What good is Nitrox if your SAC sux?

[Deefstes]

OK, so I'm not a very experienced diver (only a little over 50 dives logged) and my SAC will probably still improve with more diving but I was wondering...

Nitrox seems to be a good next step in my dive training, but is it? My average SAC rate is around 16 liters/minute (0.57 ft³/min) which means that on an average dive, using an average cylinder, with an average group of divers I tend to hit 50bar just about as the last divers decide to surface.

So what are the benefits of Nitrox? I thought it'd allow me a longer bottom time seeing as I'd be taking on less nitrogen but I'd still be sucking the cylinder empty in the same time I currently do. The only other advantage I can think of is that I'd incur less of a RNT penalty for consecutive dives.

Is SAC something you guys considered before opting to go for Nitrox? What other advantages are there that I'm not thinking of?

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

Ok you are taking the BT's out of it so here you go.

You have shorter surface intervals..

And with less nitrogen in your body, less likely to get bent..

 

[Interceptor121]

Looking back on my South Africa trip I remember that on some dive sites as your surface interval was just one hour I ended up with one or two emergency decompression situations. This is a possible situation.
The other is heartburn, if you get it with air it is going to be less likely with Nitrox, at least this is what my students confirm!

 

[TSandM]

.57 for an adult man (which I assume you are) is not bad, and you're in the water until the last divers with you are surfacing. So your SAC rates doesn't suck.

As mentioned, Nitrox will allow you shorter surface intervals -- but if they're being set by the boat management, that might not mean much to you, either.

So you are left with the idea that absorbing less nitrogen OUGHT to make it less likely you will get DCS. But if you aren't coming anywhere near your NDLs because of the dive lengths, that might not make it worth the extra cost.

Unlike you, apparently, I primarily shore dive, doing heavily multi-leveled profiles. I also use large (95 cu ft) tanks and dive with others who also do. Nitrox offers a large benefit to us, as I learned when I tried to take a couple of air divers on one of my favorite tours. We got a third of the way into it, when I queried one of them and found he had TWO minutes of NDL time left. Rather than do a leisurely tour of the structures where we were, I beat feet for shallower water, and told myself not to do that particular dive with air divers!

 

[DandyDon]

Dive larger tanks. You'll still hit NDL even on Nitrox

 

[Docc]

Dive larger tanks. You'll still hit HDL even on Nitrox

What's HDL(good cholesterol) have to do with diving?

 

[SailNaked]

...I'd be taking on less nitrogen...advantage ... I'd incur less of a RNT penalty for consecutive dives.... ?

There ya go you answered your own question...

lots of relatively shallow <100 diving in a day, nitrox is the only way to go. for 2 dives to 60 ft it makes little difference, 5 dives in a day oh ya, get me some Eanx. or if you are diving doubles in shallow water ya, mo O2 less N2.

 

[mike_s]

What's HDL(good cholesterol) have to do with diving?

didn't you know? Drinking Tea Can Lower Cholesterol Levels

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

didn't you know? Drinking Tea Can Lower Cholesterol Levels

.....

 

[Johan Broere]

On most of my dives the SI is set by the boat operator. Also the departure time back home is set. Really no advantage for Nitrox there.On long beach dives we usually don't get deep enough to run out of time. The only advantage I have experienced is that on several days with 3 or 4 dives each I feel less tired. I do not know if that is just a feeling or my body really is less tired. I always think that in the end your body does need the rest. I do not like the Nitrox-junkies that think they can handle theire hangover better on Nitrox. Instructors that push Nitrox are also anoying. Keep the sales pitch to yourself if the student is not readdy for it. All this might sound a little negative. There is good use for it, but not all the time and every-body.