new to diving and want to know if i should get nitrox cert

[rk288]

I would finish AOW first then get some more diving in.

The deep diving portions of AOW could possibly put you in danger of pushing your depth limits on EAN.

We got our nitrox certs for liveaboard diving up to 5 dives daily, it's the only way to go. Also got back up computers...back up instrumentation is a must from my point of view out in the middle of nowhere...and I'd be in real dire straits before I would use dive tables...

 

[tracydr]

As a diver, you're already diving Nitrox. The air we breath is Nitrox. Nitrox is any combination of Oxygen and Nitrogen. The air we breath is approximately 21% Oxygen and 79% Nitrogen. There are other trace gases as well.

Your question is really "Should I get EANitrox Certified?"

The answer is NO.

Air works just fine and has for many many years. While I am a Certified Nitrox Instructor and have been Nitrox certified myself for more than a decade, I have not found a reason to use it in many years... at least not a good enough reason to spend the extra money on it.

You see, Nitrox was really introduced to the recreational dive industry as a way to make money for dive shops. In the early days, there was great debate over whether it was even safe for recreational diving.

While there are certainly situations where EANitrox may make sense, generally speaking these situations are beyond the scope of entry level recreational diving and even advanced recreational diving.

With the new limit of certification to 60', EANitrox makes little sense. When it comes to deep diving from 60' - 130', it certainly has applications - but these applications also come with increase risked from its use.

Increased partial pressures of oxygen can be toxic and deadly to divers who wander to deep while breathing it. Understanding the MOD (maximum operating depth) is critical.

This is the basis for why I do not dive it. I may purposely want to deviate from my dive plan, say on a wall dive or wreck dive and go deeper than my plan. My EANitirox mix could become a detriment on such dives. With less limitation on air dives, I will always choose air.

Of course with air, you may have a more limited time than you would on Nitrox, but you're in no danger of oxygen toxicity and you can always simply carry more air and do longer safety stops.

Decompression diving, while outside the true scope of entry level recreational diving, is a safer, less costly approach with proper education and planning.

I also happen to be one who believes DECO stops produce some of the most chance and exciting open water encounters you'll ever have... from open ocean sharks to whales, pods of dolphins, ocean sunfish etc... these are things I may never have had such exciting encounters with if I wasn't "hanging out" on the line.

After a good Open Water course, the only thing you really need to do is go diving. Get some experience and explore your world. Nitrox is definitely one place not to waste your money.

You can get oxygen toxicity on 21%. all you have to do is dive deep enough that your PPO2 is too high. Thus, the reason for hypoxic mixes on deep dives.
Nitrox is a great class to improve dive planning, gas management and better understanding of the physiology of diving.
If you can't plan a dive and dive your plan to stay within your MOD than you are just flying by your computer with no planning whatsoever. So, the just in case I feel like going deeper is not a very good reason to avoid nitrox. Probably should avoid all diving if that's the extent of the dive plan.
When I'm diving 4 times a day, multiple days in a row I always choose nitrox. It decreases SI, increases bottom time without deco obligation and perhaps adds a small margin of safety. Mostly, it just allows me to stay underwater longer which is pretty important in a cool place like Galapegos or Bonaire.
It's a great class, worth the money and how can a better understanding of dive planning/gas management be anything but a good thing?

 

[Akimbo]

Nitrox training is a lot less about skills in the water and a lot more about getting a deeper understanding of the physics and physiology of diving — assuming your class is worth spit. The training will make you think a lot more about what you were taught in Scuba 101 and put it into greater perspective.

Secondarily; if Nitrox gives you more bottom time during a day of multi-tank diving without decompression penalty, then you gain practical experience a little faster and get more enjoyment for the time spent. It's a no-brainer, go for it.

 

[Lee Taylor]

I was taught that there are not any good reasons to NOT use nitrox.

I use it every dive.

 

[String]

I was taught that there are not any good reasons to NOT use nitrox.

I use it every dive.

Availability, the time taken to get a fill, if you can actually get a fill, the much shallower maximum depth it gives you and above all cost.

To name a few.

 

[Akimbo]

I was taught that there are not any good reasons to NOT use nitrox...

That may be an overstatement — diving 40' or less for example. It won’t hurt you but probably isn't worth the expense or inconvenience of special fills and monitoring.

 

[DiveNav]

I disagree with most everyone so far: Go for it! Getting better educated about gas and gas consumption is always a plus. You should understand deco theory just a tad bit better after the class and that's GOOD. You will also get to do a number of "what ifs" with an instructor which can be invaluable for a newbie diver. .......

Hi agree with NetDoc 100%; education is always worth it.
Getting Nitrox certified doesn't mean you have to dive Nitrox all the times ... but you will learn a lot more about decompression theory.

Alberto (aka eDiver)

 

[aaronjweese]

Hi agree with NetDoc 100%; education is always worth it.
Getting Nitrox certified doesn't mean you have to dive Nitrox all the times ... but you will learn a lot more about decompression theory.

Alberto (aka eDiver)

I also agree, even if you don't ever use it the education value alone is worth it. FWIW I took the Nitrox course offered by TDI as opposed to just a "computer Nitrox" course as it taught me the theory and calculations behind it. If you are lucky to find a good instructor for it you will really learn alot. I spent a couple extra hours after the course on just a "question and answer" session that really painted a solid and clear picture of the basics of decompression theory.

With the solid foundation I was given in basic nitrox It really made my Adv. Nitrox class alot more straight forward.

 

[Pyrowill]

I did my nitrox cert straight after open water, but that was only because I had the chance to do it for free. If your not going deep and can afford the extra fill, why not, it'll teach you more about deco theory as Divenav said, plus there are other advantages to diving EAN, for example you don't feel as knackered, and can avoid certain headaches and the likes. It only really becomes a problem if you dive at depth you shouldnt for your mix, or if your wallet is empty....

 

[bracko]

Hi there

Personally, my limiting factor on most dives is air (and sometimes nitrogen), but I recently got enriched air certified because I'm in the process of becomming a divemaster, and while I don't intend to work in the industry at the moment, I wanted to be able to answer enriched air diver questions should I be asked.

where are you doing your DM?