No diving in several years - Aldora a poor choice?

[TexasGuppy]

I'll be diving nitrox.

 

[ggunn]

When I dive nitrox I leave my computer set to air. It overestimates my N2 loading a bit, but that's OK.

 

[scubadada]

When I dive nitrox I leave my computer set to air. It overestimates my N2 loading a bit, but that's OK.

This practice has been the topic of discussion many times on SB

 

[ggunn]

This practice has been the topic of discussion many times on SB

I don't know what's to discuss; I see no downside as long as I don't dive so deep that the O2 becomes toxic, but I don't dive that deep any more anyway.

 

[TexasGuppy]

This thread is about to go sideways. But... Just set it up right and follow the profile. It even tells you bottom time left, just keep a healthy margin if your worried.

 

[ggunn]

This thread is about to go sideways. But... Just set it up right and follow the profile. It even tells you bottom time left, just keep a healthy margin if your worried.

I don't see why the thread would go sideways, and I also don't know why it would be a big deal, but if something I am doing is increasing my risk when I am diving, I certainly would want to know.about it.

 

[Charred]

This will be a YMMV topic...

I took a trip to Cozumel a few years back thinking I would dive air and save a bit of cash. I am very good on air and can easily go 60 min+ on most Cozumel dives. I immediately found my dives went from air limited (meaning running out of air) to NDL limited. I will have to float above the rest of the group and that sucked.

I think after day 2 I switched to Nitrox. This was on the 80 AL tanks. On the big Aldora tanks, you can easily push NDLs even with Nitrox. There is almost no point in diving with Aldora on air. ymmv...

I know people are trying to be safe and I get it. But personally, there is no reason to dive on an air profile and it will trim time off your dive.

Further, I'll flip the safety thing on you. If you are staying shallow above the group, the current will pull you faster and you risk separating from your group.

 

[ggunn]

This will be a YMMV topic...

I took a trip to Cozumel a few years back thinking I would dive air and save a bit of cash. I am very good on air and can easily go 60 min+ on most Cozumel dives. I immediately found my dives went from air limited (meaning running out of air) to NDL limited. I will have to float above the rest of the group and that sucked.

I think after day 2 I switched to Nitrox. This was on the 80 AL tanks. On the big Aldora tanks, you can easily push NDLs even with Nitrox. There is almost no point in diving with Aldora on air. ymmv...

I know people are trying to be safe and I get it. But personally, there is no reason to dive on an air profile and it will trim time off your dive.

Further, I'll flip the safety thing on you. If you are staying shallow above the group, the current will pull you faster and you risk separating from your group.

FWIW, I almost never have a dive around Cozumel that is limited by NDL. N2 loading data on my computer might keep me at the safety stop a little longer, but that's no big deal. If I were switching my computer back and forth between air and nitrox I might forget and dive air as if it were nitrox; I do not want to do that.

If I were diving larger tanks it might be more of an issue.

 

[HaraldGS]

I'm looking to book a week long diving trip to Cozumel next month. In the past, I usually just get 1 or 2 dives in while traveling with the wife, but this time it's just me.
Haven't dove in 6+ years and don't know my consumption rates. Looks like Aldora doesn't allow single diver finish the dive on low air, it's a group start to finish. I don't want to impact the other divers, but I also don't want to get just stuck with newbies only at shallow depths. Should I just try it with them and switch to another outfit if needed? Or am I overthinking this?

Thanks, first post, but already learned so much reading all the other threads!
Mike

I love diving with Aldora in Cozumel, but I definitely don't like having to come up early due to a divers excessive air usage. With currents there and a glut of boats on the surface, I get why they require staying in group. Thanks for thinking of others.
Maybe do a checkout dive to gauge you air consumption and figure our your weight needs? I know that I tend to use more air if I haven't dove in a while and getting comfortable on the first dive back.

 

[Umuntu]

I love diving with Aldora in Cozumel, but I definitely don't like having to come up early due to a divers excessive air usage. With currents there and a glut of boats on the surface, I get why they require staying in group. Thanks for thinking of others.
Maybe do a checkout dive to gauge you air consumption and figure our your weight needs? I know that I tend to use more air if I haven't dove in a while and getting comfortable on the first dive back.

Or send a polite WhatsApp message to the office at the end of the day asking not to be put in the same group as the “air hog” for the next dives.

There will always be one person in any group that is the heaviest on their air usage, the question is by how much ?