Is nitrox "briefing" enough without certification?

[Snakekid97]

Hi all,

I have a basic OW certificate with about a dozen OW dives. I recently moved to a coastline, but I haven't gone diving in the ocean in about a year (although I have done a couple of quarry dives since). I recently talked to a local PADI instructor/dive charter owner about easing back into things. After scheduling a date to go out on his charter, I found out they only use nitrox on all of their dives. They claim it's the better way to dive. Their website states " If you are not Nitrox certified, don’t worry, we will give you a Nitrox Briefing that lets you dive Nitrox that day...We will also put a _ Dive Computer on your wrist set for 32% so you can track your NDL."

I have read that I should have a certification for nitrox (which I don't have). My question is: would you trust a "Nitrox briefing that lets you dive Nitrox that day" or does this seem to be a questionable practice? I have no prior experience with Nitrox.

I should add, the charter is a 2-tank trip on reefs 40-60' deep over about a 3-hour period.

Thanks!

 

[John Bantin]

On a need-to-know basis in keeping with contemporary dive training, a briefing could be "Breathe normally but don't go deeper than (MOD) or you might die!" but how many new divers are told that about air? (MOD 180 feet)

 

[L13]

That's the opposite of all the technical teaching we've had that basically states Nitrogen and Oxygen are similarly narcotic, although Oxygen is metabolised.

That is because previous training was based on older weak scientific evidence. Newer stronger evidence indicates that Oxygen is less narcotic than Nitrogen. How much less narcotic is still unclear, but it is significantly less narcotic.

Nitrox diving is very straight forward. Everything you need to know can be taught in a 5 minute class (or less). It should be part of every AOW class, but that would reduce the revenue from having it as a specialty. @VikingDives 's post above has all the theory you need.

• Know why - trading a shallower MOD for longer NDL, lower N2 loading when flying after diving
• Know your MOD - as @John Bantin said, even air has a MOD
• Know your gas - proper analysis and labeling
• Set your computer - check every time, if table diving use the right table

 

[johndiver999]

If they make a little mistake with the mix, you die. You should know how to check the mix in the tank yourself. Other than that, if you can't get deep, there is very little danger. I've seen tanks make it to the boat with 500 psi of pure oxygen in them.

 

[broncobowsher]

Bad precedent. There is a reason for the class. It isn't much of a class, but still there are some things that are important.

40-60', so long as you are on Nitrox32 there is nothing you will notice with the gas and there isn't enough depth to even be close to an issue.

The official answer would be no, get trained first. The reality answer, go dive it, take a Nitrox class (before or after, don't care) and learn about what makes it different. And how to be safe with it. There are a couple of things that add risk.

 

[Alekseolsen]

I'd almost argue that this would be a better way then the current course.

Get briefed on Nitrox diving on X amount of dives, with different depths, fill out a questionary - if you remember why this mix at this depth and what are the limitstions you are hereby awarded a "permanent" nitrox card.

Obviosuly doesn't work for people mainly diving on their own(which IMHO is crucial for developing other skills)

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Take the class. Three day-to-day takeaways: analyze your gas, calculate/confirm PPO and maximum operating depth limits, and program your computer so it tracks N2 load and NDL bottom times properly.

Other parts of the class are a little on oxygen toxicity, math behind calculating PPO and relation to the max operating depth (MOD), testing O2 concentration in your tank (should be hands on), labeling of your bottles.

Honestly, I would think, as others have suggested, talk to the captain/instructor about doing the online portion that will cover pretty much all of the above and the a brief briefing (realistically a five-minute to 20 minute briefing with the instructor and demonstration of testing/computer set up/MOD calc (also on computer...)) and pay money; that should get you your cert, depending on the instructor and her/his disposition. When I did the class, I did the eLearning and the instructor said it would be from 30 minutes up to two hours in the shop, depending on how deeply and thoroughly I wished to tenderize the horse meat.



Get the cert - question eliminated forever.

 

[L13]

... and pay money; ...

The real reason the class exists. But you are right that having the cert does make it easier to dive nitrox at a random dive op.

 

[Wibble]

...having the cert does make it easier to dive nitrox at a random dive op.

Daft question: would a trimix/CCR cert be acceptable?

Never thought about the Nitrox cert! I suppose nowadays you can't be trusted with plastic -- you'll only throw it into the ocean -- so they'd need to look you up on the diving database to see if you're qualified...

 

[Lorenzoid]

As others have alluded to, one of the protocols of nitrox diving is that the diver personally measures or “analyzes” the oxygen percentage of the tank he will be using. You need to understand it’s your responsibility to have personally determined what percentage is in your tank and understand that the consequences of breathing the wrong percentage can be fatal. My guess is that the “briefing“ covers that much. But the full nitrox certification course is not that much more involved and takes only a few hours, so why cut corners?

 

[Lorenzoid]

Daft question: would a trimix/CCR cert be acceptable?

You may have to request “32/0” trimix from them if you don’t have a nitrox card.