Nitrox or not - around Turneffe area

[KarinW]

Hello - we will be staying at Turneffe Island Resort in July. I have never tried Nitrox. When diving in the area, do people prefer using nitrox - or does it not really matter?

Thanks, Karin

 

[Downing]

Well, there's nothing special about the Turneffe area that would lend itself to recreational EAN diving per se except the diving's mostly around 60 to 70 feet. TIR sells the stuff, 32% only, so they offer the class in hopes that you'll take it and then become a nitrox customer. I suppose a less jaded view would be that they offer the class as a service to their guests who would like to take advantage of diving with nitrox.

Which is what I did. I'm glad I did it, but I had two weeks to get it done and used TIR's "off day" to do it.

You asked in Stoo's TIR review thread if you should take the course there. Since you're staying only a week, I'd recommend doing the class ahead of time even though there's no diving involved and really very little "classroom" work either. Instead, you study the manual, answer the review questions at the end of each chapter and take the final exam. If you have an aptitude for this type of learning, you can probably be certified within a couple of days by studying the manual at night. If you're like me, you don't have such an aptitude and it will take the better part of a day of concentrated study while seated at a desk so you don't fall asleep on your bed, ahem. Either way, it would be a decent size bite out of your down time.

The only time my instructor got involved was when we went over my completed final to review the questions and my answers. Then he showed me their fill station, explained how the gas is blended and let me practice using their analyzer.

PADI now offers the course online. I don't know how it's structured but I would think that about the only thing you would miss out on would be an instructor going over the final in person, a look at a fill station and a hands on experience with an analyzer.

One other drawback of doing it at TIR is that you don't get to keep the manual. They lend it to you, and you give it back when you're done. So I bought one, along with an analyzer, when I returned home.

Based on my limited experience at the resort, I'd say maybe a fourth or less of the divers used nitrox.

Have fun and be sure to do a trip report when you return!

 

[KarinW]

Downing, once again you are a wealth of information! Thanks so much!!!! Karin

 

[KarinW]

Actually, this is probably not the right venue for this, but how about a general Nitrox question:

I can stay down a while - I come up when the group comes up, therefore the length of time is not a problem (which I know is why most people like Nitrox). But I am wondering if Nitrox will help with my other two issues: 1) I get heartburn when I dive (don't know why... I normally never do...); and 2) my body just doesn't normally like doing 3 dives a day, especially on consecutive days (don't know why either, it just likes 2 dives better...).

So, is there any chance that Nitrox will help with these two issue (heartburn and being able to do 3 dives a day)?

Thanks in advance!

 

[peterbj7]

You should find nitrox gives you more energy for that third dive, but perhaps you should also boost your blood sugar level a bit after dive 2. I don't think nitrox will help with heartburn, which I also get whether I dive with air or nitrox. I think some people, certainly me and by the sound of things you as well, get this when they're horizontal on their front for a while. I had this at the end of my second dive this morning, and both dives had been on 32%. Perhaps an antacid taken before diving might help?

 

[Downing]

Nitrox will cure your heartburn, give you enough energy to do four dives in one day and pick up your newspaper in the driveway.

Ok, not really.

Seriously, I'd try Prilosec for heartburn issues. It's one pill a day, taken in the morning, for fourteen days. You could start taking it a few days before you go to TIR and just keep taking it while you're there. Good stuff. It used to be available only by prescription but now it's sold over the counter and widely available.

As far as the energy thing, in all honesty I haven't felt any difference using nitrox. I do like the idea of minimizing my nitrogen absorption, though, which is why I use it. I have talked to others who swear it makes them feel better, more energetic, etc, after diving.

 

[Doc]

When diving in the area, do people prefer using nitrox - or does it not really matter?

That's really a perfect question. Is nitrox suited for use in the dive profiles and number of dives that you'll likely be doing in a day.

Well, there's nothing special about the Turneffe area that would lend itself to recreational EAN diving per se except the diving's mostly around 60 to 70 feet. TIR sells the stuff, 32% only, so they offer the class in hopes that you'll take it and then become a nitrox customer. I suppose a less jaded view would be that they offer the class as a service to their guests who would like to take advantage of diving with nitrox.

And that's a great answer.

The rest of it, whether you'll feel less tired or less cold or more frisky- absolutely none of that has ever had any scientific proof. And after so many years, if there was any, you can bet the nitrox merchants would be printing it and handing it out on every street corner.

It is a specific use tool that has excellent utility in a very narrow range of diving. Otherwise, many, many divers use it because... I really can't tell you why.

You should have the certification for future needs, but you did ask another question entirely.

 

[Bob DBF]

I got a Nitrox cert for Lobster diving in CA. On a 3 day trip the usual for me is 6 dives day 1 & 2 and 4 on day 3, the dives are not particularly deep and are NDL dives on air. The Nitrox keeps me further from NDL and less tired (possible sub-clinical DCS) than previously diving on air. The study cited by Rotanman did not look at this type of diving and, as far as I know, no other study has been funded.

Other than that I normally use air (2 -4 dives/day). Theoretically I can see profiles Nitrox would be useful but I have not needed to dive them.

Does your computer dive Nitrox? My buddy's doesn't so he uses his air computer and tracks his Oxygen exposure manually. We went to the same class for the same reason.


Bob
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I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

 

[vladimir]

I get heartburn when I dive (don't know why... I normally never do.

I'm going to guess that you don't normally spend much time inverted, which you may do while diving. If not inverted, at least with your head lower than your gut. The solutions to heartburn while diving are probably the same as for heartburn in general: keep your head higher than your gut (although that may not be optimal diving position), don't overeat, don't eat fried or fatty foods, don't fill your stomach with liquids (although that may hinder your proper hydration), and use an over-the-counter drug like famotidine (Pepcid).

You may want to pose the question in the medical forum to get an expert response, or search the posts of DocVikingo, TSandM, etc., to see if it's been addressed before.

 

[theduckguru]

Actually, this is probably not the right venue for this, but how about a general Nitrox question:

I can stay down a while - I come up when the group comes up, therefore the length of time is not a problem (which I know is why most people like Nitrox). But I am wondering if Nitrox will help with my other two issues: 1) I get heartburn when I dive (don't know why... I normally never do...); and 2) my body just doesn't normally like doing 3 dives a day, especially on consecutive days (don't know why either, it just likes 2 dives better...).

So, is there any chance that Nitrox will help with these two issue (heartburn and being able to do 3 dives a day)?

Thanks in advance!

Doubtful Nitrox will make any difference. Are you drinking carbonated beverages pre dive?