Nitrox class question

[5615mike]

I have been looking for a Nitrox class in my area. LDS said they had one coming up in several weeks. Sounded good to me until I asked about the dives. He said the dives were optional. The class consisted of about 4 hrs. classroom and exam. Thought this was odd. No required dives for new gas. LDS is SSI affiliated.

I then spoke to and am trying to schedule a class with an IANTD instructor. He said that there were 2 dives required after the exam.

I have just been told that SSI recently dropped the dive requirements. Does anyone have any comments on these changes?

 

[Big-t-2538]

Well, I for one am a proponent of the dives for the ability to check out diving skills, and hey...you get to dive too.

Honestly, there is nothing with Nitrox that really requires you to dive. Yeah, it's a different gas, and you have to be more aware of what is going on (moreso with outside of rec limits) around you, but there is really nothing super hard about Nitrox. However, if I was teaching the class, I would require the dives, just to see that you can plan and execute a dive plan.

 

[Wendy]

as long as the instructor sees that you can analyze your own gas and plan your dive and dive your plan for different gas mixes then I guess it would be ok to not require the dives, but I did the dives with my course and it was no big deal, plus I got to dive.

 

[Gator Diver]

The LDSs in my area offer both versions of Nitrox
with and without dives. I would just go with
your level of comfort. Personally I dont'
mind the extra diving especially with an instructor
overseeing things and I will pick a Nitrox course
that includes dives.

 

[Warren_L]

I think this issue has been discussed recently:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38505

 

[bdelaney]

I took the class with PADI. They required two dives, but I did them in conjunction with my advanced open water certification. If you haven't done AOW and want to, it might be worth it to take both classes at the same time.

 

[PhilD]

This topic was discussed on another thread recently;

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38505

I recently completed my ANDI CSU course, which was over 8 hours of intensive classroom work and I was required to do two Nitrox dives.

The diving with Nitrox per se didn't really do anything for me in terms of education. However, I did find it useful to plan the best mix, check the mix in the tanks, do my pre-dive planning and post dive analysis, PO2, %CNS, TO2, etc, for real dives and see all the theory in practice. Although you can go through the same processes once qualified anyway.

I don't think you are really missing anything by not doing the dives, as the first time you dive Nitrox you will be doing the practice to back up the theory you have learned anyway. Understanding the theory, advantages, limitations and workings of diving Nitrox is far more important in my view than a couple of dives.

FWIW I found the ANDI CSU course to be very in depth and well thought out. It covered everything in great detail and I felt I learned a lot from it.

 

[cstreu1026]

I have witnessed and experienced PADI nitorx classes that require the dives. In both my class and the one i witnessed the instructor never entered the water with the student(s). I am sure this pretty common place so I am not sure there would be any real advantage to having to make the dives other than getting wet.

 

[MikeFerrara]

cstreu1026 once bubbled...
I have witnessed and experienced PADI nitorx classes that require the dives. In both my class and the one i witnessed the instructor never entered the water with the student(s). I am sure this pretty common place so I am not sure there would be any real advantage to having to make the dives other than getting wet.

Good point. I just finished commenting on this on another board. Some agencies require the instructor to be in the water to supervise, evaluate and set an example while others don't. You may not realize it but most of the PADI AOW and specialty dives can be conducted without an instructor or a DM in the water. That makes a lot of sense doesn't it?

I guess the idea is that if the student doesn't come back they fail the class.

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

5615mike once bubbled...
I have been looking for a Nitrox class in my area. LDS said they had one coming up in several weeks. Sounded good to me until I asked about the dives. He said the dives were optional. The class consisted of about 4 hrs. classroom and exam. Thought this was odd. No required dives for new gas. LDS is SSI affiliated.

I then spoke to and am trying to schedule a class with an IANTD instructor. He said that there were 2 dives required after the exam.

I have just been told that SSI recently dropped the dive requirements. Does anyone have any comments on these changes?

I do know that in April of 2002 they did not have the dives as a requirement.

I like the O/W Nx combo that NAUI started back then.