To nitrox or not

[Firebrand]

Everyone else is doing it!!! (I did it!) My brother did it as part of his OW Cert!

 

[ScubaSixString]

I would go for it... but I would also ask myself...

Do I end dives because of NDL's or because of Air Consumption. If Air Consumption is the main reason you are ending dives, rather than NDL, you may want to wait to actually dive nitrox until you need it.

Or not... You can dive it anyway, even if you're sucking it up quickly... You just pay a few bucks more per tank.

Either way... take the training.

I had this thought last night while trying to fall asleep. Even if you're a hoover, there is a NITROX benefit. Shorter surface intervals.

 

[HowardE]

I had this thought last night while trying to fall asleep. Even if you're a hoover, there is a NITROX benefit. Shorter surface intervals.

Good Point.

 

[m7scuba]

Not to mention that you "feel better" after the dives.

 

[menemsha43]

Do it. I wish I had done it earlier in my diving life. My first nitrox dive was after 9 years of being certified. The benefits are numerous and the risks easily manageable

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Go for it!! I did mine with my aow. And yes you do feel better after a dive!!

 

[Blackwood]

Not to mention that you "feel better" after the dives.

Not everyone does. I don't get a "feel better" benefit.

 

[Charlie99]

And yes you do feel better after a dive!!

That's true for some people, but not others. Here's an old poll on Nitrox and fatigue. As I stated back then, I initially saw a difference between air and nitrox, but the difference disappeared once I started doing deep stops.

If you are fatigued after diving, that may very well be an indication of poor ascent rate, poor profiles, insufficient stops, etc. Obviously, nitrox would help by reducing the N2 loading, but you can also make some pretty good improvements via multilevel dives and/or adding some additional stops besides the final safety stop.

 

[String]

Not everyone does. I don't get a "feel better" benefit.

Im still undecided. In my case other factors like 3-4hrs sleep night before and 200 miles driving on a typical dive day may well mask any benefit if there is one.

How much feel good is psychological, how much is subclinical DCS (which can be reduced on normal air with deep stops) and how much is real is still hotly debated.

 

[spectrum]

Since it's more of a math/planning skill you can take it at your coinvenience. From what The Kraken mentioned you can see where if you are planning that great dive trip with lots of repetitive dives and and nitrox for free or for a modest upcharge then using nitrox and a computer can enhance your trip appreciably.

Pete