What do veteran divers think about Air vs Nitrox

[Thalassamania]

I'd suggest NITROX from Dive 1. I dive NITOX unless air is the only gas available at the pump or I'm going too deep gor it.

 

[DivesWithTurtles]

I have been diving since 1969 and I use NitrOx whenever possible. I believe DAN recommends it for all divers over 40 and that includes me!

Includes me, too. Why is it recommended for us? (We move slower, so need more time UW? LOL)
Barbara

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!

 

[SwimsWithSharks]

I dive Nitrox whenever it is available. I am fortunate that my local shop and local boat have Nitrox available. My theory is that anything I can do to reduce my nitrogen exposure is good. And, although there is little empirical evidence to support it (to my knowledge), I feel less fatigued on Nitrox.

 

[Mothball]

If age and safety are of concern, you might consider this recreational trimix (I think it's AKA triox or hyperoxic trimix) course that is just coming into the recreational dive industry. I'm not sure which agenc(y)ies are now teaching this course, but I imagine it will be kind of like nitrox coming avalaible to the recreational market, slow, but steady. And one more "tool" available in the toolbox. Semper Fi, Dave

 

[Diver Dennis]

You would still have the deco on Trimix.

The answer to shorter deco is a rich mix of Nitrox or 100% O2.

Another benefit of Nitrox is as a deco gas.

Sorry Red, I meant to say that I will get longer bottom times than air but can dive deeper than the regular Nitrox mixes.

 

[grazie42]

I too will take whatever placebo effects I can get.
Nitrox is IMO most useful on multidive-mulitday sequences but even doing just 2x2 (2 dives/day for 2 days), it will extend bottomtime on semi-deep dives.

I´ve started going up way slower and spending 5 minutes on safetystops while on air, so that I´ll still feel up to a late night of sociallizing after a day of diving, does me a world of good...

 

[radinator]

Hey all, I'm new to the sport (apprx 20 dives). I'm wondering if how the verteran divers out there feel about Air vs Nitrox. I just saw a thread from a diver whos been
diving for MANY years, said he's never used Nitrox. My thought is, if divers, who are highly experienced aren't using it, why aren't they.

My understanding with Nitrox and O2 Toxicity is, theres basically no warning signs once you pass 1.6 ata, and your going to more than likely meet your maker. As opposed to getting Narced, hopefully you understand that your getting loopy and start to ascend. Aside from fatique, there seems to be more room for seeing another day
with air. Thoughts?

I've seen many people mention the 'feel better' aspect, and how It may not be a real effect. Personally I fall asleep just as easily on nitrox.

But you make a statement I haven't seen addressed. From what I read above (and I may be wrong) it seems you think you would get less 'narced' on nitrox. That's not true. Oxygen is just as narcotic (possibly even more so according to some studies) than nitrogen, so nitrox does not decrease the narcosis effect. It might even enhance narcosis a slight amount. The reasons have to do with the size of the molecule, and lipid solubility and such. Generally larger molecule gasses are more narcotic.

In any case, themain advantages of nitrox are either increased bottom time or less nitrogen loading. Note that if you do use the increased bottom time, you've probably 'used up' the nitrogen loading advantage.

 

[scubadobadoo]

Placebo is the answer. Oxygen bars aren't popular anymore unless you live in LA, lol.

Safety advantage over air? I offer PADI's answer from the Basic Nitrox manual..."...simply reducing nitrogen is unlikely to produce a meaningful safety advantage." The real advantage is found in bottom time, not really in safety.

You think diving nitrox within air limits really offers a lot more safety? Here is another PADI quote, "...statistical estimates suggest that using enriched air within normal air limits only reduces the incidence rate a fraction of a percent." Nonetheless, a fraction is better than nothing I guess, especially if you are a high risk diver. I think the key is to change the way you dive regardless of the gas you use. That is where the safety advantage really is!

Scubadiving magazine has a nice article on this very topic in this months edition and I think it is dead on and balanced. The reality is that we are talking about theory here so at this point none of us can answer with 100% accuracy but we are getting close to that percentage thanks to organizations like DAN.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I made a few dives on Nitrox after getting EAN certified until a buddy asked me why I was paying $10 to make the same dives I was diving for free a week earlier. The only time I use Nitrox now is for Deco gasses (50% and 100% O2). I rarely make more than two dives per day and have never been on a multi day dive boat, where I would consider Nitrox. I agree with two posters about air vs. Nitrox. One said that his best dive purchase was his Nitrox cert for the way he felt after diving. His worst purchase was his Nitrox cert because of the placebo effect. And as Dr. Bill says, after making several dives on air he feels invigorated, not fatigued.

 

[Thalassamania]

Safety advantage over air? I offer PADI's answer from the Basic Nitrox manual..."...simply reducing nitrogen is unlikely to produce a meaningful safety advantage." The real advantage is found in bottom time, not really in safety.

You think diving nitrox within air limits really offers a lot more safety? Here is another PADI quote, "...statistical estimates suggest that using enriched air within normal air limits only reduces the incidence rate a fraction of a percent." Nonetheless, a fraction is better than nothing I guess, especially if you are a high risk diver. I think the key is to change the way you dive regardless of the gas you use. That is where the safety advantage really is!

IMHO, another example of an agency writing for the courts and not for divers' best interests. Does it make any sense to you that if you reduce the nitrogen fraction from say 79% to 64% that for the same pressure exposure the risk of DCS is the same? Horse pucky! And as to that second statement, without the reference for the study in which, "statistical estimates suggest that using enriched air within normal air limits only reduces the incidence rate a fraction of a percent," I frankly do not believe it. Just because nonsense finds its way into print does not mean that anyone should believe it without independent corroboration.