Nitrox course - is it a rip off?

[Kim]

But only in an emergency where you're not expending much energy

Most emergencies would also entail getting shallower as fast as possible - so reducing my ppo2. If it's something that for some reason prevents me doing that I suspect that my temporarily high ppo2 would be the least of my problems!

 

[Don Burke]

As you understand it so much better, why don't you tell me the benefits of teaching the two different pp limits then?

When planning a dive, knowing where the 1.6 limit tells the diver how much deeper the buddy team can go in the event of an unexpected situation.

The course I took (PADI & TDI taught at same time) also taught how quickly the oxygen clock will run in such a case.

Armed with such knowledge, the diver can make a decision about what mix would let him best respond to emergencies deeper than the dive plan.

Without teaching 1.6 (which in my course was not dwelled on), anything beyond 1.4 is black magic. That is not the direction I would prefer dive training to take.

 

[Hooked-Again]

I totally agree with ROBH. That is why I piggy-backed it onto my AOW cert and they didn't charge me extra for the OW for nitrox

 

[*Floater*]

I read two books on nitrox and I'm taking a NAUI course on it right now.

During the NAUI course they also taught me to use 1.4 PP for planning, and 1.6 PP as a contingency.

One of the books (American Divers online nitrox course) recommended 1.6 PP as the starting point for planning for short (30-45min), warm water, non-strenuous dives. If those three conditions aren't met, then they recommended limiting PP to 1.4.

The other book (Recreational Nitrox Diving) explained that definitive oxtox symptoms such as convolsions should not occur for PP values of 1.7 or less (according to statistical research) on short dives, so 1.6 PP already has a bit of a safety window built-in. However, probable symptoms such as light-headedness and passing nausea can happen above 1.3 PP. Below 1.3 PP healthy people should be safe.

The book also notes that an exercising diver in Duke Univ breathing 1.6 PP oxygen did suffer oxtox convulsions after 40 min, so you should be very careful if using that limit - at least avoid strenuous conditions during longer dives.

 

[fishhunta]

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[dl348]

A "more expensive" nitrox class (whether it's SSI, SDI/TDI, IANTD, PADI or NAUI) is not always better than a "less expensive" nitrox class. I paid $150.00 for my NAUI Nitrox class and IMHO it was worth every penny. My class did not require 2 check-out dives. I'm another one who thinks that the dives should not be required. Two checkout dives is not going to necessarily improve someone's knowledge of basic nitrox since it's mostly a theoretical course. The most important concepts to understand with nitrox are dive planning and gas analysis, both of which are performed on land.

Just my .02

 

[StSomewhere]

True, but why not just say 1.4 is the limit and leave it at that - why teach that 1.4 is the limit, but, well, 1.6 that's the limit too. It's pretty likely that by teaching the 1.6 "contingency" limit that some people are going to use that limit without understanding it.

See, and that's why I think it should be taught as a class. Its not just that "1.6 is evil and you will die but 1.4 is OK". Its actually a combination of pPO2 and time (this according to the people at NOAA who literally wrote the book on enriched air diving). So 1.6 might be OK for a short period of time (45 minutes or less) given a perfect set of circumstance, the reality is the perfect set of circumstance may not exist for your dive due to conditioning, cold, current, working dive, length of dive, etc. The thing is, given all that, 1.4 for a long period may not be safe either. Agencies that teach nitrox with a stock pPO2 plus a little algebra are, IMO, cheating their students out of not just knowledge, but the ability to intelligently manage their own risks.

FWIW, I thought I knew it all when I took my Nitrox class, but you never know what you don't know. I learned all the above, plus a fair bit on decompression theory and practical advice on how to maximize offgassing and minimize DCS risks. My nitrox class was far-and-away the best scubadollars I've ever spent. YMMV, but probably not if you have a great nitrox instructor.

 

[Qtacevac]

My LDS only charged me $120 for the Nitrox course with all materials included, then turned around and only charged my fiance $85. Since the both of us were taking the class at the same time. I think it will be well worth the cost.

 

[neil]

NAUI) I paid $150.00 for my NAUI Nitrox class and IMHO it was worth every penny. My class did not require 2 check-out dives. I'm another one who thinks that the dives should not be required. Two checkout dives is not going to necessarily improve someone's knowledge of basic nitrox since it's mostly a theoretical course. The most important concepts to understand with nitrox are dive planning and gas analysis, both of which are performed on land.

Just my .02

If you didn't do the two dives for NAUI Nitrox certification, your instructor violated the standards. I think the dives are important. I wouldn't want to certify a diver who was unable to maintain a constant depth, or adhere to a maximum depth while using Nitrox, and the only way to know that is to go diving with them.

 

[gecko3s]

Our Nitrox was a $100 add on to our open water class. It saved us a bunch of money, because seperately it would be $125, plus springs fees, etc. Definetely worth it in my opinion.

Oh, and FWIW, our instructor also told us to ignore the 1.6 PPO. Always use 1.4 as the max. I think this is wise as it will eliminate planning to the max of 1.4 with the attitude of "We're safe to 1.6 so theres a margin built in." When the time comes to start getting more techincal and what-not, I'll worry about it then if its taught.