Nitrox certification

[Seaweed Doc]

Ah yes. When I got my nitrox cert, 'online' only meant the place where you dried your wetsuit. ;-)

MOD table

Interesting! The class I took tested us on calculating the appropriate oxygen partial pressures by hand, rather than looking them up. (Maybe there was a table as well.) I'd have thought calculating the values is more flexible (and perhaps more difficult?) than looking them up on the table.

 

[g2]

The class I took tested us on calculating the appropriate oxygen partial pressures by hand, rather than looking them up.

Yup, we calculated them by hand too. But I think I've used that only a couple times in the past 25+ years, and then only out of curiosity or some unusual dive planning. I would argue that, at least for typical recreational nitrox dives, hand calculation is unnecessary and more error-prone than using tables.

(But still a worthy thing to know in case you find yourself without a table and your lovely nitrox computer has conked out.)

 

[Streydog]

If my lovely nitrox computer conks out I will still know what my MOD is from memory, But that would not do me much good because I count on my lovely computer to know what depth I am at. I do dive with two computers though.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Yup, we calculated them by hand too. But I think I've used that only a couple times in the past 25+ years, and then only out of curiosity or some unusual dive planning. I would argue that, at least for typical recreational nitrox dives, hand calculation is unnecessary and more error-prone than using tables.

(But still a worthy thing to know in case you find yourself without a table and your lovely nitrox computer has conked out.)

On the other hand, the LDS has a table posted at the EANx logbook. That should help reduce the risk of calculation errors.

I suppose everything has it's place.

 

[chillyinCanada]

If my lovely nitrox computer conks out I will still know what my MOD is from memory, But that would not do me much good because I count on my lovely computer to know what depth I am at. I do dive with two computers though.

I still have my lovely spg to go with my two lovely nitrox computers but yes, MOD is in my memory bank . . .at least for the time being.

 

[bravokiloromeo]

@Andre_N: Pretty much all the Nitrox courses are the same. You learn about the advantages and disadvantages to enriched O2 levels, PPO2s, and oxygen toxicity signs/symptoms. I believe the online (at least my SSI online class required it) and in-person classes all require you to analyze a tank to understand how to do it (what you do when you start getting Nitrox fills at a shop/boat), as well as set your computer into the Nitrox mode. It's at best a half-day class with 0 mandatory dives involved.

I will also throw my hat in the ring for 8. I'm a fairly frequent customer when I'm up in Seattle, and I've met/dive with several (most?) of the NAUI instructors there (Bert, Clay, and James) and they're all awesome folks. Most of the NAUI guys are also GUE tec certified divers (James is working on his GUE rec instructor cert IIRC) so they're very skilled in the water and the kind of people you want to learn from.

 

[Tchau]

@Andre_N: Pretty much all the Nitrox courses are the same. You learn about the advantages and disadvantages to enriched O2 levels, PPO2s, and oxygen toxicity signs/symptoms. I believe the online (at least my SSI online class required it) and in-person classes all require you to analyze a tank to understand how to do it (what you do when you start getting Nitrox fills at a shop/boat), as well as set your computer into the Nitrox mode. It's at best a half-day class with 0 mandatory dives involved.

I will also throw my hat in the ring for 8. I'm a fairly frequent customer when I'm up in Seattle, and I've met/dive with several (most?) of the NAUI instructors there (Bert, Clay, and James) and they're all awesome folks. Most of the NAUI guys are also GUE tec certified divers (James is working on his GUE rec instructor cert IIRC) so they're very skilled in the water and the kind of people you want to learn from.

Good to know. Thanks!

 

[TheZissouSociety]

I have been diving for years and I think it’s time to get certified.

I am looking for a Nitrox course in Seattle area. Any recommendations?

Any difference between SSI, PADI, IANDT, TDI, NAUI,etc?

Thanks!

I ended up doing mine fairly recently at Silent World over in Bellevue. It was a SDI course.

 

[Tchau]

I ended up doing mine fairly recently at Silent World over in Bellevue. It was a SDI course.

How many hours?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

@Andre_N,

From my experience (teaching for PADI, SSI, and SDI), nitrox is all fairly similar across most agencies. There is measuring the oxygen mixture in your cylinder which you SIMPLY MUST ALWAYS DO (or observe it being measured). Never, ever, trust anyone who tells you it is already done. To calculate your MOD, you can calculate on paper, use an app, or your dive computer. Then, there is the paperwork where you provide your cert number, fill out the O2 percentage, MOD, cylinder serial number, sign & date (probably mostly for the US for the nitrox source to protect themselves).

Some instructors teach tables, others just do the computer only version. I like to teach tables for background and some of the math.

The number of hours does vary dramatically. My longest class was actually a 1:1 class where the student wasn't retaining things for very long. I just kept rotating the questions until they got it. Honestly, after the items in the first paragraph, I suspect he doesn't remember all the academic stuff, and for most people, that is fine. If you get into technical diving, you will revisit it.