Geezer Gas

[MB]

And limiting your gas to 30 or 32% will also blur the differences. If depth allows, breathing a 40% mix (instead of 21%) delivers a noticeable difference.

 

[DKL]

I only dive NITROX for quick repetitive dives. Less SI and longer bottom times. I've really never noticed any anti-fatigue benefit.

 

[agilis]

I've been accused of producing geezer gas after too much Mexican food. Those Chili Rellenos will do it to you.

 

[Akimbo]

I don't know if this is a myth or not but a lot of divers would come onboard for a crew change after their last night onshore for the next month and after a little too much libation. They all swore that a single 20 minute cycle at 60% on pure O2 was the cure for hangovers. It got to be more trouble to debate it than just blow them down in the double lock. They were happy when they came out and everyone went back to work.

 

[Nemrod]

Placebo effect.

I notice no difference whatsoever.

And I am 60.

And I am hardly a geezer, maybe when I am like 90 or something you can call me one, otherwise do not.

N

 

[Searcaigh]

Unless you are hitting your max bottom time before running low on air, don't waste your money. I'm 60 been diving 44 years working on 45 nitrox certified. Did a few nitrox dives, I found that hanging an extra few minutes on the SS is far better to fight fatigue than any nitrox mix.

The fact that it is a separate cert. is ridiculous. Information that basic should be covered in OW or AOW. IMO the whole nitrox certification thing is board line fraud.

Agree that Nitrox should be included with at least AOW as a compulsory part of the certification.

Best example I can use is one of my local dive sites (wreck - Inchcape 1), 30M depth, with EAN32 I have 30 mins NDL, with air 20 mins.

I pick and choose gases depending on depth, using up to EAN40 on some dives (wrecks mainly) especially if I am going to do a subsequent second dive on the same site. If Helium was cheaper I'd use trimix more.

 

[RJP]

And limiting your gas to 30 or 32% will also blur the differences. If depth allows, breathing a 40% mix (instead of 21%) delivers a noticeable difference.

Noticeable difference in WHAT?

---------- Post added February 1st, 2015 at 08:38 AM ----------

Agree that Nitrox should be included with at least AOW as a compulsory part of the certification.

Why? EANx is not readily available in some places. Not worth the money (or affordable) to some divers. And not of any meaningful value on some dives... or for air hogs.

So why should something some people will never ever use be a compulsory part of a course?

 

[Searcaigh]

Why? EANx is not readily available in some places. Not worth the money (or affordable) to some divers. And not of any meaningful value on some dives... or for air hogs.

So why should something some people will never ever use be a compulsory part of a course?

It would enhance the use of the word Advanced for starters, as well as provide a better understanding of some diving physiology than what is taught in the OW courses, because as far as I am aware there is not much theory taught in the AOW apart for a little bit related to deep diving.

As for price and availability, perhaps if Nitrox training was part of AOW then some shops would start to provide EANx who currently do not, and if more membrane systems were sold I would expect the price of EANx to come down for these systems even if they were only supplying EAN32, although there are no membrane systems locally where I live, the nearest being 400 km away in Oman.

At the moment I buy a 12 fill card (any mix) from my local LDS that works out as USD5.69 a fill, my air card works out at is USD2.27 a fill. A trimix fill of 20/32 for my doubles on the other hand is USD100 per fill. The dive centre in Oman mentioned above charges the same for renting a tank of EAN32 as it does for Air, so it is a no brainer what gas to use.

Nothing wrong with providing the knowledge of diving Nitrox even if the diver never uses it in the short term.

 

[Donnah]

We're both in our 70s and started doing Nitrox when we were running out of bottom time, but had tons of air left. We keep our computers on air these days. I figure it gives us an extra bit of protection. We also extend our safety stop times as much as possible. If Nitrox is free or cheap, we always use it. If it is costly, it depends on what kind of diving we are doing. If we are just doing 3 dives a day, it's usually not worth the cost or bother.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I am a well er mature diver. Personally, I don't find a difference in fatigue after diving air vs Nitrox, a full day a diving pretty much kicks my ass no matter what (its called living, the alternative sucks). Like some others, I use it when pushing the edge knowing I am older and not in the best possible shape. Local diving which is done at 4,300 feet is a good example. Drift diving in FL where you hit depth fast is another or multiple days of diving. Shore dives off So Cal in 40-50' not so much.