Nitrox for Liveaboard - Great Barrier Reef

[NAUI Wowie]

Nitrox is always worth it, especially when doing multiple dives.

not if the dives are all shallow say 60 feet. paying more for fills only makes sense for more bottom time on deep dives. the whole I feel refreshed more on nitrox is a myth.

 

[NAUI Wowie]

Multiple repetitive dives to 60 feet for days on end is a perfect use case for EAN40

why. this has never been proven

 

[NAUI Wowie]

I'm off to the Great Barrier Reef for a 2 day, 1 night liveaboard in October. I see they offer nitrox and am wondering about using it.

We're doing 4 dives on day 1, including a night dive, and 2 more the following morning. Looks to me like the surface intervals are probably long enough that NDLs won't significantly limit our diving but not knowing how much there is at various depths etc I'd be grateful for views. We'll be on the Outer Reef.

Thanks

if you are not diving wrecks or caverns and diving to around 60 ft or less there is literally no benefit to nitrox. I always use it diving wrecks or when ill be between 80 and 100 feet for more bottom time but other than that recreationally its the same air vs nitrox. Time between dives is always long enough no matter which you use. Ive never seen proof it makes you feel better after a dive over air and ive never been able to tell the difference either. My Hawaiian buddy swears by nitrox always but he also believes Menehunes will kill you in the forests at night if you dont pee in a circle around your tent so theres that ....

 

[scubadada]

Your NDL at 60 ft on air is less than an hour. Depending on your gas consumption and tank, your gas time may be greater. Your NDL for a repetitive dive on air will be shorter. I will always dive nitrox.

 

[tarponchik]

Actually, excessive O2 is toxic. For that reason, our bodies have developed protective mechanisms against oxygen radicals. Supplement industry makes huge profits selling various antioxidants to that very people who always dive Nitrox. I've stated this on SB many times already, but the "I-always-dive-nitrox" crowd never gets that diving Nitrox is a trade-off: we increase bottom time sacrificing, in the long run, our health.

 

[FreqFlier]

nitrox is a myth.

Should not even say it out loud. There is no Rx for stupidity

 

[tarponchik]

This post made my top 10 list of ridiculous things I've read on the internet. In face it's in the top 3. Be proud.

Ignorance is blessing, as the saying goes. Have you ever seen what oxygen radicals do to DNA? I had.

If you'd like to add more to your Top 10, I'll add that even breathing pressurized air with 21% O2 must be bad enough.

 

[tarponchik]

I guess we should all just stop breathing since oxygen is so bad for us.

By that logic, maybe we should stop living because we die. Have you ever thought why people at higher altitudes live longer?

 

[tarponchik]

I've got better things to think about.

Then what are you doing here?

 

[boulderjohn]

By that logic, maybe we should stop living because we die. Have you ever thought why people at higher altitudes live longer?

Never having heard of this, I looked it up. There are indeed some studies that indicate people live longer at higher altitudes, but other studies do not support it.

None of the ones I found attributed any benefit to supposed damage done by higher oxygen levels at lower altitudes. Lower oxygen levels were in fact considered a potential benefit in one study, but it was because of the theory that the body's need for oxygen spurred it to create more blood vessels at higher altitudes.