Value in diving Nitrox?

[Randy43068]

I seriously doubt that will be at play on a typical set of rec dives.

 

[DandyDon]

I recently spent a week on a liveaboard diving Nitrox 32. My buddy dove Air. Our dive profiles were essentially the same. We discussed this at length and after spending $150.00 on Nitrox I found myself a little argumentative, however the more I thought about what he was saying the more I started to agree. Here is the position he took.
At no time did he ever reach nitrogen levels that would put him in the yellow and his point is, until your air consumption is so refined that you are staying down for extended times, the nitrox really doesn't benefit you. We were diving at depths of 90+ and we logged 4 to 5 dives every day. We always had a minimum of 80 minutes of surface time between dives. Although we did not spend a lot of time at depth, we generally started our dives deeper on the wall and worked our way back up. Dive times of 40 to 45 minutes with 500 psi at surface

My position was, a lower nitrogen level, regardless of what it is, would be a positive thing.

Just looking for some feedback that can support either position.

Bruce

Technically, your buddy was right. You air hogs were going thru your 80s fast enough that air would have kept your computer happy enough. I do, too - so I make sure that the boat will furnish me 100 cf Nitrox tanks.

Even with the little 80s, I'd still go with Nitrox. Not as important, but worth it, still. I've had wreck dives on which I did a Nitrox 80, but boat-pick bud did Air 80, and we ended the dive early because of their computer readings approaching Yellow. Some divers are more careful about that than others.

Well if memory serves me correctly 90+ feet is not the optimum range for EANx... now if you where on a liveaboard and diving 4 or 5 dives a day in the 40 to 80 foot range you will than see the benefits of diving EANx... you could get all your dives in for the day diving EANx where someone diving regular air may or may not.

Nope, think you got that wrong.

 

[String]

Want to show me a peer reviewed article that indicates that nitrogen load is not a risk factor for DCS?

That isnt how scientific method works. You need to prove your hypothesis that it does increase safety margin - you dont prove the status quo.

IIRC every single study done has found absolutely no statistically significant decrease in incidences of DCS when diving air vs diving nitrox on air tables. People have tried and failed to find a correlation.

 

[mrlipis]

f your dive buddy has to end the dive because of time constraints, under the buddy system you are ending your dive as well.

I think your missing the point. We are both using the same amount of air per dive and he doesn't have any time constraints because he is staying within acceptable nitrogen levels. Until our air consumption decreases (as Dandy Don would say, no longer air hogs), what is the value of EAN?

Clearly from the posts here, there is a general consensus, there is a greater safety margin. EAN is marketed as being able to have more dive time. While this is true to a point it may only apply to divers who have VERY low air consumption. It did not allow me to do anything that my buddy couldn't. Maybe I was less likely of DCS but I don't know.

Bruce

 

[Mr.X]

Which book is that? Can you print an exerpt? (Yes, I know that it's yours!) And how much more energy is that exactly? How do you quantify? A cup of coffee gives me a lift but unlike you, I can actually justify that.

I'm sure that you mean the "perception" of extra energy. I have yet to see a peer reviewed article or study showing increased "energy" as a result of using Nitrox. I've been diving air, nitrox and other mixes for years. I've yet to experience a difference in energy level as a result of the mix. If we dived nitrous perhaps...!

Pleeeze cut me a break. What are you...an accountant? Do you have anything else to do today Dive Con!

X

 

[Nick_W]

I think the only added value of diving nitrox is all the cool stickers you get to put on your tanks to make you look all tekkie.

 

[Zoomer]

:ne_nau:

What was your RNT at the end of your last dive of the day? and what was his? Are you more susceptible to getting DCS?

 

[DandyDon]

Until our air consumption decreases (as Dandy Don would say, no longer air hogs), what is the value of EAN?

Hey, I didn't mean that badly. I'm still a hog, always will be. So I avoid Ops who cannot supply me with 100 cf tanks.

Even on 80s tho, I have had to end a dive early because my Air bud was approaching Yellow and thumbed. That was excessively prudent on his part, IMO, but it's a call he's allowed to make.

I really prefer a boat on which all divers are diving all Nitrox, like my last two liveaboards. Then the skipper can afford to cut us some leeway on SIs.

Nitrox is not universally available, either. Been on boats that didn't offer it. I want the option so I'll pay a little more to have it even in marginal calls.

 

[Kingpatzer]

IIRC every single study done has found absolutely no statistically significant decrease in incidences of DCS when diving air vs diving nitrox on air tables. People have tried and failed to find a correlation.

If that's true (and not saying it's not, I honestly don't know, dive medicine isn't my field) then what is taught at every scuba class I know of about the cause of DCS is fundamentally wrong then.

If Nitrogen load is not correlated to DCS risk, then the whole basis for NDL tables is wrong, since they're based on models for nitrogen load . . .

 

[littlejohn]

diving at depths of 90+ and we logged 4 to 5 dives every day.
We always had a minimum of 80 minutes of surface time between dives.
We generally started our dives deeper on the wall and worked our way back up.
Dive times of 40 to 45

I looked this up on the tables. Air vs EN32

Air at 60' for 40 min with a 90 min SI puts you at 20 min max for the next dive of 60'
EN32 at 60' for 40 min with a 90 min SI puts you at 41 min max for the next dive of 60'

Tables round everything to the safe side of times, but how close was he pushing things doing 5 dives a day on air.