Why do you use nitrox ?

[East West]

I would like to hear your reason and usage of enriched air . All replies should cover from safety to technical applications . My primary reason was to increase bottom time between 70 and 90 feet. Extended bottom time has a drawback of added gas supply . Do I really want to use doubles at 80 feet . If my bottom time is 70 minutes or more it has to be doubles or a single huge tank . Single low pressure 131 cubic foot tanks were the choice for me . I would top them off at home to high pressure which is not recommended for many reasons .

 

[elan]

We try to use is mostly in the 60-110 ft range for longer bottom times. Especially it's handy on some shore dives in St. Lawrence in cold water. 32 gives us 20 min travel time one way + 20 mins on the wreck at 90ft. On air it requires around 15-20 mins deco while x32 gives no deco.

Besides on most dives in 60-110 range on 32 on e gets more bottom time. We dive doubles and sling an AL80 stage so we usually get 200-250 cuf feet of gas for the dive. Usually the doubles still have plenty of gas after the dive and the empty stage is disposed and another one is taken for the second dive. Those are rec dives with no deco.

 

[AndrewA]

I use Nitrox for most of my recreational dives in the 15 to 35m depth range. I do this because I feel much better after multiple dives. On a typical diving weekend we wiil do 5 to 6 dives of approximately 1 hours duration. I still feel wide awake but most of the guys on air feel tired and usually fall alsleep in the truck going home.
The increased NDL is much less important as the dives are mainly limited by gas consumption.

 

[ptyx]

For boat diving: extended bottom time and/or extra safety for the same amount of gas.

For shore diving: because I can or because the one full tank left in the garage has nitrox in it?

Overall, because it can't hurt and the extra cost is minimal compared to what I spend on gear and trips.

 

[scubamickey]

I use Nitrox for extending bottom time on a single AL80 as well as reducing the narcosis effect. We like getting 60-70 minute dives, especially on liveaboard trips. Don't use air at all. Never. Even for shallow dives. Work on improving your SAC rate and you will be able to enjoy the benefits of Nitrox.

 

[Sas]

To increase bottom time in the 20-40m depth range or repetitive dive bottom time. I got nitrox certified as I was always finishing dives due to NDL rather than gas, cold, boredom, etc.

Nitrox is over three times what it costs me for air ($5 for air, between $16-25 for nitrox up to 40% depending on which fill place), so I don't use it for all dives, only when it will extend my bottom time by a decent amount. If it was close in price I would use it more.

In my own experience it has not impacted on narcosis or made me feel less tired. But insufficient data so far to make a proper conclusion about nitrox's role in either of these things.

 

[mafiajoe]

Only for deco on certain dives.I usually dive deep,so no use for it.Never noticed any difference regarding tiredness and at depths where nitrox is operative narcosis is not an issue.

 

[Thalassamania]

I dive EAN whenever possible. I dive it on air tables. I do not use it to extend my bottom time, or to shorten my surface intervals. When decompression diving I do use it, in conjunction with pure oxygen, to shorten my deco hangs.

 

[ajduplessis]

Safer option to air, longer bottom time, use as deco gas, shorter (slightly) surface intervals and the biggest advantage for me ....feel fresher and less fatigued

 

[RJP]

Margin of safety.