AdivingBel
Diver
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Should I use Nitrox on liveaboard?
- Thread starter TommyBoyIreland
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tarponchik
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True, if you are a solo shore diver. But on a liveaboard it is a little more complicated. The way we were diving in Maldives switching to Nitrox won't give us one extra second of bottom time. Everyone in, everyone out. Any deviations were strictly verboten.
Hoag
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While that might be true, using NITROX would still give the advantage of a lower N2 loading, especially over the long run, so it would reduce the risk (note that I wrote reduce, not eliminate) of DCI particularly for those who may have contributing factors. Every little bit helps.
Yes
Also, a little tip. The first dive will be a simple check dive on air. Even though it's just a bimble, don't come back up with loads of air as they just top-off the cylinder using a membrane system set for 32%. In other words, your first nitrox will only be about 26% gradually creeping up to 32% over the course of a few days. You're therefore better off chuffing the arse out of it dive 1 to about 40b and getting decent gas from then on.
Also, a little tip. The first dive will be a simple check dive on air. Even though it's just a bimble, don't come back up with loads of air as they just top-off the cylinder using a membrane system set for 32%. In other words, your first nitrox will only be about 26% gradually creeping up to 32% over the course of a few days. You're therefore better off chuffing the arse out of it dive 1 to about 40b and getting decent gas from then on.
Good point, I hadn't thought about the fact you rarely if ever change cylinders on a liveaboard. So my previously mentioned "consider this" scenario of doing your first deep dive each day on air before switching to EAN would add some hastle/complexity to the process.
Stoo
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In my experience, liveaboards pretty much insist you use it. Apart for the little extra margin of safety (and let's be blunt, margin of profit as well) it also forces guests to limit their max depth.
As for the additional cost, in the overall scheme of things, $200 or so for Nitrox is nothing, especially if compared to the cost of getting un-bent in a foreign country.
As for the additional cost, in the overall scheme of things, $200 or so for Nitrox is nothing, especially if compared to the cost of getting un-bent in a foreign country.
tarponchik
Contributor
Where did you learn this?
Ayisha
Contributor
About the only time a diver with good buoyancy control may abruptly lose their buoyancy is if they are caught in a serious downcurrent, in which case they need to get out quick no matter which gas they're using or if they're having a medical emergency. Otherwise, there shouldn't be any abrupt loss of buoyancy.
My dive buddy was caught in a strong down current along a wall in Banda which took him down to 42m with his BC fully inflated, then abruptly reversed and rocketed him upwards as he frantically tried to dump air.
He was on air, so survived OK... just a tad rattled.
On Nitrox it may have ended differently...
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