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I tried to vote on both Extended bottom time and Lower (shorter) surfaces intervals as it's a bit of both for me, but it seems you didn't give that option. 
Common reasons for diving nitrox
- Thread starter jtrain01
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It's funny, but for a while after I got my certification, I wondered if nitrox was worth it. I had a series of dives using it that had one or both of the following characteristics:
1. A dive buddy who sucked air so fast that I got back on the boat with almost half a tank of nitrox--so much for extended bottom time.
2. A dive op that required that I get back on the boat after a specific amount of time--so much for extended bottom time.
On the other hand, I have since had many dives that gave me what nitrox is intended for, and the really long bottom times exploring great sites were well worth it.
But....
I stand by my implied warning. If your dive op is going to require a specific bottom time and surface interval that works just as well with air, or if your dive buddy is going to bring you up with half a tank--well, dive air.
1. A dive buddy who sucked air so fast that I got back on the boat with almost half a tank of nitrox--so much for extended bottom time.
2. A dive op that required that I get back on the boat after a specific amount of time--so much for extended bottom time.
On the other hand, I have since had many dives that gave me what nitrox is intended for, and the really long bottom times exploring great sites were well worth it.
But....
I stand by my implied warning. If your dive op is going to require a specific bottom time and surface interval that works just as well with air, or if your dive buddy is going to bring you up with half a tank--well, dive air.
RonFrank
Contributor
jtrain01:
The Poll is a bit limited as many dive Nitrox for all the reasons listed minus the third option.
When I dived Jupiter which had a rather flat profile and reefs at the 70~80fsw level Nitrox was used by all but one diver on the boat. He was getting BT's of 25 minutes while the rest of us were doing 45 minutes on all three dives. In this case the Nitrox did not make the dives any safer as we were pushing NDL's after the second and third dive, but it almost doubled our BT.
However in general Nitrox can be used to both decrease SI's or extend BT's, and I also do feel more energized using Nitrox even if there may not be scientific proof of that.
I wish we could use Nitrox. Being limited to just trips away from the home turf sucks. It's a good gas.
Gary D.
Gary D.
Torgo
Guest
is this the padi quiz again?
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Nah, just the same Why Nitrox thread we have every few weeks.Torgo:
It does suck to get the training and pay for Nitrox, only to dive with Air divers who make you come up early and do longer SIs.
OMG, someone voted for lowering Narcosis?! :11: Nitrox does not do that.
extended BT.
I was once in a situation in which diving on nitrox ended up causing longer surface intervals.
I was on a liveaboard in which every diver was very experienced and using nitrox on every dive. With good breathing skills and longer bottom times for everyone, the first divers out of the water had enjoyed a long dive, and everyone was pretty much coming out at once.
So what?
Well, first of all, in a normal liveaboard situation, the first people come out relatively early, and the crew immediately starts filling their tanks. By the time the long bottom time people come on board, some tanks are already full and ready for the next dive. If, on the other hand, everyone comes out late and at the same time, the crew starts the refills way behind schedule.
Next, it takes longer to fill with nitrox than air.
Consequently, we were more than ready for the next dive long before the tanks were filled.
Still, it's hard to complain when you are getting four hours of bottom time each day.
I was on a liveaboard in which every diver was very experienced and using nitrox on every dive. With good breathing skills and longer bottom times for everyone, the first divers out of the water had enjoyed a long dive, and everyone was pretty much coming out at once.
So what?
Well, first of all, in a normal liveaboard situation, the first people come out relatively early, and the crew immediately starts filling their tanks. By the time the long bottom time people come on board, some tanks are already full and ready for the next dive. If, on the other hand, everyone comes out late and at the same time, the crew starts the refills way behind schedule.
Next, it takes longer to fill with nitrox than air.
Consequently, we were more than ready for the next dive long before the tanks were filled.
Still, it's hard to complain when you are getting four hours of bottom time each day.
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