Nitrox in Cozumel - or not

[NudeDiver]

Do you think there is any REAL benefit to using nitrox, on, say, the deeper divers in Cozumel, where you may run into the NDL? Assume large, steel tanks like Aldora uses - so that you actually have enough air for the NDL to be a potential issue. Also, assume 2 dives/day for 5/6 days.

At $10/fill, that's $200-$240 for 2 divers over 5-6 days. Is it going to be worth it, using the parameters I describe above? And by "worth it" - I'm talking about pushing out the NDL to allow more actual bottom time.

 

[deepstops]

Do you think there is any REAL benefit to using nitrox, on, say, the deeper divers in Cozumel, where you may run into the NDL? Assume large, steel tanks like Aldora uses - so that you actually have enough air for the NDL to be a potential issue. Also, assume 2 dives/day for 5/6 days.

At $10/fill, that's $200-$240 for 2 divers over 5-6 days. Is it going to be worth it, using the parameters I describe above? And by "worth it" - I'm talking about pushing out the NDL to allow more actual bottom time.

Properly utilized, nitrox will get you 50% more bottom time. If money is an issue, dive air on the first deeper dive and switch to 36 for everything 100' or shallower.

 

[Prop Joe]

I dove for many years at Aldora with steel tanks before I got nitrox cert.
Last few years, we've done the deeper 1st dives on air then 32 or 36 EAN on the second. Careful on that second tank, real easy to exceed MOD. Water is very clear. Makes it tempting to go deeper down a wall than expected while chasing critters with camera. As mentioned above. If you stay shallower and are on a boat with other nitrox divers you can have a very long 2nd dive. Don't be surprised if your on a different boat from one day to the next. Memo will try to make good diver matches by input from dive masters reports how previous dives went. Tell Memo or Julian when you arrive your dive profile intentions. Memo normally does a great job as does the rest of the Aldora staff.
Wish I could be there... Going to have to wait till spring for our group

 

[scubafanatic]

Do you think there is any REAL benefit to using nitrox, on, say, the deeper divers in Cozumel, where you may run into the NDL? Assume large, steel tanks like Aldora uses - so that you actually have enough air for the NDL to be a potential issue. Also, assume 2 dives/day for 5/6 days.

At $10/fill, that's $200-$240 for 2 divers over 5-6 days. Is it going to be worth it, using the parameters I describe above? And by "worth it" - I'm talking about pushing out the NDL to allow more actual bottom time.

....there are a number of factors to consider...NITROX is your friend if you're older/flabbier than you used to be.....and what price do you put on safety ? Also, your dive op may take the decision making somewhat out of your hands anyway....as already mentioned, on a 2-tank outing, it's not uncommon to dive the 1st dive deeper on 'air', and the 2nd dive on EAN 32 or 36...the dive op may 'make' you, or highly suggest you use their 'suggested/recommended' gasses. Also there may be dives where all the divers will need to follow the same profiles/bottom times....otherwise the group gets scattered all over the place with respect to MOD's / bottom times / deco-safety stops, surface intervals and it's difficult/impossible to 'run' a whole group that way.
$10/tank of NITROX isn't as high as you think it is if you're getting a 120 cu. ft. tank instead of an AL 80 for that price.
If budget is an issue, and it were me, NITROX is a no brainer...cut back instead on cheap T-shirts/booze/fancy restaurants.

Karl

 

[don Francisco]

Besides your own air consumption, another factor is that you'll be diving with a group. If most of the group are diving air and the operator makes the dive plans accordingly, you won't realize all the potential benefits of Nitrox.

It boils down to this simple calculus. Are your dives limited by planned time, air time or NDL time?

Whichever clocks runs down first will be your limiting factor. If it's NDL, decide how Many extra minutes bottom tome Nitrox will get you (before the next clock runs down) and what those are worth to you.

 

[TheUWPhotographer.com]

NITROX is your friend if you're older/flabbier than you used to be.

HEY! I resemble that remark!

NITROX is a no brainer...cut back instead on cheap T-shirts/booze/fancy restaurants.

Very good advice.

 

[TheUWPhotographer.com]

Besides your own air consumption, another factor is that you'll be diving with a group. If most of the group are diving air and the operator makes the dive plans accordingly, you won't realize all the potential benefits of Nitrox.

It boils down to this simple calculus. Are your dives limited by planned time, air time or NDL time?

Whichever clocks runs down first will be your limiting factor. If it's NDL, decide how Many extra minutes bottom tome Nitrox will get you (before the next clock runs down) and what those are worth to you.

I would not dive with a dive op that made me come up when everyone else ran out of air, so I'll always benefit from NITROX.

Since I'm a photographer I hang a bit lower than everyone else. Air consumption is never a problem for me, but bottom time is. If I do Colombia Deep on the first dive and Paso del Cedral on the second (on air) I'm close to deco by the middle of the second dive. That doesn't happen when I'm on NITROX. It doesn't matter what everyone else is breathing. And when we're talking about the safety factor, for me cost is not even a consideration.

 

[Oside Jimc]

....cut back instead on cheap booze......

Screw that, I'll just rob a bank! Give me NITROX and cheap booze (in that order of course).

 

[Turk9]

Nitrox?

Was in Coz earlier this month for 8 days of diving with Aldora and their 120 steel tanks. I used air for all my morning two tank boat dives. In retrospect, I wish I had arranged for Nitrox for all of my eight 2nd dives. I probably had to start a premature ascent on half of of the 2nd dives due to reaching my NDL. If you are decent on air consumption, spend the extra $10 and take that 2nd dive to the limit. When you consider that $10 is only about 10% more than what you are paying for a two tank dive trip+tip, and you probably don't get to dive in Cozumel every other week, what's an extra 20 minutes bottom time worth? The next time I go out with 120 cu ft tanks, I'll request one of my tanks to be Nitrox.

AL K

 

[vlkr]

agree with above posters. i dive with aldora too and i always use geezer gas on 2nd dive.