The Beginner's Mixture

[DCBC]

Sorry, I don't buy that one. How can you eliminate the effect of a chemical (i.e. Nitrogen) if the gas is still in the mix? We are discussing Nitrox, right? Not Heliox? There is also no proof of this commonly stated theoretical benifit.

The word elimination was perhaps not the best choice of words. What I was getting at was that when you're deep with Nitrox the least of your problems is narcosis, rather O2 toxicity. It's similar to the concern that if you're late for work, it disappears in the event of a heart attack. You don't sweat the small stuff.

 

[DCBC]

So..some minor advantages that rarely come into play in exchange for a danger that could kill you... Sounds like a beginners gas to me.

So I'll mark you down as against.

 

[Teamcasa]

So I'll mark you down as against.

I'm not for or against it. I just don't think it will happen anytime soon for the reasons I stated.

 

[DCBC]

Well it will go in some direction; I just thought I'd canvass people to see which...

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Not here in little Hilo. I'm not for or against nitrox, just the increased cost (to shop and diver) may prohibit the small local shops from carrying "voodoo gas" ( ) when most of their customers are shore divers performing dives that are outside of the nitrox "sweet spot" (dives that are too shallow to benefit from increased NDL's nitrox can provide).

Best wishes.

 

[DCBC]

I'm not for or against it. I just don't think it will happen anytime soon for the reasons I stated.

Teamcasa. at least you're open to possibilities. If someone was to suggest to me 15 years ago that recreational divers would routinely be using mixed-gas, I wouldn't have believed it.

 

[DCBC]

Not here in little Hilo. I'm not for or against nitrox, just the increased cost (to shop and diver) may prohibit the small local shops from carrying "voodoo gas" ( ) when most of their customers are shore divers performing dives that are outside of the nitrox "sweet spot" (dives that are too shallow to benefit from increased NDL's nitrox can provide).

Best wishes.

Or too deep... Thanks for your input LeadTurn.

 

[Walter]

I would hope not. You are task-loading a new diver as is. So then you want to really train him in the ins and outs of EAD, MOD, good old Dalton's Diamond, and the rest while they are trying to figure out air dive tables and refine their buoyancy, work on finning, and figure out navigating?

Slow down the pace and the task loading goes away. I already teach almost everything you need for nitrox in my OW class. I'd need to add in equipment concerns, EAD, and MOD, so I'd be adding another 20 minutes tops.

 

[RJP]

Will Nitrox take the place of Air, as the preferred "beginners mixture?" Why or Why not?

Cost vs benefit will continue to be the main rate-limiting factor here. As many have pointed out, for the vast majority of divers on the vast majority of dives, EANx does not provide a real incremental benefit to warrant the extra cost and logistical hassle.

 

[muddiver]

200 minutes is the NDL listed for a 35' dive.

No, the NDL at 35' is :232

Standard for some agencies recommend a 60' depth limit for an OW diver and 100' recommended with 130' max limit for AOW.

That is where I am coming from.