I'm thinking hard about doing the Nitrox Specialty with PADI . . . How much class work, pre class reading, how may hours/days is the training and is there going to be any diving done? Just trying to get a feel of what to expect
As others have noted, the enriched air course is now a diving-optional course, and can even be completed (theory) through eLearning. The only time I teach it as a 'wet' course now is when I do so in conju8nction with a planned dive tri[p, where the student divers are going to be in the water anyway.
I just did a 'dry' course for 7 students through our shop, was scheduled for 5 hours, and ran over slightly, and here is what we did: 1) general discussion of enriched air use (what, why, how) - I actually started with Peter Guy's '30 second nitrox class' (
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/400075-padi-nitrox-course-review.html) to stimulate the discussion; 2) Knowledge Review / academics; 3) RDP use in dive planning (probably the most difficult part for some people whio haven't used the RDP in a while, easiest part for newly certified OW divers; 4) tour / orientation of the shop fill station / gas analysis. I have each person analyze 5 'unknown' tanks (including one with very high O2, and one with less than 15% O2, just to see their reaction); 5) simulated dive planning - I give them the outline (e.g. site description, depths) of an actual two-tank coastal charter, tell them what mixes are available / banked at our shop and at the coastal charter site, and have them plan a 2-dive trip - mix(es), depths, run times, surface interval, resulting pressure groups, etc., after which we discuss their individual plans as a group, to see how they compare and what their reasoning was. We charge $79 for the class, plus the 'crew pak'.
ElGaucho:
Nitrox can be a card, or it can be a class. I rather strive for a class.
Well said!