Nitrox

[Blackwood]

Slightly off topic, but I have also been considering getting my NITROX cert. For those of you who dive nitrox, do you all have your own analyzers to check the mix, or do LDS's supply one for you to use? Just trust that the mix thier giving you is right (Don't think I'd do this) Just trying to get a feel for how much switching to nitrox is really going to cost me. Thanks...

Jake

I don't own one. Shops generally have the sniffer variety, which I don't like so much, but I'm not about to spend $1,500 on a flow-restricted analyser.

 

[Blackwood]

I'm practice what I preach. I haven't done an air dive outside of a pool in years. In fact, I don't think that I've done an air dive in a pool in over 12 months. I require it when I travel, and won't use an operation that can't provide it.

You dive Nitrox in the pool?

Wow... that's a first for me

 

[oscar_2424]

Im new to diving obviously if im in the forum but anyways im thinking of taking nitrox because im a big guy and really suck the tank dry fast will nitrox help with this problem and is it worth the money for the class and tank fill prices

Thanks

In order to improve your air cosumption yo ust need to dive more, and eventually it will get to you, nitrox just give you moe bottom time at certain depths

 

[DiveGolfSki]

Im new to diving obviously if im in the forum but anyways im thinking of taking nitrox because im a big guy and really suck the tank dry fast will nitrox help with this problem and is it worth the money for the class and tank fill prices

Thanks

Here's a thread based on a similar discussion:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?postid=1233042

Nothing about SAC on that discussion though.

 

[nwbrewer]

Thanks Rick and Blackwood. Think I'll have to be doing my NITROX cert this fall then.

Jake

 

[Northeastwrecks]

You dive Nitrox in the pool?

Wow... that's a first for me

Yes, but its not particularly deliberate.

I don't have tanks that are dedicated for pool work. When I need to go to the pool, I grab one of my singles and go. My default fill for singles is EAN32, so that's what I use. I've allowed to fill my own tanks at the LDS, so its actually more work to get an air tank than to use Nitrox.

I'm not particularly retentive about pool work. If I had to grab a shop tank to use at the pool, I'd use an air tank if a Nitrox wasn't available.

 

[mccabejc]

So, let me get this straight:

"It doesn't do anything to improve gas consumption."

"Breathing Nitrox won't help you breath less gas."

"Nitrox won't change your immediate breathing rates."

"Will it make you use less air, No."

"But changing the breathing gas won't change your consumption rate."

"Nitrox will not change your SAC rate."

So are you guys saying that nitrox does NOT improve your air consumption?

(Sorry, I couldn't resist. Well, actually I could, but didn't want to )

 

[devilfish]

So, let me get this straight:

"It doesn't do anything to improve gas consumption."

"Breathing Nitrox won't help you breath less gas."

"Nitrox won't change your immediate breathing rates."

"Will it make you use less air, No."

"But changing the breathing gas won't change your consumption rate."

"Nitrox will not change your SAC rate."

So are you guys saying that nitrox does NOT improve your air consumption?

(Sorry, I couldn't resist. Well, actually I could, but didn't want to )

Actually Nitrox will improve your AIR consumption. You will use less air, just more equal amount of oxygen. In the end it's the same volume.
Sorry, I could not resist. Actually I could but didn't want to. <smile>

 

[Blackwood]

Actually Nitrox will improve your AIR consumption. You will use less air, just more equal amount of oxygen. In the end it's the same volume.
Sorry, I could not resist. Actually I could but didn't want to. <smile>

That's pretty funny... I was going to type much the same thing, but resisted

 

[scubadobadoo]

Let me contradict (kinda) these very good points by adding that Nitrox DOESN'T (significantly) decrease your risk of DCS. As a matter of fact, no hard proof exists that Nitrox decreases DCS risk at all. Theoretically it certainly does, and it certainly increases your ndl. However, at this point, not enough research has been documented to prove Nitrox is the "wonder gas" your LDS and other divers may make it out to be. Why? Because SCUBA is so safe that not enough people kill or injur themselves, when following the basic rules, to prove that Nitrox is "more safe" than using air.

It is easier to argue that Nitrox "could be" more dangerous than air when you add Ox Tox to the mix (excuse the pun) not to mention the issues with gas analysis and more complex dive planning.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the PADI Nitrox Course Manual:

"...simply reducing nitrogen is unlikely to produce a meaningful safety improvement."

"It's innacurate to suggest that enriched air is 'safer' than air."

Here is my favorite and I think it is very wise.

"Rather than count on an insignificant risk reduction by using enriched air well within air limits, apply steps that more tangibly reduce risk....safety stops, proper ascent rate, avoiding dehydration and...alcohol."

Learn to do these things first or it might not matter what your breathing. DSAO!