Why Nitrox

[DandyDon]

It's not a belief it's scientific fact. Take the course again and you'll see for yourself.

Uh, I think he teaches the course.

 

[terrasmak]

Two answer the original question , cause it lets me do a 60 foot dive on my doubles without going into Deco

 

[Chad_Ordelheide]

It intregues me how many people will dive Nitrox for no apparent reason(Othan looking cool with a different color tank) . Last weekend I was into the LDS and a guy rented one tank of 32% nitrox. If your only doing a one tank dive why not air? Who knows, unless I'm diving my head off on a scuba vacation, I really don't see why I would want to pay double or tripple for a nitrox tank.

 

[espenskogen]

It intregues me how many people will dive Nitrox for no apparent reason(Othan looking cool with a different color tank) . Last weekend I was into the LDS and a guy rented one tank of 32% nitrox. If your only doing a one tank dive why not air? Who knows, unless I'm diving my head off on a scuba vacation, I really don't see why I would want to pay double or tripple for a nitrox tank.

Well, there are those who dive nitrox simply for the longer bottom times you know.

 

[HowardE]

It intregues me how many people will dive Nitrox for no apparent reason(Othan looking cool with a different color tank) . Last weekend I was into the LDS and a guy rented one tank of 32% nitrox. If your only doing a one tank dive why not air? Who knows, unless I'm diving my head off on a scuba vacation, I really don't see why I would want to pay double or tripple for a nitrox tank.

Some people don't pay double or triple at all.

At one of the LDSs here in FL... I pay the same price for fills on Air, 32%, 36% or 40% Nitrox... So, I almost ALWAYS dive nitrox, even if its a 20 FSW dive.

Most places around here only charge $5 more for an air tank rental than nitrox tank rentals anyway.

 

[Walter]

It's not a belief it's scientific fact. Take the course again and you'll see for yourself.

Perhaps, but how do you know? I've only seen one study of the subject, I'll be happy to share it with you here. I freely admit there is room for more study and these results may not be upheld in further studies, but as of now there is nothing to suggest the good feeling is anything other than the placebo effect.

I am most interested in reading any other studies on the topic you may have encountered.

By the way, Don is correct, I do teach the course.

 

[Diver Dennis]

I get headaches on air after three dives. I feel better on Nitrox. ...But i am a highly tuned machine.

:11: Yes, a highly tuned picture taking machine....

 

[espenskogen]

Perhaps, but how do you know? I've only seen one study of the subject, I'll be happy to share it with you here. I freely admit there is room for more study and these results may not be upheld in further studies, but as of now there is nothing to suggest the good feeling is anything other than the placebo effect.

I am most interested in reading any other studies on the topic you may have encountered.

By the way, Don is correct, I do teach the course.

My understanding of the 'feelgood' effect of nitrox is that it's more related to not getting subclinical dcs so easily - i.e if you dive an aggressive air profile, and then use nitrox to extend your bottom time to an equally aggressive nitrox profile, then clearly, you will have no benefit of the nitrox in terms of conservatism etc. and you're likely to feel just as fatigued after the dive.

If on the other hand, you dive an aggressive air profile, but swap your gas with 36% nitrox, then you're likely to feel less fatigued simply because you're (for all intents and purposes) diving a less aggressive profile.

You can experience this in particular by doing a deep dive (130' or deeper), and ascend according to padi RDP tables, compared to doing the same dive on a lean nitrox mix, and deco on a high mix (EAN 80 or 100) during the safety stop.

I have no doubt you would feel less fatigued after the dive with less nitrogen loading, because it is a scientific fact that high nitrogen load on the surface can manifest itself as subclinical dcs - or micro bubbles (the doppler effect), and this makes you feel a bit sluggish and fatigued after the dive, even if you don't develop dcs symptoms. (I believe George Irvine from the WKPP has written a great deal of articles on this matter)

The long and short of it is that diving on air tables, nitrox adds a higher degree of conservatism, which means that on certain dives where you would have gotten bent on air diving air profiles (Which we know happens, regardless of whether the diver was within the NDL or not), you would come out clear diving nitrox. And as I'm sure we all agree, not being bent makes you feel better than being bent.

Another story is that if you keep feeling fatigued diving on air, then maybe it's time to work on those ascents, make them long and slow, and you might just find that the feeling better effect diminishess somewhat.

E

 

[DandyDon]

Okay, here is a simplistic approach to why Nitrox may make one feel better. How does this sound...?

The body operates with the use of oxygen in the blood. Loading up on nitrogen blood gases will reduce the amount of oxygen available, therefore the body cannot operate as efficiently, therefore one will feel fatigue. Enriched air with higher oxygen levels will decrease the amount of nitrogen blood gasses, thereby increasing possible oxygen levels, and the body feels better...?

Probably not enough to make a difference, tho - I'm still betting on placebo effect.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

It's not a belief it's scientific fact. Take the course again and you'll see for yourself. ...It's really quite simple...the main reason we use nitrox is to limit our exposure to the nitrogen.

C'mon Walter, get with the program!


Don't forget to change your curriculum and your slides...


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