whither nitrox revisited

[doole]

Been trying to talk my lds into offering ean, and he said (yes - this is PURE hearsay) that in a "blind taste test" the divers were generally unable to identify whether or not they had been given nitrox, after a typical rec dive dive.

Anyone know if there's any truth to this?

 

[5615mike]

That all depends on the depth and length of the dive. Nitrox offers divers longer BT at certain depths and can be very toxic at other depths. You should do some more homework on the basics of nitrox to find out whether it will be beneficial to YOU as a diver, not whether your LDS says you should, or could or need to use this gas.

Try doing a search on the board for nitrox. There will be many discussions on this topic. Be careful about listening to your LDS as they MAY not know what they are talking about........I did say MAY NOT. I'm not trolling here, just stating a fact......as though none of us have ever had someone in a dive shop tell us something that was NOT TRUE!

To answer your question in a very specific way......Do divers feel any different? Some say they feel better with the higher 02 content but that is NOT the reason you would use Nitrox of any blend. It has specific uses and restrictions. As I said, do some more homework to see if it has beneficial properties for you and your buddy/buddies or your type of diving.

 

[doole]

Been certified for years. I get it. No need for more homework.

Just starting to wonder if that 'less fatigued' feeling after a nitrox dive was all in my head, after listening to the lds. Don't think so, but still wondering about the story.

 

[chrpai]

I assume "blind taste test" means that divers were diving profiles without knowing what was in their tank.....

very intersting world.....


that said, is it all in your head or is it science? Well I know what the official industry position is, but a friend of mine knows alot about diving phisiology ( we worked at Navy BUMED ) and his opinion is that its real.

 

[mwilding]

use of the phrase, "blind taste tests" pretty much tells you the veracity of the story...

 

[cornfed]

Blind taste test, WTF? It ain't pepsi.

What was your LDS trying to show?

 

[doole]

chrpai says...
I assume "blind taste test" means that divers were diving profiles without knowing what was in their tank.....

very intersting world.....


that said, is it all in your head or is it science? Well I know what the official industry position is, but a friend of mine knows alot about diving phisiology ( we worked at Navy BUMED ) and his opinion is that its real.

Mine too. Although conceivably they could have given air to a control group, ean to a test group and told everyone not to go below a particular depth.

If so, you'd have to be interested in hearing the divers' qualitative reports.

 

[DandyDon]

About 2-1/2 years ago. Still have that issue, as it has a better Dive Operator Directory than those they've publsihed since.

I hope we don't get into whether they are a worthy source to consider. They're interests are mixed, as are all paid publishers

Anway, they did run tests with divers using tanks marked EANx, but half on air - above the soft bottom of 1.4. Their findings then included:

(a) No one could tell (taste) the difference. So what?

(b) Divers on Nitrox did feel less tired overall. I've never ntoiced it, and I usually dive it, but then - I'm old, fat, and out of shape.

The big thing to me is that I get about 50% more bottom time at depth on Nitrox as compared to Air. Most of my dives are below 60 feet, and my average cost per dive on vacation is $200 a dive overall, so if I can safely get 50% more for my money, I am.

My original instructor - whom I respected very much, and still do - did not teach it, and did not support it. Overhead and operating expenses were possibly a part of that, for a small town instructor. I got it elsewhere.

don

 

[doole]

dandydon said...
(a) No one could tell (taste) the difference. So what?

(b) Divers on Nitrox did feel less tired overall. I've never ntoiced it, and I usually dive it, but then - I'm old, fat, and out of shape.

The big thing to me is that I get about 50% more bottom time at depth on Nitrox as compared to Air. Most of my dives are below 60 feet, and my average cost per dive on vacation is $200 a dive overall, so if I can safely get 50% more for my money, I am.don

Seems to me if they felt less tired, then there was a difference.

In my own case, I can't say my bottom time is extended because I usually run low on gas or get too cold before I hit my NDL anyway. But I still like the stuff. I think it has to do with lung volume and CO2 retention, I just seem to feel better afterwards on EAN.

 

[Mo2vation]

chrpai once bubbled...
I assume "blind taste test" means that divers were diving profiles without knowing what was in their tank.....

very intersting world.....

Yeah, sign me up for that test. Can you imagine signing the waver for that one? "here, breathe this... TRUST us..." I analyze all gas I breathe, Air or EAN. Scary.

Back to the topic - I dive EAN. I've never "felt" a difference, as many of my friends do. However, many of these same folks recently 'tasted' bad air...and I didn't taste it.

Maybe I'm a doofus, or maybe my senses aren't that sharp.

I'm confident of this - I've never "felt" NOT being bent. I've never "felt" any differnece being close to bent or being far from bent. I've never "felt" fatugued after 3 days of diving air. And I've never "felt' mo bettah after 3 days of diving EAN.

A lot of smart people tell me its good for me. I believe them.

K