How deep can I go

[TheRedHead]

I really meant the comment about depth in the terms of equal time. If you compare 20 minutes at 60 feet and 20 minutes at 100 feet you will load more N2 at 100 feet. It is my observation that people do not suffer narcosis impairment at 80 feet in warm clear water if they are relaxed, although everyone is apparently narced to some degree. In my AOW test at 100 feet, I did the skill faster at 100 feet. But in bad visibility, I can feel quite impaired at 100 feet.

 

[jeckyll]

Red: I know plenty of people who sometimes start to feel narc'd as shallow as 80 fsw in cold dark water. Not new divers either ...

 

[TheRedHead]

Red: I know plenty of people who sometimes start to feel narc'd as shallow as 80 fsw in cold dark water. Not new divers either ...

Yes, I qualified it as warm, clear water in a state of relaxation (or at least not stress). Bad viz, even in fairly warm water, does it to me at about 90-100 feet.

 

[lamont]

Red: I know plenty of people who sometimes start to feel narc'd as shallow as 80 fsw in cold dark water. Not new divers either ...

I did a dive tuesday night where I had swapped depth gauges and didn't notice until it read "306" that it was set to metric. For deco stops, I had issues trying to figure out where the deco stops around 70 fsw were supposed to be, and my brain didn't fully come back online enough until I hit 50 fsw / 15 msw and my threes multiplication table worked again. That was on 30/30, so an END of 36 fsw and I couldn't multiply by three, but END of 13 fsw and I was fine (I guess with time-lag, the fact that we'd just come off an END of 60 fsw might have been important as well...)

 

[BKP]

Dont you need AOW before you can do Nitrox?

Nope... two different worlds. AOW is an extension of OW: depth, navigation, low-viz, night diving, etc... Nitrox, in fact, is probably better suited to rec diving... it's gas mgt., and understanding working with/breathing varying O2 percentages (typically 32% to 40%). Gives you longer no-deco limits, however, limits depth (compared to air), due to higher O2 concentration (and O2 toxicity risks).

Most agencies, once you've done the Nitrox class, will allow you to do your Nitrox checkout with your OW checkouts.

Personally... I love it...

 

[TheRedHead]

Nope... two different worlds. AOW is an extension of OW: depth, navigation, low-viz, night diving, etc... Nitrox, in fact, is probably better suited to rec diving.

And AOW is NOT recreational diving? :huh:

I don't see it as two different worlds at all. There is nothing "advanced" about AOW.

 

[ianr33]

If you only have OW are you restricted to 60 feet on a nitrox class?

 

[TheRedHead]

If you only have OW are you restricted to 60 feet on a nitrox class?

No. Depth limitations in nitrox are imposed by O2 toxicity at depth. You'll learn about it in your class. There is no scuba police and the 60 ft. limitation is a suggestion for NEW divers only. I know serveral competent "advanced" OW divers who have never bothered with the AOW class.

 

[lamont]

No. Depth limitations in nitrox are imposed by O2 toxicity at depth. You'll learn about it in your class. There is no scuba police and the 60 ft. limitation is a suggestion for NEW divers only. I know serveral competent "advanced" OW divers who have never bothered with the AOW class.

I've never taken an AOW class, here's the profile of my most recent dive:

 

[jeckyll]

Lamont: Done a single AL80 using EAN36, right?