My trip in the Cozumel Chamber (very long)

[HammerNoMore]

Another comment. I had a really good and really conservative instructor for my OW training. Your rule number 4 is one he stressed in class. Went on to talk about walking away from dive ops not because they didn't have O2, but because they couldn't show it to him within a reasonable amount of time.

Now, I will admit this instructor was way more conservative than I am, but I think you should always ask to see the O2 before you leave the dock.

James

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

They should point it out to you as part of the briefing before they leave the dock. Think about it. Every class op that I have ever had the pleasure of diving with did a pre-castoff briefing where they familarized the divers with the boat. If this doesn't happen its a warning sign.

 

[Mawg]

I think I know where you are going with that. I think it would be a great discussion.

I have a question for you Christi if you are still monitoring this thread. I have been using nitrox since 1995 and of course notice how much better I feel after several dives as opposed to using air. My question is, does the added oxygen also protect me from the likelihood of getting bent in any way?



Patrick Evans

 

[Christi]

I have a question for you Christi if you are still monitoring this thread. I have been using nitrox since 1995 and of course notice how much better I feel after several dives as opposed to using air. My question is, does the added oxygen also protect me from the likelihood of getting bent in any way?



Patrick Evans

That is a very debatable subject and would probably be better in a thread of its own.

However, the very short ansewr is that if you dive nitrox to the nitrox limits on your computer or by the tables, you are not doing anything different than diving regular air to air limits.

If you are diving nitrox with air NDL's, you are adding some conservatism to your dive. You are in fact loading less N2 and the higher % of O2 can help metabolize that N2 easier. There is still no hard evidence that proves your liklihood for DCS is lower with enriched air, but the way I look at it, it has to be better than air, so I'll pay the extra $$ for the fills and be on the safer side.

As far as feeling better, I don't feel any differently using nitrox, and it's often said that "feeling better or less tired" after diving nitrox is myth and/or a psychological effect of nitrox.

 

[RTodd]

As far as feeling better, I don't feel any differently using nitrox, and it's often said that "feeling better or less tired" after diving nitrox is myth and/or a psychological effect of nitrox.

N2 loading is (obviously) less on a nitrox dive than an air dive to the same depth and time. Heavy N2 loading (not necessarily getting bent) just a lot of diving causes fatigure. If you lower this, you are less tired.

 

[chuck86]

I can tell you all this. The Doctor told me that I can not dive until a I am 100% symptom free for 6 months, then the and only then I could dive using nitrox on the air tables. This will account for almost 20 to 30% less n2 and there for reduce the chances of reoccurance.

I will of course listen and heed the words of the Doctor. I am nitrox certified, Thanks To Christi, and will be diving nitrox from now on.

Just a word of update. I am feeling much better and I can tell evereyday that I am getting better. I still get tired pretty easy, but I do what the doctor said to do. "if I get tired I set down and rest, or take a nap. I know this is going to take time and I am certainly thankful that God has given me the time to take.

I still have a little dizziness once in awhile but usually that is when I start to get tired, that is my signal to stop whatever it is that I am doing, drink some more water and take a short nap.

The naps are getting fewer and farther between so I consider that a sign that things are improving.

There are some things that I have certainly noticed. For one I can see better, things in the distance are blurry with my galsses on and when I take them off things clear up. Also I can hear and smell better than before the chamber. The only thing that I can attribute this to might be the oxygen thearpy has revitalized some of the older cells and nerve endings and they are working better now. I don't know if this will stay but it certainly is a noticable change.

Thanks to everyone for their kinds thoughts. I will try to keep posting as things improve and let everyone know how my progress is going.

Thanks again and Please Stay Safe

 

[murphdivers286]

I had posted on the original thread, but I will post again. I'm glad to hear you are OK. I have a trip planned this summer to cozumel and was deciding between BA and Blue XT.

 

[Valwood1]

The no-fly-and-dive-on-the-same-day rule is interesting, and one that I adopted after my last trip to Coz where, for whatever reason, I felt very very fatigued by the middle of the second day (a sinus infection may have "helped", too) -- to the tune of sitting on the dive boat instead of making the second dive.

The interesting part of the rule to those travelling out of DFW is the relationship bewteen the charter plane (FunJet or Adventure Tours or whatever) schedule from Dallas, and how that fits in. The charter leaves at 7-8am, so it's easy to arrange an afternoon dive(s) for the arrival day, and I think that most divers do that. In fact, we followed that schedule for the first four or five trips to Cozumel, in part to avoid sitting around all day, and in part because it was the one used by our OW instructor on our first trip down.

I'm glad Chuck is okay, and really appreciate his telling his story, and reminding me that, while diving is great fun, even a small amount of bad luck or poor planning (and I certainly am not saying that Chuck was guilty of that) can cause a problem, and most problems are not small ones.

 

[tx.lakerats]

I'm glad your ok!!

 

[Mawg]

That is a very debatable subject and would probably be better in a thread of its own.

However, the very short ansewr is that if you dive nitrox to the nitrox limits on your computer or by the tables, you are not doing anything different than diving regular air to air limits.

If you are diving nitrox with air NDL's, you are adding some conservatism to your dive. You are in fact loading less N2 and the higher % of O2 can help metabolize that N2 easier. There is still no hard evidence that proves your liklihood for DCS is lower with enriched air, but the way I look at it, it has to be better than air, so I'll pay the extra $$ for the fills and be on the safer side.

As far as feeling better, I don't feel any differently using nitrox, and it's often said that "feeling better or less tired" after diving nitrox is myth and/or a psychological effect of nitrox.

Christi, if I may ask one more question. I will be in Coz on May 18th. and have 4 days of diving planned. Can you tell me what the current rate for nitrox is. I am bringing some new divers and they want to know. I get a package deal and it includes nitrox and I never broke it all down. This thread has been not only informative but eye-opening too. We are ALL GLAD that Chuck is O.K. and it has been a ringing bell for some of us. The info. that you provide on this thread is greatly appreciated. I hope to meet you some day.


Patrick Evans/ MAWG = middle aged white guy.