umm

[Dryglove]

Whats the big deal about teaching nitrox with open water.Its just air with a higher percentage of O2. It requires you to be more conscientious of your depth depending on your mix plus some of the other basics dealing with nitrox.It isnt rocket science.

I dont see how it even compares taking AOW before OW is that is a whole different thing than diving with nitrox.The main difference diving with nitrox compared to air is watching your depth and O2 loading throughout the day.Nitrox doesnt add any additional task loading unlike AOW where you are navigating, doing deeper dives feeling the effect of narcosis, learning to dive in a current, limited vis diving, or whatever your agency requires to get your AOW rating.

 

[Depth Gauge]

Oversea,

Sounds like you have the right attitude and sensibilities. It certainly isn't rocket science. Best of luck to you and many enjoyable dives in the future!

Jason

 

[The Chairman]

NAUI encourages it's instructors to teach them concurrently. NitrOx is the only NAUI class that can be taken simultaneously with any other NAUI class.

 

[Hoppy]

Nitrox has it's advantages thats a given.

It also has its risks. Is it not a little risky to put "new" OW divers in a situation where poor bouyancy skills could result in an Oxtox hit?

I just remember back to my poor bouyancy skills (still need to be better) as an OW diver.

Just seems to be task loading them with the Nitrox plan as well as all that "breathing underwater" stuff as well.

Puzzles me that this goes on, If I'm right PADI allows the same thing but I'll allow someone to correct me on that.

What do others think ?

Hoppy

 

[dvleemin]

Hoppy once bubbled...
Nitrox has it's advantages thats a given.

It also has its risks. Is it not a little risky to put "new" OW divers in a situation where poor bouyancy skills could result in an Oxtox hit?

I just remember back to my poor bouyancy skills (still need to be better) as an OW diver.

Just seems to be task loading them with the Nitrox plan as well as all that "breathing underwater" stuff as well.

Puzzles me that this goes on, If I'm right PADI allows the same thing but I'll allow someone to correct me on that.

What do others think ?

Hoppy

Thats what I was thinking. Doesn't an OW student have enough to worry about as is? Whats the hurry?

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Hoppy once bubbled...
Puzzles me that this goes on, If I'm right PADI allows the same thing but I'll allow someone to correct me on that.

What do others think ?

Hoppy

This is a clear violation of PADI standards, and since it is a PADI nitrox course, those are the applicable standards.

II. PADI Enriched Air Diver Course Requirements

1. Prerequisite certification: PADI Open Water Diver, or equivalent.
2. Minimum age: 15 years.
3. Confined water training or practical application sessions may be added at the instructor's discretion. As a preassessment, the instructor may hold a confined water session that includes a scuba skills review prior to the course.
4. Because this program applies Recreational Dive Planner use and skills extensively, the instructor should ensure that students are familiar with the RDP table and how to use it because the Enriched Air RDPs are in table format.
5. Student to instructor ratio is eight to one (8:1), to certified assistant four to one (4:1).
6. Enriched air training dive data.

There are two enriched air training dives required for certification. These may not exceed 30 metres/100 feet, or exceed a PO2 of 1.4 ata., whichever is shallower.

Integrating Enriched Air Diver with Other Courses
Instructors who offer Enriched Air Diver courses may integrate the two required training dives with other PADI continuing education courses. This does not apply to PADI Scuba Diver and Open Water Diver. Specifically PADI Enriched Air Diver students who are also enrolled in another PADI course may complete their Enriched Air Dive at the same time they complete other training dives. To take advantage of this option, student divers must complete the knowledge development portion of the Enriched Air Diver course prior to making either of the required enriched air dives.

Further elaboration clarifies that PADI Enriched Air training dives may not be combined with dives for the PADI Deep Diver specialty since depth requirements are not compatible.

 

[The Chairman]

if their skills are that poor.

2) The instructor shouldn't be teaching if he lets them get away.

3) Who would take OW students into an area where they could descend lower than 60'???

4) The tables are SOOOO fresh in their mind that understanding EAD is a no brainer... well almost a no brainer. OK, OK, they will still have to use their brain, but at least I don't have to re-teach the tables.

 

[Scubaroo]

Hoppy once bubbled...
Nitrox has it's advantages thats a given.

It also has its risks. Is it not a little risky to put "new" OW divers in a situation where poor bouyancy skills could result in an Oxtox hit?

I just remember back to my poor bouyancy skills (still need to be better) as an OW diver.

...would OW divers be doing their open water dives, where buoyancy control is an issue, in water where PPO2 of 1.6 or greater is possible? I mean, you're not going to take an OW class out on a boat and drop them in 150' of water, and expect them to stay above 60' - you would take them to somewhere where there is a hard bottom at around 60'. So the risk of OxTox because of poor buoyancy (ie sinking like a rock to the bottom) is probably not an issue, if the bottom is only going to put them at a PPO2 of 0.9 or so (EAN32 in 60'). I think combining Nitrox and OW is a good idea for most people who intend to dive regularly.

 

[oversea]

Take it easy. First, I did a Padi nitrox cert and S.S.I. open water cert. Our check out dives wll be a max of 20', just off the botom. My instructor is not an idiot and is not endangering me, nor is he conflicting with allowable terms. Frankly, he offered me a naui card if I wanted which does not require the two dives, but I wanted them, though it will really make no difference in my 20' depth. Argue all you want but I feel safe in the water with my skills, equipment and instructor. Also, I will propably never see any depth over 50' this year because I plan to do a lot of practice beach dives as well as shallow boat dives. I don't always appreciate being treated like a new person waiting to screw up. Common sense and thought are as equally important as skills.

 

[dvleemin]

oversea once bubbled...
Take it easy. First, I did a Padi nitrox cert and S.S.I. open water cert. Our check out dives wll be a max of 20', just off the botom. My instructor is not an idiot and is not endangering me, nor is he conflicting with allowable terms. Frankly, he offered me a naui card if I wanted which does not require the two dives, but I wanted them, though it will really make no difference in my 20' depth. Argue all you want but I feel safe in the water with my skills, equipment and instructor. Also, I will propably never see any depth over 50' this year because I plan to do a lot of practice beach dives as well as shallow boat dives. I don't always appreciate being treated like a new person waiting to screw up. Common sense and thought are as equally important as skills.

Inexperience makes you a new person. Everything raised here has been valid. Wait until you've done even a single dive.