Should I go for a nitrox course or a search and rescue course? :):)

[MXGratefulDiver]

Not sure what you mean by Search and Rescue.

Search and Recovery is a specialty class of limited value to the typical recreational diver.

Rescue is a core class that, I believe, every diver should take. It has a great deal of value, more so because of the emphasis on how to keep yourself out of trouble than because of what it teaches you about rescuing another diver. In both aspects, I think it's an invaluable class if it's taught as intended, and can make you a much better, safer diver.

Nitrox can be a valuable class, but it depends on how you intend to use it. If it's to extend your bottom time, then both you and your buddy will need to be breathing it ... and you'll need to have an adequate gas supply to take advantage of the extended NDL's. If it's for added safety (i.e. less nitrogen in your system), then you'll get more benefit from just learning how to better control your ascent. From a practical perspective, nitrox is most useful to the typical recreational diver in situations where you are planning to do multiple dives per day over multiple days ... as people tend to do when they're on vacation.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[bbarnett51]

Stress and Rescue (that's what SSI calls it don't know about PADI)) should be taken by every diver IMO. You are eventually going to take Nitrox anyway so I would go for the Rescue now...much more important.

I've been diving 20 years and just got Nitrox certified.....i'm slow to change my ways I guess.

 

[chrpai]

IMO, they are both worthwhile courses. Assuming that you'll be doing dives where Nitrox is beneficial, then take it. If you aren't and don't need the additional bottom times then skip it for now.

 

[scubadada]

After OW, Nitrox is probably the most useful cert. The practical value is obvious. After that, AOW and Rescue are the way to go, the latter is among the most useful.

Good diving, Craig

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Hi all,

I am planning to take anitrox course next week (did my AOW couple of years ago).
I was excited at first about doing the nitrox course (more excuses for diving)...

Thanks for your input!!!

My only comment, as others have covered the question well, is does one really need an excuse to dive? What I need is the opportunity. I need no other reason!
DivemasterDennis

 

[messenone]

@ divemasterdennis: this nitrox is an opportunity for me to dive not an excuse!! Plus i get to learn something new, and spend time with a very experienced group of individuals.

Becoming a more aware, more knowledgeable, " a safer " diver, is one of my main goals other than enjoying each dive.

 

[huisen]

I would recommend the nitrox course. There are dive sites where it can be extremely beneficial. An example would be the Monad Shoal off Malapascua Island in the Philippines. It's a 23-24m flat dive. The first morning, there was some misunderstanding which resulted in me and my wife not getting nitrox tanks so we dived on air. We had a 15 to 20 minutes bottom time while everyone else (obviously using enriched air) had 40+ minutes. We had to leave while the thresher sharks were still in the area and after the rest surfaced, we were told devil rays swam over the group while we were sitting on the boat. You can bet I made sure we got our enriched air tanks for that dive on subsequent mornings after that.

 

[danvolker]

Hi all,

I am planning to take anitrox course next week (did my AOW couple of years ago).

My question is should I spend the money on a nitrox course or wait until a Search and Rescue course is available?

Money wise I think its the same. I am thinking more about experience wise.

I was excited at first about doing the nitrox course (more excuses for diving) but now I am having second thoughts.

p.s. My buddy (wife) is not nitrox certified and nor will be most probably.

Thanks for your input!!!

I agree with many of the others here that the Rescue class would be of real value to you...while Nitrox is something you could do online, and has no business being a class all by itself ( ie. it should be bundled into AOW, and should take from 5 minutes to 15 minutes for you to grasp all of it that most Nitrox divers carry around with them in their heads today Don't think of Nitrox as a class. Think of it as a marketing tool for an agency, or as a way to take money from people and offer almost nothing in return.....Now you will want to use Nitrox some day.....And nitrox diving is the only intelligent way to enjoy a dive trip to many places where they do two tank dives on reefs 60 to 90 feet deep--the boats will cater to nitrox divers--air divers are NOT getting close to the experience of everyone else on the boat ) missing lots of underwater time-missing reefs and fish and also having to sit on the boat much longer ). I would try to "negotiate" Nitrox being thrown in for free or near free, if you did a course like Rescue or Peak control Bouyancy---it is nothing for the shop as an expense, so could easily be discounted..Not sure about how each agency charge would be for the card--but how much could that be? Someone will chime in with this

The real issue I see of what class you should take next, would be much better answered by any of us if we could actually see you dive, and see exactly where you could benefit the most.....
I see a huge number of divers on charter boats and at the BHB Park in Palm beach, Florida. The primary thing most have in common, is horrifically bad skills in buoyancy and trim, which limits them a great deal in progressing as a diver.
It makes them fight harder in currents, because their trim is causing huge drag.....it makes them blow through their air too fast most of the time, because bad trim makes you work too hard to propel yourself....It has them frequently bumping or almost bumping in to structures on the bottom due to poor control of depth, and when some would want to be near the bottom because they know their is less current there, they stay 5 feet above the bottom to prevent bouncing into it or getting snagged on it, and end up being pulled away from the other divers like a leaf in the wind.
All these issues are addressed in a Peak Control Buoyancy Class. This is the class most divers really need. If you take it, you could learn enough to help your wife improve alot also--if she was unwilling to take the class.

 

[Absolutbill]

Do you have the money to do both? The hubby and I are doing both nitrox (we are adding it into our AOW so getting a bit of a discount) and then following it on with Rescue diver afterwards. More excuses to go dive as well as teaching us to be better, more responsible divers.

My wife and I were in a similar situation. We were certified together in march. We first took nitrox, yes it is a stupid crap class that should be done with your basic OW cert, but I don't make the rules. The reason we did nitrox right away was we 1)we are leaving for Bonaire on July 7 2) we also wanted to deep (using nitrox) before our trip so we would be more comfortable going down in Bonaire.

The other two were night and navigation-I know night will be good to have in Bonaire but maybe not navigation. We have 13 dives now and will qualify for our AOW when we return from Bonaire.

We would have been enrolled in the next stress and rescue course offered through our shop but it was a little too close to our Bonaire trip. We plan to enroll in the following class offered.


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