Nitrox

[bigreddiver]

Im new to diving obviously if im in the forum but anyways im thinking of taking nitrox because im a big guy and really suck the tank dry fast will nitrox help with this problem and is it worth the money for the class and tank fill prices

Thanks

[Rick Murchison]

Originally Posted by bigreddiver

Im new to diving obviously if im in the forum but anyways im thinking of taking nitrox because im a big guy and really suck the tank dry fast will nitrox help with this problem and is it worth the money for the class and tank fill prices

Thanks

Nitrox reduces Nitrogen exposure. It doesn't do anything to improve gas consumption (although many divers attribute lower consumption rates to Nitrox, I believe they're seeing the natural improvement over time that most divers experience anyway)
Your best way to improve gas consumption rates is to dive a lot.
Nitrox will let you dive more by allowing longer bottom times and/or shorter surface intervals for recreational depth dives - and that makes the course and the gas worth the money for most folks.
Rick

[Damselfish]

Nitrox is very worthwhile for some people and types of diving. The main reason to use it is additional NDL time, and it's especially helpful when doing 4-5 dives/day. But breathing Nitrox won't help you breath less gas. And you won't get the benefit of additional bottom time if you're limited by the amount of gas.

It won't hurt you to take the class and it will reinforce some things you've already learned. And eventually your air consumption will probably improve enough to make using Nitrox worthwhile. If you look you'll find many discussions on how to improve air consumption, but a lot just has to do with practice.

[carbon]

Welcome to ScubaBoard!

Nitrox won't change your immediate breathing rates. You will go through a tank of Nitrox in the same amount of time that you go through a tank of air. Nitrox loads your body with nitrogen at a slower rate than air, and has benefits of allowing longer dive times and/or shortened surface intervals.

Many, many new divers go through a tank of air comparatively quickly and there are several threads that discuss this topic. (Try the search function). In general, you just need to dive more. As you gain experience the anxiety levels will decrease, your buoyancy control will improve, and you will learn to be efficient with your movements.

Cheers,
Carbon

[SCUBAMedicBill]

Nitrox is a very worht while course to take. You don't necessarily have to take the PADI two day course which requires dives, you can take the TDI which is a 4 hour class. Will it make you use less air, No. Only experience, relaxation, and time make you use less air. And may be these wn't help either. Nitrox is just a healthier way to dive. You'll absorb less nitrogen, reducing the possibility of DCS and Narcosis, may give you more energy and make you feel less tired after the dive. It will also increase you no decompression times, but then it loses or equals out the nitrogen absorbtion levels. It is though, I think, one of the courses that should be taken as soon as possible, and is relatively cheap (if you do the TDI course).

Good luck.

Bill

[Blackwood]

Well... it will increase your NDL, allowing you to stay down longer. If you combine Nitrox with a second tank, it will help you.

But changing the breathing gas won't change your consumption rate.



Also, with more non-decompression bottom time, you can dive more, and THAT will improve your consumption rate.

[GrierHPharmD]

What they said.

Seriously, it's a good question, and one that many novice divers have. Thanks for posting it here and welcome to the board.

-Grier

[nwbrewer]

Slightly off topic, but I have also been considering getting my NITROX cert. For those of you who dive nitrox, do you all have your own analyzers to check the mix, or do LDS's supply one for you to use? Just trust that the mix thier giving you is right (Don't think I'd do this) Just trying to get a feel for how much switching to nitrox is really going to cost me. Thanks...

Jake

[Rick Murchison]

Originally Posted by nwbrewer

Slightly off topic, but I have also been considering getting my NITROX cert. For those of you who dive nitrox, do you all have your own analyzers to check the mix, or do LDS's supply one for you to use? Just trust that the mix thier giving you is right (Don't think I'd do this) Just trying to get a feel for how much switching to nitrox is really going to cost me. Thanks...

Jake

Shops will require you to analyse your own mix. They will provide the analyser if you want. Most folks don't own their own, but many of us do.
Rick

[Northeastwrecks]

Nitrox will not change your SAC rate.

That said, Nitrox is very beneficial. It lowers your N2 load for a particular depth and time. In other words, you will have less nitrogen in your system if you dive Nitrox32 to 60 feet for 30 minutes than if you did the same dive on air. Thus, there is an increased safety factor for identical dives on Nitrox v. Air.

In addition, Nitrox extends your NDL. Thus, you can stay down longer without going into decompression. Note that staying longer eliminates the safety factor described above.

IMHO, it comes down to this. There are no benefits, and may problems, associated with nitrogen exposure at depth. For that reason, divers seek to reduce their exposure to nitrogen when diving. Nitrox helps accomplish this goal. The added cost is worth the benefit.

I'm practice what I preach. I haven't done an air dive outside of a pool in years. In fact, I don't think that I've done an air dive in a pool in over 12 months. I require it when I travel, and won't use an operation that can't provide it.