Nitrox for older divers

[Searcaigh]

When I was younger, so much younger than today, I always wanted to go out dancing after dinner on dive days.

some gas in my wing when going down, I want too stop at the depth I've planned.

 

[Celt]

I don't know if you are joking with this, but....

Whatever the mechanism, recent research indicates older people do appear to be more susceptible to DCS.

Age is just a number I know lots of people in their sixties who are a lot healthier than some in their forties. Over weight and ill health are the real causes of a susceptible to dci,

 

[Bert van den Berg]

73 years old. Last two dives were Nitrox 40%. Max depth 24M. Didn't notice any difference between air and Nitrox but did manage a 55 minute dive without feeling tired.

Had to use the 40 % Nitrox because I had all five tanks filled to max O2 before lockdown in case anyone I loved needed a bit extra in case they felt unwell.

 

[Gunrock]

No need to wait until you're at retirement age to give this serious thought. The older I get the more people I know who have taken undeserved DCS hits. The one that really shook me up was a healthy, fit instructor, age mid 40s, on a short dive. Most of my diving is in the 20-40ft range but anything over about 65ft I'll only do on nitrox. I'll never do some of the stuff I did in my 20s on air again that's for sure.

 

[Celt]

73 years old. Last two dives were Nitrox 40%. Max depth 24M. Didn't notice any difference between air and Nitrox but did manage a 55 minute dive without feeling tired.

Had to use the 40 % Nitrox because I had all five tanks filled to max O2 before lockdown in case anyone I loved needed a bit extra in case they felt unwell.

I did the same decanted O2 into 3 7liter tanks when the first news of virus started. Bled them down and pumped 32% so I could use them.

 

[iamrushman]

I use N2O2 for the deeper boat dives and to shorten my surface interval but mostly use air for shallow beach dives...

 

[TMHeimer]

Age is just a number I know lots of people in their sixties who are a lot healthier than some in their forties. Over weight and ill health are the real causes of a susceptible to dci,

Mostly agree. About some in their 60s maybe healthier than some in their 40s. And about overweight and ill health probably being more of a cause of DSC than age.
Only disagree with "Age is just a number". From what I read age itself is a DCS factor, leaving health out of the equation.
The quote is akin to "you are only as old as you feel" or "age is a state of mind". I'm 66, about in the same health as when I was 56. My diving has "toned down". Being 66 IS very different from 56 and not just a number-- for me anyway.

 

[Celt]

Mostly agree. About some in their 60s maybe healthier than some in their 40s. And about overweight and ill health probably being more of a cause of DSC than age.
Only disagree with "Age is just a number". From what I read age itself is a DCS factor, leaving health out of the equation.
The quote is akin to "you are only as old as you feel" or "age is a state of mind". I'm 66, about in the same health as when I was 56. My diving has "toned down". Being 66 IS very different from 56 and not just a number-- for me anyway.

What I’m saying is should the advice to use nitrox apply more to the overweight and unhealthy 40 year old than the fit healthy 60 year old. Obviously on an individual basis to be 10 years older is different.

 

[TMHeimer]

What I’m saying is should the advice to use nitrox apply more to the overweight and unhealthy 40 year old than the fit healthy 60 year old. Obviously on an individual basis to be 10 years older is different.

Agree, nitrox PROBABLY helps that 40 year old more. It does fall under the usual heading of "we really don't know a whole lot about DCS".

 

[boulderjohn]

This is a common suggestion, but I have never seen the point of it. I agree with scubadada. Why lie to the computer? If you don't want to go all the way to the limits, don't go all the way to the limits.

I just wanted to add to this thought.

I have seen more than one article in dive magazines that say you have two and only two choices with nitrox:

1. Dive nitrox but stay within air limits for greater safety
2. Dive nitrox for greater bottom times than you get with air, with the understanding that there is no safety advantage when you reach the nitrox NDLs.

In other words, you can have greater safety or greater bottom time, but you can't have both. These articles seem to be based on a firm belief that once you get past air NDL limits, you have no option other than to continue to dive to the full limits of the nitrox NDL. If you do a dive to 70 feet while breathing EANx 36, you have two and only two choices:

1. End the dive with 40 minutes bottom time, the limits on PADI air tables.
2. End the dive with 75 minutes bottom time, the limits on PADI EANx 36 tables.

I hope people reading this can envision a 70 foot dive on EANx 36 for 50 minutes. It is possible to do that.