What skills do you actually learn in a Solo course?

[tursiops]

I can't prove a negative. Since there's never been a documented incident of an 02 toxicity hit during a single tank recreational non deco dive on Nitrox at or below 40% there's nothing to provide.

It would be like me telling you I've never seen Santa Claus scuba diving and you tell me that's not true and if I'm so sure of myself then provide proof that there's no Scuba Santa.

Sorry, you've got it backwards. What you mean to say is you are unaware of any oxtox events, but what you said is there have never been any. So you'll agree if there has been such an event, you are wrong? It becomes easy to prove you are wrong.....all you need to do is find one such event. But I'm betting you haven't looked.

 

[Rred]

"Same thing for Nitrox, do we really need a course and training to breath gas with a higher 02 content?"
Here is your tables, here is your dive.
It really is immaterial what gas mix I am using, or what the numbers on those tables are, as long as I understand how to select and run the correct tables to match my gas and my dive, does it?
If I use EAN 36 instead of the more traditional blend of NINE GASSES that is often called "air"...so what? I'm using fewer gasses (gee) and the numbers in the "air" tables, including bottom times and NDL, have actually CHANGED over the years, so even an "air" dive has needed changing tables!

I must have been trained wrong, because I was taught that I will always be my own divemaster. I will always be the final party responsible for my safety. I *will* be a solo diver, because I may be separated from my buddy and I am expected to deal with that. I *will* be a rescue diver, because my buddy may get in trouble and I am expected to rescue them, and vice versa.

Anyone who has not been taught that way, has been given a diluted training course that missed out on "basic" SCUBA diving. All well and good for some agencies to make every bite sized in modules, but my C-Card just says "CERTIFIED" with no mention of open water, basic, tidal pools, boats, days, nights...just "Certified" Give the man some air and step aside.

And that applies 24x7x365, the rest is my problem. Or, wasn't my problem until folks like PADi started promoting the specialty of the week.

 

[caruso]

But I'm betting you haven't looked.

I've looked. There are countless examples, articles, discussions, etc about divers getting bent. Do a search and you can read page after page. Do a search on 02 toxicity hits in recreational single tank diving on Nitrox and you get zilch. So I guess you lose the bet.

 

[Soloist]

I've looked. There are countless examples, articles, discussions, etc about divers getting bent. Do a search and you can read page after page. Do a search on 02 toxicity hits in recreational single tank diving on Nitrox and you get zilch. So I guess you lose the bet.

Possible central nervous system oxygen toxicity seizures among US recreational air or enriched air nitrox open circuit diving fatalities 2004-2013. - PubMed - NCBI

 

[caruso]

Possible central nervous system oxygen toxicity seizures among US recreational air or enriched air nitrox open circuit diving fatalities 2004-2013. - PubMed - NCBI

From your linked article:

CONCLUSION:
The analysis of recreational diving fatalities in the US over 10 years found just one death likely from CNS oxygen toxicity among EAN divers. A further two possible, although unlikely, cases were also found. Fears of commonplace CNS oxygen toxicity seizures while EAN diving have not apparently been realized.

* * *

Thanks for proving my point.

 

[uncfnp]

Possible central nervous system oxygen toxicity seizures among US recreational air or enriched air nitrox open circuit diving fatalities 2004-2013. - PubMed - NCBI

From your linked article:

CONCLUSION:
The analysis of recreational diving fatalities in the US over 10 years found just one death likely from CNS oxygen toxicity among EAN divers. A further two possible, although unlikely, cases were also found.

Well I don't know about that last minute call but I've seen the topic of MOD limits as they relate to 1.4 or 1.6 P02 limits be hotly debated on this forum and elsewhere. It could be he was just trying to resolve some conflicting information he received regarding the depth limits of those 2 particular blends, which for his depth could both work depending on your comfort levels.

I'm 1.6 all the way given that I'm a single tank no deco diver and there has never been an instance of an 02 toxicity hit on a diver under those conditions when using Nitrox blends under 40%. Not one.

I've looked. There are countless examples, articles, discussions, etc about divers getting bent. Do a search and you can read page after page. Do a search on 02 toxicity hits in recreational single tank diving on Nitrox and you get zilch. So I guess you lose the bet.

* * *

Thanks for proving my point.

Hmmm. I don’t necessarily disagree with your premise but the posted article does disprove your theory of no recreational events.

 

[caruso]

the posted article does disprove your point of no recreational events.

No, it does not. It simply says there is one documented scuba fatality that is "likely" due to 02 toxicity. It starts with a possible 3, then says 2 of the 3 were possible but not likely, the last one was likely. Also it doesn't say if it was a nondecompression dive, nor does it say if it was on a single tank, nor does it talk about the EAN %.

The article also gives a number that appears to be a P02 of 1.93 which is much higher than 1.6 (If I am understanding the terminology correctly). To get such a high number would appear, at least to me that the diver could have been diving a much higher blend than 40% Nitrox or breathing it for a much longer time than could be done on a single tank non decompression dive which is what I was clearly referring to.

 

[uncfnp]

No, it does not. It simply says there is one documented scuba fatality that is "likely" due to 02 toxicity.

HaHaHa. If you know anything of medical research one never states “this proves.”

 

[caruso]

HaHaHa. If you know anything of medical research one never states “this proves.”

I've seen much stronger wording in clinical trials than "likely due to" along with much greater pertinent details such as EAN%, number of tanks used, decompression diving vs non, etc.

 

[uncfnp]

So as a diving expert and after extensive research you are willing to state unequivocally that there is absolutely zero risk of oxtox events in recreational diving with < Nitrox 40?