Nitrox & Advance Nitrox

[Dutchman]

OK, so PADI has removed the dive requirements to Nitrox certification. Now for a mere $99.00 you get your certification. Reading some post on the SB, I am hearing about Advance Nitrox. So what is this and what are the criteria for certification? I can not fine any certification in PADI for advance nitrox. So I assume it will have to be another agency.

 

[Daylonious]

I got my Adv. Nitrox along with Deco Procedures from TDI. Usually the classes are taught together -

Advanced Nitrox
This course examines the use of EAN 21 through 100% (oxygen) for optimal mixes to a depth of 130fsw/40msw. The object of this course is to train divers in the benefits, hazards and proper procedures for utilizing EAN 21 through 100% (oxygen) for dives not requiring staged decompression. (Decompression techniques may be combined with this course at the discretion of the instructor).

Decompression Procedures
This course examines the theory, methods and procedures of planned stage decompression diving. The objective of this course is to train divers how to plan and conduct a standard staged decompression dive not exceeding a maxium depth of 150fsw/45msw unless taught in conjuction with advanced nitrox, Extended Range or Advanced Wreck Courses. The most common equipment requirments, gear set-ups, decompression techniques and decompression mixtures (including oxygen and nitrox) are presented.

D.

 

[Wijbrandus]

Removing the dive requirement just puts PADI in line with what NAUI was already doing, and entirely appropriate. Why do you need to do dives on Nitrox - to prove you can stay within your MOD? If you can't do that, you shouldn't have taken the course in the first place. A Peak Performance Bouyancy course would have been more appropriate. Diving Nitrox is just like diving air, except you change some parameters in your dive planning and you have a few more things to be aware of.

Adv. Nitrox & Deco is far more of a technical course, and I'm thinking PADI shouldn't ever have one of those (despite their belief to the contrary). They should stick to recreational diving, and leave the tech stuff to the experts.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

OK, so PADI has removed the dive requirements to Nitrox certification. Now for a mere $99.00 you get your certification. Reading some post on the SB, I am hearing about Advance Nitrox. So what is this and what are the criteria for certification? I can not fine any certification in PADI for advance nitrox. So I assume it will have to be another agency.

Generally Basic Nitrox courses will cover a recreational or technical diver for the gas on their back that they will breathe for most if not all of the dive. If you are a recreational diver and just want the benefits of Nitrox while you dive, then the basic course is almost certainly the only course you would need.

Advanced Nitrox, is a course where you are taught how to safely use breathing gasses with a concentration of more than 40% oxygen. While it is possible for a recreational diver to derive some benefit from these high oxygen content gasses, for the most part it will not be worth the added expense and bother. Technical divers usually use these high oxygen content gasses as decompression gasses as an aid to getting them out of the water sooner.

You need to examine your goals to see if the Advanced course is appropriate for you. If it is, it will most likely make sense to link it with a decompression course. I took the TDI Advanced Nitrox, and Decompression Procedures courses together. The only time I have ever used gasses with a concentration of Oxygen higher than 40% is as a decompression gas, I have never used these high oxygen content gasses as my back gas. Advanced Nitrox is a course with a very narrow application for the skills learned, but if you need those skills you absolutely need to take the course.

I am not aware of any specific prerequisites for Advanced Nitrox courses since I am not an instructor. Of course most if not all aegncies would probably require you to already have taken a course in basic Nitrox, beyond that I do not know of a specific number of dives or types of dives you might need to have logged.

Good luck,

Mark Vlahos

 

[Dutchman]

So I assume then that Advance Nitrox and deco training is not the same thing at Trimix?

 

[Hoyden]

OK, so PADI has removed the dive requirements to Nitrox certification. Now for a mere $99.00 you get your certification. Reading some post on the SB, I am hearing about Advance Nitrox. So what is this and what are the criteria for certification? I can not fine any certification in PADI for advance nitrox. So I assume it will have to be another agency.

