I've been lurking this thread to read how all you smart guys think, but while the arguements float on and off topic, there's a few points I'm not getting -- (begging your pardon if I've missed them).
1. Why WOULD you want to give a beginner so many more things to worry about?
2. Would putting newbies on Nitrox give them a careless attitude towards learning proper breathing techniques and comfort in the ocean? It wasn't until no-deco time ran out before my air that I realized I'd become more efficient.
3. Aren't beginners (especially beginners that go straight from OW to AOW) more likely to 'forget what they are doing' and go below the 100' (30m) mark?
4. Seems like it is hard enough to get youngsters to take the time to understand the tables and theories behind the bubbles - seems like Nitrox would push them that much more faster to the blind acceptance of a computer.
DISCLAIMER - speaking from personal experience which has no basis in real fact
Hi UsryTregre,
As a prelude, I wasn't trying to sell Nitrox to new divers. I did however feel that it would be interesting to post the question.
Let me take a stab at your questions:
1. I suppose this largely depends upon what the parameters of training are in the first-place. Personally, I cover Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures in detail, so there's no mystery to mixed gas (Air is also a MG
. The characteristics of each gas and their dangers are covered, as are the deco tables in detail (including Nitrox). The course is twice the duration of many other OW type courses, so task loading is not a problem. Nitrox is not a whole lot different than using other gases, although there are some equipment considerations and exposure limitations. Divers who take a Nitrox course are often disappointed that there wasn't more to it; it's certainly not difficult.
2. The depth limitation imposed on a new diver and his/her gas consumption are valid considerations that many have discussed in this thread. These are of course valid. What the depth limitation will be for a new diver in the future, is yet to be determined. A new diver use to be restricted to a recommended depth of 130 FSW. The gas capacity available to new divers has increased over the years and it's hard to predict what new technologies will bring in the next 25 or 30 years.
3. I train my divers for the recommended depth maximums of 60 FSW (OW), or 130 FSW (Advanced). It's difficult to say what depths the average diver will dive to after they are certified. They are competent before they get the card to the depths noted. It's impossible to say what happens after they leave, which is one reason why my programs are the duration they are.
4. Again this depends upon the training. At age 12, I would have fallen into the youngster category, but was able to absorb the required material. I was diving Heliox at 19 as a Navy diver, so I think age has less to do with it than experience and training.
My students have to prove competence without using a computer. I realize this does not reflect everyone's training methods, but 30 years from now who can tell what training will be necessary?
The make-up of Nitrox provides the diver with a higher degree of safety at shallower depths than Air. If you want to dive to depths over the Nitrox envelope, Air is commonly used (within it's safety envelope). Each gas has its advantages and disadvantages; you choose the right tool for the job.
There has been an excellent case made on this thread against Nitrox as a "beginner's mixture" (much of which I agree with). Personally I don't see that the depth restriction of Nitrox and the additional costs involved make Nitrox worthwhile. Unless I'm doing a lot of shallow diving on a live aboard, I stay with air. I often venture deeper than Nitrox safely allows.
