Why do you have to attend Nitrox classes in order to use Nitrox?

[redacted]

So is he just trolling?

Or stimulating pertinent discussion.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Trying not to put the poster down, but YOU NEED TO GO THROUGH THE CERT FIRST. Nitrox gives you a higher partial pressure of Oxygen. Pure Oxygen becomes toxic at 20 ft. Yes you just grab the tank and breathe same as air, but since nitrox has a higher partial pressure of oxygen, there is a limit on the depth that you can go. In the class you will learn about PPo2 being a 1.4 to a 1.6. If you haven't taken the class that doesnt mean anything to you. Yes before you say anything air does become toxic at a certain depth, but it is way deeper than recreation limits. So, in summary if you see a tank sitting somewhere with a nitrox sticker on it, do not grab it and use it for a dive with out analyzing the gas in it first. What would happen if you grabed a 50% decompression bottle that looks just like a regular al 80 tank. You went on a dive to 120 ft. The MOD (Max Operating Depth) on 50% is 70ft. You would have become subjected to Oxygen Toxicity, and you might not return from that dive.

Well, it's fine and dandy that nitrox students are taught about O2 toxicity and how to analyze a tank. However, with more and more fill stations able to provide both air and nitrox, divers should be analyzing ALL tanks regardless of what they asked for. The presence or absense of one of those stupid stickers does nothing to insure the tank contents. The only tank marking (or lack of) that provides any useful information is the contents/MOD information that you place on the tank yourself after analysis.

So, don't just grab any tank and use it regardless of whether or not it is wearing one of those stupid stickers.

I think there's plenty of justification (more now than ever before) to be teaching Daltons law, a little bit of diving related physiology and gas analysis in an entry level course.

 

[Thalassamania]

I think there's plenty of justification (more now than ever before) to be teaching Daltons law, a little bit of diving related physiology and gas analysis in an entry level course.

Hear! Hear! We've always taught the gas laws from first principles (kinetic model).

 

[3-Ring Octopus]

We've all glossed over the last part of the OP's post. No LDS worth its salt should ever give you a Nitrox tank/fill until you present your Nitrox cert card. Period. End of story. There are way too many idiot divers and way too much liability for shops to be doing that.

Then again...I've heard enough horror stories about LDS on here to question if any of that is happening away from here (a good LDS...).

Cheers,
Austin

 

[Thalassamania]

LDS worth its salt

That is, alas, with notable exceptions becoming an oxymoron.

 

[vondo]

True..but who's going to make sure you understand it enough not to kill your monkey @$$?

The same people who make sure you don't kill yourself by not knowing how to use your regulator or BC. In a word, no one.

 

[String]

Although i disagree with the need to dive on the course i can see where someone would be needed. Tank analysis etc is a new (albeit simple) skill that has to be checked to be done correctly.

 

[MikeFerrara]

We've all glossed over the last part of the OP's post. No LDS worth its salt should ever give you a Nitrox tank/fill until you present your Nitrox cert card. Period. End of story. There are way too many idiot divers and way too much liability for shops to be doing that.

Nonsense. All a dive shop needs to do is trade gas for money...just like the industrial gas suppliers. I can buy any gas or gas mix I want and I don't need to show any certification. They don't care what I'm going to use the gas for and it isn't any of their business.

If you don't put yourself in the position of being a baby sitter, you probably aren't establishing the duty of care that requires you to be one and probably have less liability...just like the industrial gas suppliers.

The idea of a dive shop requireing certifications is for one reason and one reason only and that is to create a market for the certifications.

 

[String]

Cant say ive ever once been asked for any proof of certification to buy anything from air through to 100% O2.

Provided my tank is in test they fill it.

And thats exactly how it should be.

 

[redacted]

There are way too many idiot divers and way too much liability for shops to be doing that.

Then again...I've heard enough horror stories about LDS on here to question if any of that is happening away from here (a good LDS...).

Cheers,
Austin

A bit off topic, but we keep hearing about all the LDS liability potential but rarely if ever hear about an LDS being held liable for something. Does that mean that they are all just that good and the horror stories are fiction or is LDS liability really a red herring?