nitrox downsides

[gamon]

As a professional, maybe try and do a better job representing and educating the public. A snide quip might seem cute to you, but they add to the rampant misinformation and cynicism around the climate crisis. As divers we should all be concerned about the rapid coral bleaching and damage to ocean ecosystems that is more apparent year over year as average temperatures rise. The list of destinations worth diving is getting shorter at a disturbing pace.

As far as global warming and climate change goes, the loss of diving destinations is the tip of the iceberg.

 

[Boarderguy]

This guy is a Troll, definitely. Saying inflammatory and stupid stuff to elicit reactions. Ignore him.

He's for sure a troll but he isn't wrong about narcosis. Wrong forum for sure, but a little narc is nice.

There's a spectrum at play here, as well. Do we need trimix to take a short dip down to 33m under calm tropical circumstances as part of an otherwise slightly shallower dive? I think most would agree, no. Would I plan a cold water wreck dive to 40m on air? Also no. I suspect most of the "bah, trimix shlimix" people are talking more about the first kind of recreational dive than the latter?

I'm often below 50m on air and occasionally at 60m. Do it often enough and with the right equipment/mindset and it's fine. Yes, trimix is the right answer for these dives but they are inherently unaffordable for OC. I can go and see the same wreck at 155fsw for the cost of a doubles fill ($10-15) and a 40 of 50% ($18). On trimix that would be a ~$200 dive + the cost of getting training to breathe the gas. No thanks

 

[Allen-1]

Whenever I see this statement I shake my head because upon deeper analysis it makes no sense when viewed in isolation.

If you're diving a rental tank from an op that also supplies Nitrox, you are incurring a similar risk in that you could very well be diving a tank full of nitrox and are exposed to potentially more danger than getting a nitrox blend that is a bit different from what you expected.

Yet air divers are not trained nor expected to analyze their air tanks.

My instructor taught me to analyze every tank I dive, regardless of what its contents are "supposed" to be. That way I know what the percentage of oxygen is, and set my dc accordingly. Analyze it, slap painters tape on it, initial it and put the percentage on it. Only time I haven't taped the tank(s) is when the tanks are brought to the boat and analyzed at my station.

 

[Scuba-guy]

TROLL!! He's going on the "ignore" list.

I'm also putting you on ignore list

 

[bardass]

Interesting if true. She should at least consider getting a thorough medical work up concentrating on lung function. If it is a function of the PO2 then she should have the same symptoms when she dives near max sport diving depths or a little beyond. (simulating same PO2 a nitrox dive would give at shallower nitrox depth)


Good luck to your lady friend. Get her to see a pulmonary specialist.

I'm not in the habit of writing nonsense; I'm well known enough in French diving circles to avoid doing so.

The lady has been seeing a pulmonologist every year since we advised her to consult a doctor.
She is trained to dive to a maximum depth of 20m. She has always used a Nx30 maxi, which makes her cough.
Her pulmonologist has authorized her to dive since he has been treating her, limiting the use of nitrox, which is still allowed, but diving more often with air.

In France, every diver must provide a medical certificate signed by a doctor who is responsible in case of a problem.
So I assume that if he authorizes it, it's because he knows what he's doing.
Once again, to respond to the “god of diving,” I am not a doctor. And even less so a lung specialist.

Since she doesn't like diving while breathing air, she has reduced the number of her dives so that she can continue diving with nitrox.
When she dives several times over a weekend, she alternates between nitrox and air diving.
To date, the doctor has never said that he disagrees with her choice.

 

[LFMarm]

He's for sure a troll but he isn't wrong about narcosis. Wrong forum for sure, but a little narc is nice.

I'm often below 50m on air and occasionally at 60m. Do it often enough and with the right equipment/mindset and it's fine. Yes, trimix is the right answer for these dives but they are inherently unaffordable for OC. I can go and see the same wreck at 155fsw for the cost of a doubles fill ($10-15) and a 40 of 50% ($18). On trimix that would be a ~$200 dive + the cost of getting training to breathe the gas. No thanks

Narcosis is not the major problem of diving deeper 40 m without He. Has density is. It may all work out fine until the one time you have a problem on the bottom, need to do higher physical effort, CO2 combined with gas density may prove to be fatal. You are off course free to do it but personally I would not dive below 40m without trimix. If not available or not affordable, I would enjoy the large amount of things to see shallower. I hope new divers get good information about breaking standards and the risks they incur.

 

[Boarderguy]

Narcosis is not the major problem of diving deeper 40 m without He. Has density is. It may all work out fine until the one time you have a problem on the bottom, need to do higher physical effort, CO2 combined with gas density may prove to be fatal. You are off course free to do it but personally I would not dive below 40m without trimix. If not available or not affordable, I would enjoy the large amount of things to see shallower. I hope new divers get good information about breaking standards and the risks they incur.

I'm aware of that. At 190fsw you can feel the air and wob is for sure more difficult. But, with training (repetitive dives for greater duration and deeper depths) you build up a tolerance and understanding to it. It isn't for everyone and o don't recommend it, but I dive that way and means I can drop almost anywhere in the sound within 70m and use my standard double 100s.

I'm not a new diver (24 years) and plan these dives well imo.

 

[Wookie]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Thread closed until we can get around to cleaning it up. This is basic, guys, not a place to be discussing 60 Meter air dives.

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[landphil]

I almost always get free air fills, but only occasionally get free nitrox. So, that’s a downside. I tend to shore dive air and boat dive nitrox, cause that’s how the NDL depths generally line up around Monterey

 

[runsongas]

if you own your tanks and your LDS won't bank premix, it can be annoying having to o2 clean your tanks