room training only -- no dives are needed. You will learn about oxygen toxicity, how to calculate MOD, and how to test your tank among other things.

Yup this is mostly true. Some divers only doing two dives decided not to use nitrox as the dive times were one hour and secondly some divers gas consumption means they would not make the 1 hour diving staying deeper as I did. Having a dive doing a 20m average depth for the dive you want to have decent gas consumption.

I had a fall on the dive boat and getting some bruising so for a few days in my last 5 diving days I only did the two morning dives. So for me the 32% was allowing me to have those dives staying deeper. Also as most dives we started down to 30m depth the divers on 21% needed to come shallower before me. I reallly liked pushing the NDL a bit to the point where probably by 30 minutes into the dive the guides and other divers were back at 15m while I was at 22m - 25m depth with both plenty of NDL and also plenty of gas. Having a very low SAC rate allows me to safely enjoy the dives not needing to worry about the amount of gas required. Conditions were really calm as well.

I've seen many divers on nitrox happy to be with a guide and other divers on 21% they are not bothered by having shallower dives. I've done this myself. I have never been at a dive op that required divers on nitrox not to dive with divers on 21% Groups divers with some on 21% and others on 32% happens everywhere. At some dive ops you only get 21% so all divers are on the same gas.

Then the NDL difference comes down to the DC and settings people are using.