PADI's min. age for Nitrox set in stone?

[deepstops]

Well its not some magic juice - its useful in some circumstances and no use in others.
For 90% of my diving, its useless so i dont use it a lot for example.

Few of us do 90% of our dives in a swimming pool.

 

[String]

Few of us do 90% of our dives in a swimming pool.

And not everyone knows where they're going to be diving in advance to get the correct Nitrox fill. For example, im diving tomorrow. This much i know. The weather forecast isn't 100% certain and sea state may change. As a result i maybe doing a wreck in 45m depth or may be doing wrecks in 20-25m depth in a different location. Because of that my twinset is full of normal air as its guaranteed to work for either. You don't always have the luxury of knowing your dive site or depth before you get on the boat.

Not everyone can justify the 2-3x the cost of air for little or no benefit depending on profile either.

 

[AndyNZ]

I'm wondering if PADI ever makes an exception to the rule for the minimum age for Nitrox certification, and if their only reason for setting the age requirement is the fear a child any younger would not grasp the math and safety issues involved.

An instructor or facility can apply for variation to standards to PADI, but to be honest I don't think that would ever happen on something like a minimum age requirement. The option is there for things that are not practical in certain environments, e.g. remote locations, different languages and so on.

I ask because I have a chance to get certified now for $25 and get a discount for any family member, hubby is not interested in taking the course with me but my 14 year would be. He is pretty smart (IQ of 140, so sez the school) and I think he would do fine in the class.

Are you sure that that price is right?? You are doing a PADI Enriched Air Diver specialty course for US$25? I hope that is a mistake - I have no idea how a facility can offer a course at that price without breaking PADI standards.

For me to teach a PADI EANx course it costs me AUS$90 in required student materials and certification costs alone. That's about US$70. If you are doing the PADI course, you should be supplied with your own copy of the EANx manual, 32% and 36% RDPs and DSAT Oxygen Exposure and Equivilant Air Depth tables. If you don't get these to keep, then your instructor is potentially breaking standards - you've got to ask yourself, what other short cuts are they taking to offer it to you for $25?? How is the instructor getting paid for their time at that price? Are they going to do the best job they can when they're not actually earning anything?

Just got to say, cheap doesn't always mean good value.

 

[billindenver]

Are you sure that that price is right?? You are doing a PADI Enriched Air Diver specialty course for US$25? I hope that is a mistake - I have no idea how a facility can offer a course at that price without breaking PADI standards.

For me to teach a PADI EANx course it costs me AUS$90 in required student materials and certification costs alone. That's about US$70. If you are doing the PADI course, you should be supplied with your own copy of the EANx manual, 32% and 36% RDPs and DSAT Oxygen Exposure and Equivilant Air Depth tables. If you don't get these to keep, then your instructor is potentially breaking standards - you've got to ask yourself, what other short cuts are they taking to offer it to you for $25?? How is the instructor getting paid for their time at that price? Are they going to do the best job they can when they're not actually earning anything?

Just got to say, cheap doesn't always mean good value.

I don't know the original poster or her situation, but I recall back in college I may or may not have owned the book that I learned how to make my living from. I don't see diving tables or manuals as being some holy grail of knowledge that every diver must have their very own personally engraved and DNA matched set of. Perhaps one of her dive buddies is loaning his literature to her and she will be diving off computer knowledge after the class? Maybe she knows the LDS owner and they are hooking her up for just what the instructor makes per student as long as she brings her own manual etc...or maybe the LDS throws in two $25 Nitrox classes with every $3000 set of scuba gear you purchase.

 

[AndyNZ]

I don't know the original poster or her situation, but I recall back in college I may or may not have owned the book that I learned how to make my living from. I don't see diving tables or manuals as being some holy grail of knowledge that every diver must have their very own personally engraved and DNA matched set of.

Not being personal, but it doesn't really matter what you (or I) think. I'm not saying that it's right that every person needs to own their own manual... but it is a PADI standard that for this particular course that a student should have their own, personal copy of those materials. It changed recently, as facilities used to be able to loan manuals - they still can for some courses, but not all.

You are right that they may be borrowing them from someone else, not the facility, but the purpose of my post was really to suggst the OP should at least ask some questions or think what they are doing. To me, a $25 EANx course doesn't sound like it will be delivered overly well. Just my $0.02 worth, and you're welcome to have a different point of view.

 

[deepstops]

And not everyone knows where they're going to be diving in advance to get the correct Nitrox fill. For example, im diving tomorrow. This much i know. The weather forecast isn't 100% certain and sea state may change. As a result i maybe doing a wreck in 45m depth or may be doing wrecks in 20-25m depth in a different location. Because of that my twinset is full of normal air as its guaranteed to work for either. You don't always have the luxury of knowing your dive site or depth before you get on the boat.

I resolved that issue by owning lot's of tanks (five sets of doubles, six single 130s, four AL80s, and various 40 & 80 deco stages with 50% and O2) filled with everything from 18/45 trimix to oxygen in them. Trimix goes in the doubles, EAN goes in the singles, and I use air in my tires

Not everyone can justify the 2-3x the cost of air for little or no benefit depending on profile either.

Let's take another look at the bigger picture with the "average" diver who does 70' reef dives here in the Keys (or in Sharm if you like): After they've spent $75 for their charter and $20 for fuel getting there, if an extra $20 for two tanks of nitrox gets them 150 minutes of BT versus 100 minutes on air, the cost per minute of BT is still less using the nitrox.

 

[k ellis]

July when does he turn 15? If its this year you may get to sign up now and take the class after the birthday? Just a suggestion :-(

 

[Fuzzmutton]

Ok, I haven't checked in for awhile...sorry. Last time I looked there had been no new replies and then there were quite a few more!

To answer some questions:

Hubby isn't interested b/c he reads and studies all the time for work and likes to relax at home and he isn't tired all the time after his dives like I am after mine. I am hoping not to extend dive time, but to "maybe" feel a little better after my second dive of the day.

Yes, $25 is correct for the price of my CLASS but I still have to pay for the study materials (but I get a discount on that too, as would my son). Not a bad deal. If I wanted to go on and do my divemaster, it would still be only $25, plus study materials. It's because I work for a scuba department and that is a "perk" offered with my job.

The boy turns 15 next Aug., and I called PADI and they will not make an exception of any kind even if he is capable of understanding the material. That was their reason for setting the age limit, a concern that a student any younger would not be able to fully grasp the concepts covered in the course. His Dad would not consider letting me pay the money for him taking the class if he was not going to get a card out of it or be able to utilize anything he learned from it, not to mention that he would have to turn around and eventually pay the money again if he did want to get the card.

I gave it my best shot but I will just have to wait 'til next year for him.

Fuzz

 

[ucfdiver]

If he actually wants to dive on nitrox or get a nitrox fill, he'll want the card. Granted, his parents could probably get the tanks for him but not under all circumstances. The kid will end up having to take the class "for real" at some point, likely right after they turn 15.

Very few shops actually ask to see your nitrox card, especially if you go in knowing the mix you want. I've been asked only a few times.

 

[Fuzzmutton]

Even if my son studied the books and demonstrated that he understood the material, if he didn't have the card I would not allow him to dive Nitrox or get tanks filled for him to dive it. I don't want to set the example for him that "rules are meant to be broken", especially in diving, b/c that's normally when someone gets hurt.

We will just have him wait a year and pay the extra $$.

Fuzz