Nitrox Cert: Dives or Simulations

[DevonDiver]

Agreed no reason to dive. Just learn to find the best gas for your dive plan.

Diving NITROX is the same as diving air except you really have to watch your depth because your MOD is a lot less (in most cases) than diving air. If you can monitor your depth on air, and you have decent buoyancy, ten you will be fine.

It'll be as useful as actually diving.

If every student I taught demonstrated unwavering situational awareness; monitored their gauges and never ran lower on air than planned and never exceeded planned depth or time for their dives... then I'd agree with these sentiments... BUT...

...reality time. As an instructor, I want to confirm that the student does have that situational awareness and understands the importance of applying it with regards to Nitrox MOD. I have ways of getting that lesson across...

I've also had more than a few technical diving students tell me "...it's okay Andy...I've analysed your deco tanks for you...". Really... a most fundamental failure on basic nitrox use by supposedly experienced 'qualified' nitrox divers. Perhaps a result of theory training only versus practical application of theory...

Nitrox is easy. One thing I've learnt over the years is that it is the 'easy' things we get most complacent about. Theory-only training reinforces complacency IMHO.

 

[tplyons]

If every student I taught demonstrated unwavering situational awareness; monitored their gauges and never ran lower on air than planned and never exceeded planned depth or time for their dives... then I'd agree with these sentiments... BUT...

...reality time. As an instructor, I want to confirm that the student does have that situational awareness and understands the importance of applying it with regards to Nitrox MOD. I have ways of getting that lesson across...

I've also had more than a few technical diving students tell me "...it's okay Andy...I've analysed your deco tanks for you...". Really... a most fundamental failure on basic nitrox use by supposedly experienced 'qualified' nitrox divers. Perhaps a result of theory training only versus practical application of theory...

Nitrox is easy. One thing I've learnt over the years is that it is the 'easy' things we get most complacent about. Theory-only training reinforces complacency IMHO.

I guess it would say it depends on the student then. And nobody knows that student better than yourself.

For me, I know I'm anal about the safety stuff. I don't mess around when it comes to gear. My gear is well maintained, EVERY cylinder I hook up is analyzed before its used, even if I filled it. For me, the Nitrox dives wouldn't have added anything but more time before I got my C-Card and starting using Nitrox regularly.

Of course, your mileage may vary.

 

[DevonDiver]

Truth is... I can get many (most) nitrox students to 'fail' their first nitrox dive. It's easy. I take the role of dive guide (shepherd)... they follow (cattle). I lead them below their MOD. Very few notice... they all follow unthinkingly. Issue is raised in dive de-brief. Dive computers show they exceeded the MOD. Next dive, they don't follow like cattle, they monitor their depth properly, signal when nearing their MOD and refuse to follow me below it.

That lesson... and the awareness it builds is one very good reason to have actual nitrox dives.

For what it's worth, I do the same drill with technical dive students. They make the same mistake.... once only.

 

[tplyons]

Truth is... I can get many (most) nitrox students to 'fail' their first nitrox dive. It's easy. I take the role of dive guide (shepherd)... they follow (cattle). I lead them below their MOD. Very few notice... they all follow unthinkingly. Issue is raised in dive de-brief. Dive computers show they exceeded the MOD. Next dive, they don't follow like cattle, they monitor their depth properly, signal when nearing their MOD and refuse to follow me below it.

That lesson... and the awareness it builds is one very good reason to have actual nitrox dives.

For what it's worth, I do the same drill with technical dive students. They make the same mistake.... once only.

Brilliant! I guess its easy to get caught up in the cattle mindset on some courses. But they'll never make THAT mistake twice!

 

[kaerius]

Truth is... I can get many (most) nitrox students to 'fail' their first nitrox dive. It's easy. I take the role of dive guide (shepherd)... they follow (cattle). I lead them below their MOD. Very few notice... they all follow unthinkingly. Issue is raised in dive de-brief. Dive computers show they exceeded the MOD. Next dive, they don't follow like cattle, they monitor their depth properly, signal when nearing their MOD and refuse to follow me below it.

That lesson... and the awareness it builds is one very good reason to have actual nitrox dives.

For what it's worth, I do the same drill with technical dive students. They make the same mistake.... once only.

Only problem is that this could get you in legal/liability problems should anything actually happen. And well, you're leading them deeper than the MOD. Thankfully the MOD is extremely conservative, so the risk of CNS is rather tiny.

Reminds me of my last liveaboard trip... on one dive I had the experience of seeing the guides and the herd going down to 40m+(133ft+) on 30% nitrox(only two divers on the boat used air, and both of those refrained from going deeper than 30m/100ft). About 20 divers, guides included, all exceeding MOD. There were exactly two of us, besides the divers on air, who obeyed MOD. I had a max depth of 33m(110ft), and an MOD of 35.5m.

As to how I know they all dived 30% nitrox, well that was the only mix they used on the boat, variation +/- 0.5% or so.