Nitrox course without dives - what am I missing?

[Rhone Man]

Reminds me of a comment made by a friend of mine. He was going to write a book entitled Diving on Nitrox for Dummies. It went:

"Stay shallower than 100 feet. The end."

 

[ScubaSteve]

Reminds me of a comment made by a friend of mine. He was going to write a book entitled Diving on Nitrox for Dummies. It went:

"Stay shallower than 100 feet. The end."

:lol:

 

[Babydamulag]

Most of us (INSTRUCTORS/OWNERS) prefer to have the Enriched Air Diver student take the course without making dives. Face it....breathing is second nature and taking a yellow bottle with a green label to a specified depth is NOT challenging. Spend the time to teach the student the basics and move on to REBREATHER DIVER or something that is really challenging. Besides, I need the surface interval!!!

 

[Blackwood]

I really think that adding the dives to the class is another cash builder for the instructor/dive shop.

Can anyone tell me whether the cost of nitrox certification has decreased since most of the agencies pulled the diving requirement?

 

[Sas]

Can anyone tell me whether the cost of nitrox certification has decreased since most of the agencies pulled the diving requirement?

The course I am doing is $220. All other courses I looked at with dive requirements cost $395-450.

I don't think this means it makes more cash for the shops though. At $50x2 for two boat dives, that leaves $70-130 for the instructor's time, and for a whole day on a boat that isn't much.

 

[k ellis]

Blackwood I would say from what I have heard it did come down somewhat but it also depends on the dive shop thats teaching the course. Unfortunately I have heard some classes as cheap as $80 and others as much as $200. So where it is that you choose to cert has a lot to do with it I think.

 

[GrlEEEgrl]

GrleeeGrl I noticed you are a dive master candidate. Good luck

Thanks!

 

[boulderjohn]

My understanding from when I did the course (without dives) is that back in the 'old days' when Nitrox was more controversial and recreational cert courses were just appearing, there was a common belief that you felt different. More recent double-blind experiments suggest any real differences are small if they exist at all, and unlikely to be noticeable to the newcomer. .

I would be interested in seeing the details of these studies.

I have seen the details of one study that produced those conclusions, and it was a total farce. I don't remember it precisely, but they put divers through something like two dives to 60 feet for a half hour each and compared the way they felt. That study simply did not stress the divers enough to produce any noticeable difference whatsoever.

A full week of deeper, repetitive dives would be much more telling.

As a nitrox instructor, I officially tell my students that all evidence of feeling better is anecdotal, and there is no scientific evidence to support it, but...

I have done full weeks of deeper, repetitive dives on air, and I have done full weeks of deeper, repetitive dives on nitrox, and I know my anecdotal, unscientific preference.

 

[Clammy]

I agree, After 3 or more repetitive dives on air I completely conk out on boats. If I'm using nitrox, I don't have the immediate need to fall asleep. This COULD be the placebo effect but I have to believe that having between 11%-19% less nitrogen in your system (assuming you didn't push your NDL) will have a positive effect.

 

[Clammy]

Thanks!

Tank schlepping!!! Good Luck!