Whats next?

[stepup]

Hey I was wanting some input on what to go for next. I have my open water certification and I am wanting to go to the next step. I was wondering if youguys think I should go for advaced open water or for my Nitrox cert. I would really like to have my nitrox. Also what else would I learn in Advanced Open Water that I didn't learn in openwater.

 

[HowardE]

Nitrox - while it's a valuable course to take... Let me ask you this first.

Are you ending your dives because of NDL's or because you're running low on air, and your air consumption dictates the length of your dive.

If Air consumption is currently dictating your dive times (which is not uncommon for new divers), then Nitrox will have little benefit for you in the immediate. While I highly recommend the Nitrox course, if you can't benefit from it, I would wait until you would actually find it beneficial.

 

[spectrum]

Are you making dives where your NDL if ending the dive? If not the Nitrox will be of limited use UNLESS you are about to go on tha once in a lifetime dive yourself silly tropical trip. I noet that you classified yourself as a vacation diver.

How many dives have you made with peers or mentors since being certified? If less than 1-2 dozen I suggest you just keep diving to cement your basics so in AOW you can focus on the extensions of your diving. A night dive is no fun if you can't yet manage basic control of yourself.

If you vacations are when you do it all then perhaps you want to bag AOW to be unrestricted on boats and you can sometimes cut a deal to work nitrox right into the AOW work. As a PADI diver no dives are required for nitrox certification so you can also just do this at home through a LDS and have more playtime on vacation.

Pete

 

[stepup]

Yes my dives are ending early because of my air consumption. I have been told by numerous other divers that Nitrox will make it to where I will be able to stay down longer than I am now. I may be misinformed I am truly not sure I was just wondering the benefits of each course. The reason I am asking is because ME and my fiancee are going to the bahamas for our honeymoon in June and she is goign to get her open water certification before then. I am wanting to get another certification while she is getting hers and I am not sure which way to go. But definately thank you for your input.

 

[HowardE]

Yes my dives are ending early because of my air consumption. I have been told by numerous other divers that Nitrox will make it to where I will be able to stay down longer than I am now. I may be misinformed I am truly not sure I was just wondering the benefits of each course. The reason I am asking is because ME and my fiancee are going to the bahamas for our honeymoon in June and she is goign to get her open water certification before then. I am wanting to get another certification while she is getting hers and I am not sure which way to go. But definately thank you for your input.

Nitrox won't make you breathe less gas... Nitrox will extend your NDL's and is most beneficial for depths from 50-100 Feet. Personally, I would say - dive and enjoy yourself. The diving in the Bahamas is easy going, and generally guided tours, so just go and have fun. If you really want to take another course, go for the AOW, and try to learn as much as you can absorb. Buoyancy is one of the most important skills to master early on, IMO. Take the nitrox when you can appreciate the benefits.

 

[stepup]

Thanks for the input. I was leaning toward the AOW anyways just because I felt like that would be the more benficial. It's just that you are always hearing people praise the nitrox and how much it helps. But definately thanks for the input.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Yes my dives are ending early because of my air consumption. I have been told by numerous other divers that Nitrox will make it to where I will be able to stay down longer than I am now.

Two issues here:
(1) Will Nitrox improve my gas consumption? Not per se... however, your gas consumption will improve with experience, and as many folks get their Nitrox certification at a time when their gas consumption is improving measurably with nearly every dive, they often attribute the improvement to Nitrox use. Also, in at least one study there was a marginally measurable improvement in gas consumption from using Nitrox, so while you can't count on it, there may be a little improvement attributable to the gas itself.
(2) Will Nitrox give me more bottom time? Yes. Regardless of whether you're pushing NDLs or not, Nitrox will let you dive more and get more bottom time in a day than air. To illustrate, let's use the Navy tables for a series of dives where your gas consumption is limiting your bottom time on any given dive - a series of 30 minute dives to 60 FSW.
Using air, you'd need a surface interval of 2:29 between dives 1 and 2, and a surface interval of 3:21 between subsequent dives to remain within NDL.
Using EAN32, however, no surface interval at all is required between dives 1 and 2 (SSI - and I - recommend an hour between all dives for adequate debriefing, rest, rehydration, food if needed, and briefing), and even if you didn't take an hour you can make additional dives to 60' for 30 minutes on EAN32 all day long with a surface interval of 1:30 between them.
You will get similar results no matter whose tables or computer algorithm you use.
Bottom line, on typical recreational dive profiles you can get a whole lot more time on the bottom with Nitrox than with air even if your gas consumption has you surfacing well before the NDL on the first dive.
---
As for "which to do first" why not kill two birds with one stone and use Nitrox as one of your four specialties on the way to your SSI AOW certification?
Rick

 

[1_T_Submariner]

I would recommend the Dive Dive Dive route then take more classes once you are comfortable with the basics. The 2 dz. dive that Spectrum mentioned sounds like a good suggestion. Good luck enjoy what ever class you decide on.

 

[Rick Murchison]

I would recommend the Dive Dive Dive route then take more classes once you are comfortable with the basics. The 2 dz. dive that Spectrum mentioned sounds like a good suggestion. Good luck enjoy what ever class you decide on.

Another good reason to pursue AOW through SSI... the 2 dozen dives is part of the requirement
Rick

 

[terrasmak]

Dive for a little bit and start AOW once the SAC rate comes down . I also suggest getting your books ahead of time and start reading, apply what you have read and breeze thru AOW later down the road.