Advance Nitrox is an entry level technical dive class usually taught in conjuction with Deco procedures and sometimes extended range - these are TDI names for their entry level classes. IANTD uses similar names (afaik). PADI offers technical training through DSAT and their entry level course is Tec Diver Level 1. This class teaches you to make gas switch, extended no deco dives to 130' using nitrox blends upto 60%. DSAT Tec Deep is their next course and it covers deco and extended no deco dives to 165 feet using air, nitrox and oxygen. They offer Trimix as well.

DSAT's criteria for entering the Tec Diver level 1 course are as follows:
Advanced Open water certification
18 years old or older
Nitrox certification
Deep diver certification
Minimum of 50 logged dives (at least 10 nitrox, 12 deeper than 60' and 6 deeper than 100')

For Tec Deep you must have:
Advanced open water
rescue (which requires current first aid/cpr)
18 years old or older
Nitrox certification
Deep Diver certification
Minimum of 100 logged dives (at least 20 nitrox, 25 deeper than 60' and 15 deeper than 100')

 

[victor]

I am not aware of any specific prerequisites for Advanced Nitrox courses since I am not an instructor. Of course most if not all aegncies would probably require you to already have taken a course in basic Nitrox, beyond that I do not know of a specific number of dives or types of dives you might need to have logged.

Good luck,

Mark Vlahos

Mark this is from the PADI web site.
Why DSAT Tec Deep Diver?

The DSAT Tec Deep Diver course takes you past recreational diving and immerses you in the world of technical diving.

What do I need to start?

PADI Advanced Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification from another organization)
PADI Rescue Diver (or qualifying certification from another organization)
PADI Enriched Air Diver (or qualifying certification from another organization)
PADI Deep Diver (or qualifying certification from another organization)
Have a minimum of 100 logged dives of which 20 must be enriched air dives, 25 dives must be deeper than 18 metres/60 feet and at least 15 dives must be deeper than 30 metres/100 feet Minimum age: 18 years old

What will I do?

After successful completion of the DSAT Tec Deep Diver course you'll be able to conduct gas-switch extended no-decompression dives, decompression dives and accelerated decompression dives using air and enriched air to a depth of 50 metres/165 feet. You'll also understand the hazards and risks involved in technical diving, as well as how to prepare for and handle reasonable foreseeable technical diving emergencies.

End

They require rescue and nitrox plus 100 logged dives including deep and nitrox. Seems like a reasonable minnimum. Not really convinced you need rescue as it is a very expensive qualification unless you can the the medical part for free.
:44:

 

[BarryNL]

Adv. Nitrox & Deco is far more of a technical course, and I'm thinking PADI shouldn't ever have one of those (despite their belief to the contrary). They should stick to recreational diving, and leave the tech stuff to the experts.

Erm, DSAT aren't experts?

 

[BarryNL]

So I assume then that Advance Nitrox and deco training is not the same thing at Trimix?

Nope, trimix would be diving an oxygen/helium/nitrogen mix. I believe these courses may also cover heliox (oxygen & helium mix).

Personally, I'm waiting for the PADI oxygen/hydrogen mix course

Advanced Nitrox, is a course where you are taught how to safely use breathing gasses with a concentration of more than 40% oxygen. While it is possible for a recreational diver to derive some benefit from these high oxygen content gasses, for the most part it will not be worth the added expense and bother.

Agreed. For example, by 45% the maximum depth is 21.1m - and the NDL for air at this depth is already 37 mins. Going to higher % O2 limits your depth even more to levels where you probably don't need to extend your air NDL anyway. Nitrox mixtures over 40% are mostly only useful for decompression hangs.

 

[Blackwood]

Removing the dive requirement just puts PADI in line with what NAUI was already doing, and entirely appropriate. Why do you need to do dives on Nitrox - to prove you can stay within your MOD? If you can't do that, you shouldn't have taken the course in the first place. A Peak Performance Bouyancy course would have been more appropriate. Diving Nitrox is just like diving air, except you change some parameters in your dive planning and you have a few more things to be aware of.

Would you agree that PADI's deep diver specialty should not require a dive? After all, you're simply changing a few parameters (depth/NDL).