Is Nitrox helpful in Raja Ampat?

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gypsyinabigtown

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Messages
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Location
Sydney
# of dives
100 - 199
G'day all,

I'll be doing a 12D/11N liveaboard in Raja Ampat in late December.
I never dived in Raja Ampat or Indonesia before. I'm Nitrox certified and have done a couple dives with it.

Is there any benefit in using Nitrox in a Raja Ampat liveaboard? Given the multiple dives, I thought it would be useful to worry less about NDLs. I'm generally good with air so I worry about NDLs limiting my dives in the best dive region in the world.
How deep are the dive sites in general - does MOD become a limiting factor? Do the dive guides typically adjust dive plans to Nitrox? I will dive with Dewi Nusantara, if it helps.

Cheers all!
 
With the multiple dives the nitrox is definitely helpful. As far as I remember pretty much everyone on board was diving nitrox. It was the first time I had dived with nitrox and I did not feel as tired as I usually would had I done 3-4 dives on air.
The amazing colourful soft corals are all fairly shallow so MOD is not usually a problem.
 
gypsy--Do the nitrox. I'd be less worried "about NDLs limiting my dives in the best dive region in the world" and more concerned with the risk of DCS in one of the more remote best dive regions in the world. (Even if DAN can evac you out it sure would mess up the trip for others.)

I looked at my log and in 11 days I only got below 80 feet twice, everything was 60-70' range or shallower. There almost always seemed to be lot's of great stuff in the shallows, so typically the dive plans left plenty of off-gas time to spend there. Our guides got used to us pretty quick and bottom time was usually up to the individual.

I suspect you'll have a chance to do 4 dives a day and whether nitrox gives you more energy or not, over 11 days that much diving is a lot of nitrogen loading.
The added margin of safety nitrox can give is worth the extra price.

Well, you'll have a great time. We leave for our second trip there next week! // ww
 
Yes! 100% for sure do nitrox with all of the diving you will do! I agree with Warmwater Wank about your depths. We have been there 3x and have used nitrox on all of our dives! Have a great time! You will love it!
 
The most important thing for tiredness is your level of physical fitness Nitrox has nothing to do with it
Other than when I have been actually working on boats, there has been only one place I have been where I felt I need nitrox and it has been in the TCI islands, the sand was at 15 there was nothing in between and that made things difficult
 
Most of the dives will be in the 60 - 80 foot range and if you are good on air you will be doing 4 60 minute dives a day. Without Nitrox you will be at or near NDL pretty much all day and end up riding your computer and cutting dives short. With Nitrox you are not likely to need to limit your dive times. That far away from a chamber I would vote for the added safety margin of Nitrox.
 
I agree with the safety point and the extended bottom time however a dive with a maximum depth of 60 feet on average has not more than 36 feet so if you do proper multilevel dives there is no issue
I have done Sipadan and Kapalai Mabul with 4 dives and night dive on air and there was no issue
It mostly depends on the surface intervals between the dives if you do 3 days and one night dives as most of the boats to you will have two morning dives spaced at least one hour a third dive usually after lunch and a night dive
As far as dive guides adjusting the profiles for Nitrox I don't believe that is the case, the industry standard is for the guide to dive nitrox but set their spare or main computer to air to keep an eye on the clients
I am not trying to put you off Nitrox but this does not look like a deep dive destination and there is enough leisure between dives

Having said that if not diving in Nitrox causes you ANY stress please do the nitrox thing to avoid any after thoughts
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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