Nitrox - warning for beginner divers

[Scuba_Noob]

If you're getting close to your NDLs before you start running low on air, then you might benefit from Nitrox to extend your bottom time or stay deeper longer without hitting your NDLs. Or if you're doing multiple dives per day (i.e., greater than two), and you want to extend your bottom time on later dives without hitting your NDL.

If not, then you might not benefit from getting a Nitrox fill. However, the knowledge of partial pressures and such that you get from a Nitrox class is useful, even for beginners. Some beginners have great air consumption and could benefit. And other beginners are extremely passionate about diving and want to dive more than a couple times a day (Nitrox would be beneficial then).

So it's extremely flawed to say that Nitrox is useless for beginners or anyone else. I'd be surprised if you had Nitrox training, as your comments reflect a lack of education about the uses and benefits of Nitrox. It's very arrogant to make such blanket assertions.

 

[RJP]

Please note: This forum has special rules. This forum is intended to be a very friendly, "flame free zone" where divers of any skill level may ask questions about basic scuba topics without fear of being accosted. Please show respect and courtesy at all times. Remember that the inquirer is looking for answers that they can understand. This is a learning zone and consequently, any off-topic or overly harsh responses will be removed.

Don't see where it says "Inaccurate, biased, or faulty information is encouraged... as long as it is presented in a friendly manner."

 

[rhwestfall]

underlines added for further discussion

Please note: This forum has special rules. This forum is intended to be a very friendly, "flame free zone" where divers of any skill level may ask questions about basic scuba topics without fear of being accosted. Please show respect and courtesy at all times. Remember that the inquirer is looking for answers that they can understand. This is a learning zone and consequently, any off-topic or overly harsh responses will be removed.

The OP has asked no question, and actually offered advice to new divers that is lacking factual real knowledge. If anything, it should have been pulled from this forum....

 

[Mike2Fst]

I know that this thread is aimed at divers new to the sport, but just for fun, if the price of Nitrox drops your jaw, please, don some Depends and do a little Trimix shopping for me.

:dropmouth::lookaround:

 

[fdarden]

Wow. I had forgotten how much a "fill" costs. We are lucky enough here in South Florida to be able to purchase by the cubic foot. This works out great as you really never drain a tank and you never pay for that last 500psi (I frequently come back with tanks at 12-1500 psi) Its supply and demand my friend. If you are not near a dive destination where Nitrox is heavily used, you will pay dearly for it. There is a dive shop in Central Florida, along a main pathway where tourists travel, that charges 15.00 for either 32 or 36 percent, no custom blending, and a "good" fill is right around 3000 psi but typically in the neighborhood of 2800 (no booster). I spoke to them about it, and they explained that there was nowhere anywhere near them that you could dive where it made sense to dive Nitrox. They had it for the diver that cant see past his/her nose, and HAS to dive Nitrox no matter where they go. Here at .12 cents a cf as of 7/27/2012, I guess a Nitrox fill for an AL80 costs between $7.00 and $9.60 which is the cheapest price that I am aware of. To wrap it up and answer your question - Nitrox is totally worth it. As someone else pointed out, as you start diving in other places other than your home town, you will be very delighted that you are Nitrox certified. Hopefully you get to do that sooner than later! You should come down to South Florida, breathe some of our inexpensive Nitrox, do some awesome long dives, and have yourself a blast. The water is nice and warm here now, too.

 

[rhwestfall]

air fills here in the captive Western New York region are $8 (on a 10 or 20 fill card the cost is a fair amount less and the card never expires). A Nitrox fill is two punches on the card...... not sure what they are getting if you are paying at that moment....

 

[Firebird2XC]

I'm a new Texas diver as well as the OP, and I've been all through this with my local dive shop.

He's right- outside coastal areas, it's next to impossible to find a Nitrox provider. In all of DFW, there is only one or two out of the few dozen dive shops. Ultimately, though, there aren't many dive spots that really have a depth that make it useful, so the bottom time/SIT benefit never really comes into play. The shop that certified me for Nitrox told me I'd get very little benefit out of it locally. On a trip, however, a Nitrox cert is worth its weight in gold.

One of the shop instructors told me on a trip they won't dive anything but Nitrox- but for a weekend of local diving or instructing, there's no reason to go with anything more than standard air.

Also- for someone going on a trip, I'm assuming air travel. I'm a pilot, so I fly at least sixteen days a month, and I have to watch my post-dive/fly time interval. While I always just wait 24 full hours, anything I can do to reduce the Nitrogen absorption into my tissues is a big bonus and huge added safety factor. Ergo, Nitrox offers peace of mind to pad the 'rule of thumb' already in play.

Granted, I'm a total noob, but from a landlocked noob diver's POV, that's the best my research has shown me. YMMV.

 

[fire_diver]

Firebird, do more research. DFW is far from being a diving spot. Almost every inland dive site I have been to offer nitrox. I can get nitrox at Tenkiller in OK (depths to about 150), Beaver lake in AR (depths to 200+), Tablerock lake in MO (200+). There are plenty of other inland dive places around here that offer nitrox also. I'm sure there are a lot of good dive sites in TX that have it available too.

Why do you assume everywhere is the same as your local mud holes?


Firebird, this isn't meant as an insult, but why you feel the need to offer advice on a subject you admit to being very new at? I have flown a Cessna 172, does that qualify me to begin commenting on all airports and airframes around?

 

[genxweb]

Wow I forgot how much it cost these days. I pay nothing for air at most places I dive locally. I vol. a few hours each summer at the local quarry so I get free air there and Iam a dive master at my local shop so I get free air. Nitrox at the local shop for a non staff member is about 12.00 per tank up to 50%. Air is about 8.00 for a HP. The price of nitrox goes up for blends higher then 50% ie 80 or 100%.

I am one of their blenders and I can tell you it is not a easy task compared to filling air. We have a multi cascade system to get the most out of each bottle. For the original OP you need to realize they loose a percentage from each bottle do to pressure differences. Also most medical grade 02 comes in low pressure tanks at between 2400 to 2800 (depends where you are and who you get from). We then need to analyze the tank calculate current pressure then run some numbers to to find out the proper mix for the gas the diver wants. Each tank is different and take a few minutes to a hour + to do (if need to be bled and filled or other issues). So if you are getting the nitrox fill at 8.00 I would not complain.

Most dives you are doing at your level prob do not require nitrox , making nitrox more of a luxury for you then a requirement. The dives we do here are very rarely less then 80 feet in depth and using nitrox and special training we can extend our dives over a hour + at depths. I suggest if you dont like the cost of nitrox fills you don't even think of tech diving especially using helium where fills can cost you over a 100 dollars and you rarely use all the gas.

In the end you need to realize like everything else out there what is a NEED and what is a WANT. If you want something then you decide if you are willing to pay the price. If you NEED something then you pay the price. On top of that shops need to make money, most shops loose money on the fills due to the prices they charge . Though they know with out them them they will loose even more money.

 

[redacted]

Houston, TX

Where, in the Houston area, were you going to use Nitrox?

I am in central TX. Nitrox is reasonably available but I have little use for it for local diving. Clearly not worth the cost of O2 cleaning and PP blending for me. But, when I go to the Flower Gardens, Nitrox is the only way to go unless you are happy with short dives.