What do veteran divers think about Air vs Nitrox

[Gary D.]

I started diving at 14 and I’m ringing the doorbell at 60. If I could dive Nitrox above 21% I would but for now I have to remain at 21%. Someday I will be able to make the switch to all the time. For now it’s limited to vacations and not by choice.

Gary D.

 

[K9trnr]

I'm not a veteran diver, but I'm diving Nitrox all the time at home now. This is mainly for two reasons: One, I got a very good deal on it, so the cost is substantially lower (essentially the same as an air fill). Two, for the safety factor. The vast majority of my dives are nowhere near NDLs, so increasing bottom time isn't a real consideration, but since I'm in the "advanced age" group, I like the idea of the decreased nitrogen loading for any dive I do.

Is there evidence of any benefit when diving well within NDLs?

 

[SeaHorseWoman]

Age is considered a predisposition to DCS.

Nitrox reduces your nitrogen loading when compared to air, assuming the same time and depth exposure. The advantage of nitrox is not more oxygen, it's less nitrogen.

Anything oldies can do to reduce nitrogen load is considered good: nitrox, conservative profiles, longer safety stops, longer surface intervals, etc.

Us younger kids can get away with a lot more, but I happen to know that you are very, very, very old!

But I look younger and am in better shape than you!

 

[adurso]

cervical? uhh......you're a bloke!
Feel free to correct my anatomical assumptions but still....

Peter

Cervical spine, the 7 vertebrae that hold your head on the rest of your body.... you are thinking of the cervix.....I am also trying to imagine the result of titanium plates nad screws in a cervix....yikes

 

[Charlie99]

Is there evidence of any benefit when diving well within NDLs?

As others have noted, the DCS risk in typical recreational diving is so low that it is difficult to clearly prove the nitrox lowers the risk. I am very willing to believe that it does though, the same way that I assume that a 60' 30 minute dive has lower risk than an 80' 30 minute dive.

Another subtle, but important point, is the improved offgassing when going shallow towards the end of a dive. Nitrox doesn't just increase allowable bottom times. With EAN32 or 36, you also are doing more offgassing in your safety stop and other time spent puttering around in the shallows at the end of the dive.

 

[Rick Inman]

One other benefit to learning how to use Nitrox that I have recently noticed is, if you ever move into more technical diving (deep, deco), the principals and practices of Nitox use give you a foundation to continue to build upon. Gas management, gas planning, mix recording, tank marking, PPOs and CNS loading data all come much more seriously into play with deeper diving, and the knowledge that comes with a good basic Nitrox class (so long as you're not just riding your computer) prepares you with some basic knowledge and gas planning habits - rather than just making the jump.

 

[The Kraken]

Cervical spine, the 7 vertebrae that hold your head on the rest of your body.... you are thinking of the cervix.....I am also trying to imagine the result of titanium plates nad screws in a cervix....yikes

From the neck down:
Cervical
Thoracic
Lumbar
Cocxyx

(Please forgive my spelling if there are errors)

But, more to the topic . . .

I feel much better after repetitive dives.

Diving my 119's I can take full advantage of the extended NDL's of Nitrox.

I like the reduced amount of nitrogen loading provided by nitrox and shallower dives.

The yellow and green stickers on my tanks make me feel really, really special !!!

the K

 

[MSilvia]

I'm wondering if how the verteran divers out there feel about Air vs Nitrox.

I've got 50$ on nitrox in the third round.

Seriously though, nitrox is a good tool to have available, and I like to use it when appropriate. For me, that basicly means any dive with a planned MOD in the 70 to 120 foot range, or as a deco gas. If I think the dive profile would benefit from a reduced nitrogen load compared to EAN21, but the risk of narcosis is low enough that it doesn't seem like trimix is worth the expense, I'll go for nitrox.

 

[naui 15694]

I do about 200-250 dives a year. Most in the 40-60 ft range for fossils. For the last few years I have used Nitrox exclusively. I can still be tired when I am done for the day, but nothing like when I was using air.

I did resist Nitrox for years, mainly because of the expense. To fill my hp 120's I pay $11 for Nitrox vs $4 for Air. Quite a difference over the course of a year, but worth it IMO

 

[Wayward Son]

If it doesn't recude the risk of DCS, how do you explain getting longer bottom times & shorter surface intervals? How can those things be possible if the risk hasn't been reduced?