Is PADI bad?
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Thanks for reminding me about Nitrox. I dive Nitrox and not too much else. My nitrox certification was done with my open water.
I am serious when I say that I feel that Nitrox should by an OPTION but not required for AOW cards. If you don't feel comfortable diving it, then don't learn about it. Divers have been diving air for years and it doesn't make them lesser divers than I am.
However, I lost alot of bottom time in Provo on the one day that I didn't dive any nitrox because of the expense. This was out of six days of diving. Check out your tables! Nitrox gives you quite a bit more bottom time if you know about it. My deep diving (100 ft.- 130 ft.) is done on EAN28. My standard diving is done on EAN36 and warm water where I might a little deeper than Michigan is typically done on EAN32. Also, Nitrox is a little less narcotic than air at depth so long as you stay within your PO2. Keep in mind, my certification, even for deco diving is only good for about 130 ft. CNS toxicity issues are such that I can dive Nitrox pretty darn safely to that depth if I am using the correct mix. So why would I even think about air if Nitrox is available? Answer for me is that I only dive air if Nitrox is unavailable or way too expensive. Our dive shop sells Nitrox for a whopping difference of four american dollars per tank (80 cubic foot tank). Again, I will stick with Nitrox.
I am serious when I say that I feel that Nitrox should by an OPTION but not required for AOW cards. If you don't feel comfortable diving it, then don't learn about it. Divers have been diving air for years and it doesn't make them lesser divers than I am.
However, I lost alot of bottom time in Provo on the one day that I didn't dive any nitrox because of the expense. This was out of six days of diving. Check out your tables! Nitrox gives you quite a bit more bottom time if you know about it. My deep diving (100 ft.- 130 ft.) is done on EAN28. My standard diving is done on EAN36 and warm water where I might a little deeper than Michigan is typically done on EAN32. Also, Nitrox is a little less narcotic than air at depth so long as you stay within your PO2. Keep in mind, my certification, even for deco diving is only good for about 130 ft. CNS toxicity issues are such that I can dive Nitrox pretty darn safely to that depth if I am using the correct mix. So why would I even think about air if Nitrox is available? Answer for me is that I only dive air if Nitrox is unavailable or way too expensive. Our dive shop sells Nitrox for a whopping difference of four american dollars per tank (80 cubic foot tank). Again, I will stick with Nitrox.
At recreational depths, times and blends, any dangers associated with Nitrox are far outweighed by the benefits. Moreover, you are ignoring the dangers of air diving.
If you find Nitrox unduly frightening, perhaps you should sign up for a buoyancy course. This will teach you to properly control your depth, so as to avoid unintentionally exceeding your MOD. Once you've learned to control yourself properly in the water, you should consider retaking a Nitrox course from a competant instructor who can help you overcome your fears.
Of course, you should always dive with a buddy and within your limits. Don't let anyone push you into something for which you are not ready. If not comfortable below 40 fsw, for example, then don't let anyone take you deeper.
Diverbrian:
Requiring Nitrox as a prerequisite for other courses would make it difficult for people in areas where Nitrox isn't available. Accordingly, I agree with your statement that it shouldn't be required.
Its important to note, however, that instructors are free to decide who they will teach. The instructors with whom I work don't cater to divers who are afraid of Nitrox and who know when its time to surface because their computers start beeping. I agree with them.
In part, I look at this issue by asking myself whether I would do a dive that falls within the scope of AOW with a buddy on air. Since my answer is no, I don't believe that it is appropriate to teach AOW to divers on air.
We require Nitrox and buoyancy as a prerequisite for other diving courses. People who don't like it are free to take their poodle jacket, their Air2 and their attitude somewhere else.
Northeast Wrecks: We need to talk because you are correct on the AOW requirements. I have never seen a student in one of our AOW courses without nitrox certs because the LDS includes nitrox training with the basic open water certifications. The owner sells pre-mixed EAN36 so that the tanks do not have to be O2 cleaned, which would be a major pain for his one main technician as the guy is a perfectionist who is known to take a week to O2 clean a tank (rightfully so) and certify that tank as O2 clean. I think that you all can tell where I personally stand on nitrox for own use.
If a "student" is taking advanced courses, his buoyancy control and attitude should be such that nitrox is not a problem. If it is, he needs to get some more experience.
That having been said, in areas like the Upper Peninsula of this state, Nitrox availability is limited to say the least. In order to dive up there, I have several tanks and have them all filled prior to beginning the trip so that I have nitrox available. It would be unfair in those areas to deny a diver an AOW cert because nitrox is not available.
It would be very fair to deny it because their attitude and skills would give a charter boat operator/ dive shop owner of their ability to do more challenging dives if they see that card.
As one agency says: "You pay for the training, you EARN the certification."
If a "student" is taking advanced courses, his buoyancy control and attitude should be such that nitrox is not a problem. If it is, he needs to get some more experience.
That having been said, in areas like the Upper Peninsula of this state, Nitrox availability is limited to say the least. In order to dive up there, I have several tanks and have them all filled prior to beginning the trip so that I have nitrox available. It would be unfair in those areas to deny a diver an AOW cert because nitrox is not available.
It would be very fair to deny it because their attitude and skills would give a charter boat operator/ dive shop owner of their ability to do more challenging dives if they see that card.
As one agency says: "You pay for the training, you EARN the certification."
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I get my air for free, so, by NOT using Nitrox, I am saving at LEAST enough for a Big Mac value meal, supersized.
Hey, everything we take with us underwater - just tools. If that tool, (Nitrox), helps you enjoy the dive more, cool. If not, that's cool, too.
Just my 2 cents.
Yes, it is maximum three training dives a day.
However, standards state you can't take nitrox before you're AOW.
Keeping it brief, I understand if you are filling your own tanks on the price difference issue. The tools that a person uses are up to them as well. But even divers on air would benefit from the knowledge of PO2, CNS, equipment cleanliness.... etc. that one learns in a Nitrox or Advanced Nitrox course. It would be beneficial to learn about nitrox and make an educated decision on whether or not to use it instead of saying flat out that Nitrox is "dangerous" for recreational diving (which was the old attitude about Nitrox and why divers had to fight tooth and nail to get PADI and the other recreational dive agencies to support nitrox at all). At the very least, the fact that in most cases an hour and half surface interval is all that is required to off-gas to an acceptable level to dive again most of the time vice four hours (many times for air) should make own seriously consider nitrox. I get in far more diving on nitrox than I do on air.
I disagree.
PADI's Enriched Air Course
The standards state that you need nothing more than OW certification.
Its very encouraging to see that you've prioritized things. I often wonder how I'm going to pay for my lunch after I've completed the short NDL dive that air allows.
I agree with you when you say that Nitrox is a tool. However, just as I wouldn't dive with someone who had unsafe equipment, I prefer not to dive with people who don't use the proper gas. If nothing else, I'm not willing to sacrifice my bottom time because someone won't spend a few bucks for training and gas.
Unless I'm in a pool, that gas is never air.
ny (hit quote when I meant edit)
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