Nitrox Certification without dives?

[LavaSurfer]

I was certified with Dive Tech in the Cayman Islands 2 years ago. All classroom, no diving required but the testing and instruction was very strict. Any question you got wrong you went over with the instructor untill he was sure you understood it. Took 3 days to complete. We didn't mark the tanks except to make sure they are labeled Nitrox. Before using the tanks You fill out a chart showing the mix by using a tester to verify what it actually is versus what you asked for.

3 days for Nitrox?
I hope it was advanced or somehing.

Been here done this :11: :11:
Anyone want to talk about BP/W :monkeydan

 

[mstevens]

someone mentioned that you can now get Nitrox certified without having to do any dives.

I think the proper phrase is "without GETTING to do any dives."

I honestly can't see what purpose there is requiring dives for a nitrox course. I do think a student should have to demonstrate proficiency checking O2 percentages, using nitrox tables, and maybe setting a computer to a nitrox mode as part of the process, but once you're wet the diving part is the same.

 

[CompuDude]

Do you have a copy of the PADI tank sticker? I've seen several different content labes, but never one from PADI.

Does PADI even have a special marking sticker? Most people I've seen use cheap brown masking tape (the 1-2" shipping stuff) and a sharpie. My shop teaches NAUI, PADI and TDI (I chose TDI on their recommendation), but I'm pretty sure they just use masking tape for any of the three. Which agencies mandate a special sticker? And what do you do on the next fill if you use a different blend? Toss the single-use sticker?

 

[OHGoDive]

I just took PADI's EAN course with no dives (don't hate me). They do have a fancy-***** sticker, but our instructor said you can expect to never see it. He said that he's never actually seen one on a tank, everyone uses masking tape. Comments here seem to confirm that.

 

[cummings66]

Duct tape is used around here, works great.

 

[Dutchman]

I would love to do the Nitrox Certification online, is it possible?

My LDS charge a ridiculus price for the PADI EAN diver classe ...

Check this site out.
http://www.americandivecenter.com/nitrox/n2o2_m00.htm

 

[cummings66]

I'm sorry, I really think the dives should be a part of it. I went back and forth on whether to do the dives or not when I was going to take mine (SSI or IANTD) and having done the dives, I can't see doing it any other way. Four hours is just not enough time. Especially if that 4 hours includes the test.

Yet 6 hours is? Consider the next 2 hours are under water, you're not doing much verbal communication, probably almost no written either. What are you learning in the 2 hours you spend in the water?

Not much I suspect.

By the way, just because a diver from a class with no required dives didn't understand the EAD bit, does not mean that his buddy setting next to him missed it. Nor does it mean that if he dove the 2 dives he'd magically understand it either.

Consider that he's going to whip out the 32 or 36 table look up the numbers and go. Probably won't need to do the math or convert to air tables etc. Realistically all he's got to do is make a plan, analyze the mix chosen and act accordingly and then jump in the water until the tank is done. All the work was done prior to getting wet, once wet he's looking around.

The major issue is this, some people pass a test without understanding and others pass the test because they understood.

My pet peeve is amateur radio tests now a days. I took mine before the new exams which told you the answers were out, you had to drive to the federal building to test and you needed to understand the material, not know the answers.

Today like amateur radio diving, flying, and many other things have been dumbed down for the masses so they can feel good. No longer do you need to understand the material to pass and become certified. Sad, but it's the exception now where you need to understand the material.

One last shot, time alone does not mean squat. What I can learn in 2 hours may take you one, or 4. It's not a good basis for anything.

 

[Gator Diver]

I took the IANTD Nitrox course and they required dives.
Did it add anything to my learning of the material....not really.
But it was a great excuse to get in a couple of dives.

 

[PerroneFord]

Hmmm,

What did I do with my dive time in class. First, I got to pepper my instructor with questions. Everything from NDLs, to decompression, to richer mixes and best mix. In pre-dive, I got to work my MOD calcs seperately from my buddy. Our Mixes didn't agree since they were partial pressure blended. So we had to have a discussion and come to an agreement on what true MOD was. Perhaps not relevant in recreational depths, but we were doing 100ft dives and we actually COULD have violated MOD.

In the water, we got to work on trim, buoyancy, situational awareness, watching to make sure we didn't violate MOD and seeing how easy it was. We got some rescue pieces in class, and other things.

After the dive, we had to work EAD then run the tables. It's one thing to do this in class. Quite another to do it while somewhat tired, wet, hungry, and distracted. We then had to analyze again, run MOD, etc.

Personally, I got a lot out of my dive time in my class. However, I tend to be a curious person, and I tried to use my time wisely. It seems that many people are in a big hurry when i comes to diving. In a hurry in the water, in a hurry to get cards, etc. I' not in any hurry. I prefer to create some working relationship with my instructors and classmates where possible. Take my time looking at things underwater.

As for tank labeling, IANTD does have it's on stickers for nitrox, trimix, argon, etc. I just use blue masknig tape. I write the date it was filled on it, because if you have multiple tanks getting filled, you MIGHT run into a problem where there was contaminated air, or have something else go wrong. If you can pinpoint it to a day, then you can dump that tank. I'll probably have a dozen tanks laying around here next year, maybe more. That information can be useful to me. I write my mix on it, and my MOD. That's really all you need. And the date is questionable if you are a mix it/dive it kind of person. My AL80 has been sitting idle for weeks. At this point, I wouldn't remember when it was filled, or what it has in it. Save for the fact I only put air in that tank.

Everyone has their own way of doing things. I was just curious about what some of the other agencies teach.

 

[riguerin]

Do you have a copy of the PADI tank sticker? I've seen several different content labes, but never one from PADI.

Here's a copy of the official PADI/DSAT enriched air contents sticker. It includes Fill Date, O2 %, Tank Pressure (bar/psi), Max Depth, Verification Signature, and Diver's Name.

As other's have mentioned, there is no expectation that this specific format be used. However the recommendation is that, regardless of format that at the minimum, the final analyzed O2 content, fill date, max depth, and final analyzer's name be included.