Nitrox benefits...

[lamont]

oxygen is also narcotic. i've done 100 fsw on 21% and 32% and i can't tell the difference -- i'm still narc'd.

 

[mempilot]

oxygen is also narcotic. i've done 100 fsw on 21% and 32% and i can't tell the difference -- i'm still narc'd.

True. O2 and N2 are very close in mass and have similar solution rates. So, let's keep O and N low and add some H!

Actually, O2 is more narcotic than N2. The difference is that some of the O2 is metabalized by the body and since N2 is an inert gas, it isn't. So all things being equal, the N2 should in theory cause more of a buzz than the O2 at equal Fg's.

CO2, the byprodut of breathing, is also narcotic. We just can't help but be impaired under water.

 

[Jester]

That doesn't bode well for those of use who are obviously impaired above water!

 

[mempilot]

You know what's interesting is that most training agencies don't teach O2 and CO2 narcosis until Trimix. It'd be nice if there was at least a teaser, or maybe I missed it from being too impaired during the class!

 

[kalvyn]

oxygen is also narcotic. i've done 100 fsw on 21% and 32% and i can't tell the difference -- i'm still narc'd.

Very true. I find I clear up faster when coming up from depth on EAN32, but that is purely subjective.

Also, I just feel better after diving Nitrox as apposed to air. I'm not as tired or "whupped" feeling after a couple long dives using EAN32 compared to plain ol' air. This is totally subjective of course, but it's true for me. I just did two dives on air with some SB folks this past Sunday, the first time I've dove air since being Nitrox certified (Thanks, NWGratefulDiver!). As NWGD will attest to, I was sleeping in his car all the way to his house. I really noticed the difference!

Jimmie

 

[DandyDon]

Anyway, Mike...

Nitrox can certainly give you about 50% more bottom time at depth when using a standard 32% mix. As your air consumption gets better, and your diving deeper, this will become more useful. Especially when you're diving 100 cf tanks to 110 feet on back to back dives and you don't want to sit out a very long surface interval. :526:

 

[mempilot]

Actually, the deeper you go, the less benefit/useful nitrox is due to the increase in partial pressure. In other words, the deeper you go, the closer you get to air's FO2. The FO2 has to decrease with depth in order to not exceed max PPO2.

Now, if you do deep dives requiring decompression, then you can use the benefits of Nitrox on the way up to aid in the offgassing of N2.

 

[NU2DIVING]

I think I get it. For me, still being new to diving and still learning how to manage my air consumption, I can benefit from diving with Nitrox in the sense that even though I will consume the air at a similar rate I will have less residual nitrogen in my system. Which inturn means that my system will require less surface time between dives and potentially be able to do more repetative dives in a day. Or I would be able to dive deeper and longer on repatative dives, of coarse given the limitations in depth and time related to the O2 percentage that i am diving with.

Am I getting the jist of it?

Mike Miller

 

[JeffG]

I think I get it. For me, still being new to diving and still learning how to manage my air consumption, I can benefit from diving with Nitrox in the sense that even though I will consume the air at a similar rate I will have less residual nitrogen in my system. Which inturn means that my system will require less surface time between dives and potentially be able to do more repetative dives in a day. Or I would be able to dive deeper and longer on repatative dives, of coarse given the limitations in depth and time related to the O2 percentage that i am diving with.

Am I getting the jist of it?

Mike Miller

Yep

 

[mempilot]

...I will have less residual nitrogen in my system. Which inturn means that my system will require less surface time between dives and potentially be able to do more repetative dives in a day. Or I would be able to dive deeper and longer on repatative dives, of coarse given the limitations in depth and time related to the O2 percentage that i am diving with...

Mike,

If you dive Nitrox on air tables, then you'll have less residual N2 in your system allowing shorter intervals. If you opt for the long bottom times, you'll have the same RN as if you had dived on air. Nitrox doesn't allow you to go deeper. The benefits lessen as you increase depth. Nitrox is a great intermediate depth tool. The added time at max depth recreational depths on a conservative PO2 is negligible. Once you take the class and see the tables, this will make more sense.

But yes, you have the jist of it.