Nitrox for shallow water artifact diving??

[Storker]

The expectation is that the human body can withstand saturation

Well, if you're saturated you won't bubble. Because if you're saturated, your tissues are in equilibrium with the surroundings. It's only when you're supersaturated that you'll bubble and might get DCS.

So your body should very well withstand saturation.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

First of all, I basically always dive nitrox, for two reasons:
- I often dive with GUE divers, and standardization involves a lot of advantages that I am not going to cover here (it's way OT);
- when I dive with people who prefer air, I use nitrox just in case my plans after the dive change, and because it is easier for me to deal always with the same gas (easy to remember NDL, etc.)

But I have good reasons to do it. Even if I believe that nx has so many advantages, I need to be clear with other people who are asking about its use regarding advantages, disadvantages and neutral aspects.

Now, besides the above reasons, I do not see others that are always valid.

Let's assume that one day I have to do a single dive, within recreational limits. After this dive, I do not have to do any kind of activities that involves environmental pressure changes. In this case, having more or less nitrogen after the dive doesn't make any difference to me. What do you think?

EDIT: I understand that you consider that stress something negative; I agree with you, but it's our way to see it. At the end of the day, millions of people have used air without any health issues in the past and are using it even today.

Please don't misunderstand me. I'm NOT saying diving air is bad or dangerous. I've done plenty of air dives myself. As long as current algorithms and procedures are followed, diving on air is perfectly safe.

Personally, I no longer dive air. I put air in my pony bottle but that's all. I'm always diving Nitrox these days. I laid out my logic in my previous posts on this thread. Less nitrogen is preferable to more nitrogen in a breathing gas. It's honestly that simple to me. Nitrogen serves no useful purpose in a breathing gas and I minimize it whenever possible.

 

[rx7diver]

I'm always diving Nitrox these days. I laid out my logic in my previous posts on this thread. Less nitrogen is preferable to more nitrogen in a breathing gas. It's honestly that simple to me. Nitrogen serves no useful purpose in a breathing gas and I minimize it whenever possible.

@JimBlay,

Does it matter to you how your Nitrox is made--you know, whether it is made by blending air and 100% oxygen (continuous blending or not), or, alternately, by removing nitrogen from air?

rx7diver

 

[boulderjohn]

Your opinion. It may well do that. The history says it was developed to increase NDLs

And it does that by reducing nitrogen uptake, which works at any depth.

Can you prove that?

This is basic decompression theory. NDL is based on nitrogen uptake.

 

[tursiops]

I tend to trust scientists: if they didn't manage to clarify that nitrox reduces fatigues, I don't see any reasons to believe it.

Read the studies. They don't even use the same definition of fatigue that we normal people use, AND they may not run the tests to simulate the conditions that we talk about for lessening fatigue, which is multiple dives over multiple days. The early studies used ONE dive in a dry chamber, for example, and are not now thought to be relevant.
See https://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/nitrox-and-fatigue-the-evidence.583142.

 

[ginti]

Read the studies. They don't even use the same definition of fatigue that we normal people use, AND they may not run the tests to simulate the conditions that we talk about for lessening fatigue, which is multiple dives over multiple days. the early studies used ONE dive in a dry chamber, for eample, and not thought to be relevant.
See https://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/nitrox-and-fatigue-the-evidence.583142.

Thanks for the link, very interesting

 

[ginti]

Read the studies. They don't even use the same definition of fatigue that we normal people use, AND they may not run the tests to simulate the conditions that we talk about for lessening fatigue, which is multiple dives over multiple days. the early studies used ONE dive in a dry chamber, for eample, and not thought to be relevant.
See https://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/nitrox-and-fatigue-the-evidence.583142.

Scientists here conclude that "more research is needed", that is, they didn't manage to prove that nitrox reduces fatigue neither to disprove it.

The way I see it, if the fatigue reduction caused by nitrox was so significant, it would have been easier for scientists to find it. This is why I don't want to consider this option until further development will bring more insights.

However, because there is not any disproof, I can accept that people believe it, especially if their belief is based on their own experience (you know, human bodies are different).

But the links you provided are very interesting, really. Thanks!

 

[Paul M]

2 years of artifact hunting and only one dark water dive in the 40 ft range, 5 or 6 in the 35 ft range, and the others have been 25 ft or less. Thanks for all the info.. Was asking because I was gonna look into getting Nitrox cert if it was gonna be worth it. I will check the price of fills... BTW I really like this site lot of experience here!

It's worth it just for the knowledge. I believe it should be taught to every diver regardless of if they would ever use it for a dive.
IMO, along with their OW/AOW, all divers should have the knowledge of a Nitrox and Rescue course.

 

[rx7diver]

It's worth it just for the knowledge. I believe it should be taught to every diver regardless of if they would ever use it for a dive.
IMO, along with their OW/AOW, all divers should have the knowledge of a Nitrox and Rescue course.

"IMO, along with their OW/AOW, all divers should have the knowledge of a Nitrox and Rescue course", and DAN Oxygen Provider, and DAN Advanced Oxygen Provider, too.

rx7diver

 

[Bob DBF]

The way I see it, if the fatigue reduction caused by nitrox was so significant, it would have been easier for scientists to find it. This is why I don't want to consider this option until further development will bring more insights.

Me feeling better and less tired after a dive is not considered fatigue by the studies definition although it is by mine.

There was a Nitrox study that did two dives a day for several, I think non consecutive days, That did not see relief from fatigue. What they did notice was that the subjects on Nitrox said they felt better after the dives, and could tell the difference between Nitrox and air. Those results were scientifically significant but since they were not a part of the study, it was just a footnote. These results were theorized to be caused by a reduction of subclinical DCS, and that a study into that should be made.

I don't see the difference on a tank or two in a day, but when on a liveaboard doing multiple dives a day for several days I use Geezer Gas because I feel better than on air.