Nitrox is it Worth it?

[squidster]

I am thinking about taking a nitrox class ,
I have heard its Great stuff.
Please provide some info + and --:mooner:

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

The value of enriched air lies in its reduced nitrogen content. Advantages 1) longer NDL limits (in fact, can be significantly longer) 2) some claim less fatigue after diving do to less microbubble formation on ascent (although this was debated in another thread). The reduced fatigue may be reproduced simply by slowing the ascent rate, instead of using EAN, but that's open to debate. Disadvantages: 1) special equipment needed to prevent explosion risk; 2) more expensive; 3) risk of oxygen toxicity (seizures and death); 4) not always available.

The EAN course is good for reviewing dive tables and for a better understanding of dive physiology in general. It is required for tec diving, where even more exotic gas physiology is employed. In practical terms, it doesn't offer much advantage for the two-tank/day reef diver who never bumps up against NDLs, but may be useful for the five-tank/day diver on a liveaboard.

Popularity among older divers earns it the label geezer gas.

 

[TracyKent]

Yes.. Don't dive without it. Unless I have no money, which is often.

 

[ehuber]

Like he said... really depends on where you want it to take you. Interested in tec diving, then take it immediately... not so much, may spend the dough on equipment or a nice trip.

 

[lazyturtle]

It depends on you as a diver. If you're ending you're dives because of air (I suppose lack of air would be a better way to put that), then no nitrox won't do anything for you. On the other hand if you find that your dives are limited by no deco time rather than air, then yes nitrox is worth it.
Many people claim Nitrox is safer;which is not really true since you are just trading one set of hazards for another.
Nitrox can be expensive. Around here a fill costs about $8-10 (strangly enough it doesn't matter the mix you get.....) and I thinks that's pretty close to the average price most places. So before buying nitrox on a comercial dive trip, make sure that you will be allowed to dive the full time (many operators give a dive time, regardless of the gas you're using)
So is it worth it? When I go diving for fun (as opposed to work) and I want to make a mid-depth dive (70-100 feet) I'd use nitrox, but anything shallower and it's not worth it.
Hope that was all helpful.

 

[marcienko]

I just took this class. I would 100% recommended. Tons of great information to learn, but that is probably depend also on the instructor. If I’m going to always use Nitrox probably not but in case of repeated dives in one day with the group people who using Nitrox I’m already certified and can enjoy diving instead of sitting and skipping dive.

Regards


Marcin

 

[Gator Diver]

If you have the extra cash, it is money well spent.
Anticipating further tech courses?, Nitrox is one
step of many that you will need.

 

[swifty]

Nitrox is the way to go.... no more beind burnt out and tired after diving.. I love it

 

[scubadobadoo]

It's a great class. Take it if only to learn more about dive theory, and you will. The real advantage is seen in bottom time at depths between 50-80 feet or so. I'll get flamed for this but the reality is that if you are a recreational diver that dives well within limits, then you will get ZERO statistical advantage from using nitrox in terms of your chances of getting DCS. You will get more bottom time if you want it or even need it and you will take in less nitrogen and that's a good thing theoretically but statistically it has not been shown yet that using nitrox has decreased the number of cases when compared to air divers. Air, nitrox, it's all only as safe as the diver makes it.

I personally feel no less tired after diving nitrox.

 

[RonFrank]

I am thinking about taking a nitrox class ,
I have heard its Great stuff.
Please provide some info + and --:mooner:

I basically agree with the ShakeyBrainDude!

But I'll give you a real world example. If you are diving Jupiter FL, the reefs are a flat profile at about 80fsw. There is no additional risk of O2 Toxicity because there is a bottom. One can do three tanks dives at approx 45 mintues using EANX36 with standard 1 hour surface intravals. In fact this is Exactly the diving I've done at Jupiter, and on one boat there was ONE diver diving air. He missed out on a LOT of stuff, and I think was rather unhappy about the situation. He also sat around on the boat waiting for us to surface. But even with his longer surface intervals, his BT NDL was still in the 20 minute range for every dive.

If diving air, one get's three twenty five minute dives at Jupiter.

So you are playing over $100 to dive these reefs. Everyone on board has Nikrox but you. You accumulate 75 minutes of BT while the rest of the divers are down for 135 minutes total or almost twice the time. They come up with stories of seeing things, cool things like Huge Jewfish, Nurse sharks, spotted eagle rays, and interesting ledges and formations that you missed because you were doing a SS after just 20 minutes.

This is the real advantage of Nitrox. However I believe I feel less tired vs. diving air, but there has been no study confirming that belief.

If you are doing 30~40fsw reefs, than the NDL is hours, and no boat OP is going to give you much over 1 hours. During the invasion one Op did give us 80 minutes on Molassas Reef, but that is definatley outside the norm as we basically had the boat chartered by SB folks, and if we left a bit late for the PM dive, well, we were all already on the boat during the AM dive so no problem.