which nitrox class ?

[mikelegurra]

made up my mind and will take nitrox class with AOW.

if i have the chance of choosing an agency, are there big differences ? as far as i can see some don't require dives to finish the classes...

is the agency irrelevant and, again, a matter of choosing the right instructor or are there any major differences in basic nitrox classes ?

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Nitrox courses at the recreational diving level generically cover use of elevated oxygen mixtures up to 40% regardless of agency.

The few differences that do arise in the classroom tend to revolve around how you account for surface credit in reducing oxygen exposure - if any surface inteval credit is given at all. This does not often become a practical concern for most divers unless they are planning 4+ dives per day such as on a liveaboard.

Whether the dives are of value is debated. I don't see how else to practically teach how to respond to a toxing diver without actually doing a dive. That said, such in-water skills are not universally required, and PADI certainly does not require it.

Still, the majority of what needs to be practically covered has to do with gas analysis and dive planning. Those topics are clearly issues to be tackled on dry land and some agencies issue certifications based solely upon dry land training.

 

[strider]

Nitrox is a pretty basic class. As far as what agency I wouldn't be too concerned. As far as I know they all accept the other agencys basic nitrox if you were to go on to advanced nitrox etc. If you can be picky I would find out about the instructors. I was in a position to take padi nitrox from either a local shop that had a great instructor for basic recreational diving or from a shop a few hours away and an instructor that was a Trimix instructor and about every other technical class you could want and regularly used every conceivable blend of nitrox or trimix and knew anything and everything about mixed gas. Both the same class and same C-card, but vastly different instructors which makes a huge difference. I would also say that if you only want nitrox for basic recreational diving, dont' worry too much about the class or instructor. As far as checkout dives go, it's nice, but really you're just learning to program your computer and watch the oxygen bar rather than nitrogen, not much to the dive itself.

 

[mattengstrom]

mainly because I wanted to avoid the check-out dives. It's winter here, and I want to be able to use the cert when I go on vacation next week. The TDI course also seemed to have more of a reputation of going in-depth - how to calculate best mix, calculate max operating depth, etc - where the PADI course looked more like "here are your new tables for EAN32 and EAN36." **I have not taken a PADI Nitrox course, so I don't know if that's true***

Our instructor gave us the option of writing the PADI test in addition to the TDI test, only charging us the extra $$ for test processing. The class asked "why bother", and his response was that the PADI cert would be required if we wanted to get a PADI Master Diver cert, but otherwise was of no value. Not required for PADI DM, TDI cert widely accepted, etc. etc.

So, I've got my TDI Nitrox card, and am getting on a plane next Thursday

 

[VTernovski]

SDI was a joke. It actually requires you to use a Nitrox computer for your dives.

 

[OneBrightGator]

where the PADI course looked more like "here are your new tables for EAN32 and EAN36." **I have not taken a PADI Nitrox course, so I don't know if that's true***

It's not true, the PADI course covers how to plan for all mixes up to 40%

the PADI cert would be required if we wanted to get a PADI Master Diver cert

Also not true, you have to have 5 PADI specialties to get the MSD cert., but one of those does not have to be nitrox.

Ben

 

[OneBrightGator]

Generally for rec nitrox classes the only glaring difference between agencies is if they require dives or not, PADI does, SSI does not, I don't know about the others.

Ben

 

[Warren_L]

The TDI course also seemed to have more of a reputation of going in-depth - how to calculate best mix, calculate max operating depth, etc - where the PADI course looked more like "here are your new tables for EAN32 and EAN36." **I have not taken a PADI Nitrox course, so I don't know if that's true***

The PADI course covers all that too. It does go in to the theory part of it in some detail.

 

[TTSkipper]

I took the TDI class and was offered to take the PADI test and do the dives just to get the PADI card if I wanted to. The instructor also told us that when we sign the log if he is working he will make us calculate the MOD the NDL based on our planned depth before he let us leave the shop, the shop told us not to bother buying the tables for 32 and 36 since they PP blend.

I also took it with this particular instructor because he teaches all of the advanced classes for the shop, Trimix, deco procedures, wreck, deep, etc. He is also one of the most serious professors when it comes to learning the facts about the gas.

TTSkipper

 

[OneBrightGator]

Did your instructor advocate the "best mix" method?

Ben