nitrox for niihau?

I was scheduled to a Niihau dive with dive op A, in Kauii for next week. Dive op A really recommended nitrox (Niihau is a 3-tank dive; the standard is to do the first deep dive on air, and the second two on nitrox).

Dive op A just called me, due to scheduling issues I ended up switching to dive op B. Dive opB wasn't (a) sure if their nitrox supply was even online and (b) certainly didn't seem to think that nitrox was really called for and (c) said they charge $15 per tank for Nitrox.

Thoughts? I did just finally get Nitrox certified so this was going to be my first dives using it, but I'm wondering if I should bother or not. I'm confused that two different dive op's going to pretty much the same place seem to have such divergent opinions.

For those not familiar with Niihau, they said the first dive is 85-105', dive two is 60-85' and dive three is 45-65'.

Opinions on the value of EAN diverge quite widely. It's one day of a middling number of dives, and the deepest exposure will be on air regardless. No need to sweat it; if it's available, though, it just comes down to how much you care about the $30.

One thing to consider: if you're on a boat with a bunch of air divers, a Hawaii op is unlikely to let you dive your longer NDLs to the extent that's the limiting factor. You'll be paying $30 to have less N2 loading than the rest of the group you'll be required to surface with.

Aloha Davidbaraff,

Easy answer: Dive Op A has Nitrox on hand and will push it. Dive Op B gets the Nitrox from Op A so they don't push it.

My answer: No matter which Dive Op you go with, get Nitrox for all 3 dives. You will be able to greatly increase your bottom times at deeper depths on the last two dives. Make sure your computer is setup for the Nitrox % that you are using on each dive. Dive your computer - Do Not take your computer into Deco or you will hangout with the captain for the rest of the trip. With the Nitrox, you will be able to stay longer at deeper points of the sites when the Air divers are having to stay shallower. You will still have to go up at the predefined PSI (700-800 for my dives) for your safety stop no matter if your on Air or Nitrox.

From my experience, the only way you come up from a dive with extra air is you breathe better than the divemaster.

I hopes this helps. Let me know if I need to explain anything further.

I did three dives in Ni'ihau on nitrox, and I was glad I had it.

Hmn, since the first dive is down to 100', which would be right about against the edge for my MOD with EAN32, wouldn't it make more sense to do air on dive 1 (so if there did turn out to be something amazing down at 120' I could go there, though I don't actually like pushing below 100' anyway), and then 2 and 3 nitrox, where there's no plan to bump up against the MOD? (Not that I think 110' at EAN32 is all that dangerous, but still...)

I'm often the last person left with the DM (when I dive Maui), but I've yet to come close to staying long enough to make the DM need to come up before me...

---------- Post added June 30th, 2013 at 04:11 PM ----------

Hey MikeJ1105: I just sent you a private message regarding some directions from tunnels, after seeing a post that you work at Fathom five, who is taking me to tunnels. Then I read your reply that you recommend Nitrox for all 3 for Niihau! Thanks. Do you still work at Fathom Five?

Hey David,

Just sent you a follow up message. I do work at Fathom Five. I will double check with our divemaster that dives Niihau trips about the depth for the first dive. I can also double check the 32% plan on my tables and computer and better advise you for the first dive.

Cool, thanks. Actually, feel free to just post any info here --- I should be able to access it from my iPad without too much issues while traveling. Maybe someday someone else with the same question will consult your info... I actually (finally) got my nitrox certification just for this Niihau trip, so any advice as to what combo of air/nitrox works out best sounds good to me. I've heard people swear they come back a little less tired while diving nitrox, but other people say it makes no difference.

I dove Niihau with Fathom Five, had 3 tanks of Nitrox 32, best dive day ever! Remember with EANx32 your maximum depth is 111 ft. with a contingency depth of 132 ft., so as on any dive, monitor depth, gas, ndl, and also o2 saturation. Aloha, enjoy!

MOD is 111 with a contingency to 132? Hell, I treat 132 as my hard limit on air...

---------- Post added July 1st, 2013 at 05:13 AM ----------

Sorry, implied . Not saying anything wrong with that MOD for you. Just for for me.

Nitrox is nice to have but I rarely dive it. I pretty much only use it for liveaboard trips. Now having said that, I would gladly dive it at a place like Niihau, especially if the rest of the group is doing so, but I wouldn't pay an arm and a leg for it. I'm willing to pay $5 per tank and that's it. Otherwise I can manage my own depth and N2 exposure within air limits just fine, thank you.

When I did my Niihau trip two summers ago we did not use Nitrox and I don't recall any issues. I distinctly remember that we were on air because the DM did not state a max depth for our dives, he simply stated that we were all certified divers and qualified to determine our own max depth within recreational limits -- which one of our group took as an invitation to bounce right down to 130' without a computer, and then come up bragging that he had finally reached that depth for the first time. That was a full 30-40' deeper than anyone else in the group felt compelled to go.

At any rate Niihau is pretty far from, well, everything. So my final two cents here is: although there's nothing particularly dangerous about diving there, it's also not a place where I'd be pushing MODs or NDCs in any way. I would err on the conservative side and I certainly wouldn't be chasing fishies down to 120'. Most of us know or at least know of people who have taken "undeserved" hits following the rules and diving the kind of plan that you've sketched out. Niihau is not the place you want to be if you need outside help to arrive. Whatever you decide, have fun and be safe.