trimix or not

[proffumdiver]

at the moment ive been quite happy diving to 50-55m on air as im still pretty new to tech only been a yr or so since i qualified (done around 45+ deep dives)
however i have some good friends who r all trimix divers who keep askin me wen im doing mine(no pier presure) the money aint an issue for the course. im sure i could do it but im not sure if its for me. any sensible advice?

[Rick Inman]

55m is way too deep for me on air. Everyone is impaired at that depth. Sure, some claim to be able to handle it, but why, if you don't need to?

I think your friends are right. Nice that there's no peer pressure, but maybe your friends would like a dive buddy who they know has his head together.

[ppo2_diver]

I agree with Rick. Why manage narcosis when you can avoid it. But narcosis just isn't the only thing to worry about in deep air. You've got to worry about CO2 buildup. High CO2 can lead to a diver blacking out. Trimix diving does require a higher level of skills and buoyancy control. So make sure you are good to go on that before taking your trimix course. On your first mix dive, you'll be amazed at the alertness you have versus air. I noticed a big difference when I first dove 25/25 to 120 feet versus diving the same depth on air.

[ehuber]

Have you taken Adv Nitrox/Deco Procedures?

[cmalinowski]

I agree with Rick. Why manage narcosis when you can avoid it. But narcosis just isn't the only thing to worry about in deep air. You've got to worry about CO2 buildup. High CO2 can lead to a diver blacking out. Trimix diving does require a higher level of skills and buoyancy control. So make sure you are good to go on that before taking your trimix course. On your first mix dive, you'll be amazed at the alertness you have versus air. I noticed a big difference when I first dove 25/25 to 120 feet versus diving the same depth on air.

Right. It's not just the narcosis that is a problem. And managing narcosis is just a method of saying I've dived many times narc'd. If you do the same things over and over while narc'd, then you think you're not narc'd anymore. You are, and when the crap hits the fan is when it sucks not to be on your game. Drunk drivers have the same thought process, but they are still drunk.

The other aspect has to do with the respitory properties of breathing gases. as you go deeper, the "viscosity" of the gas becomes more pronounced and you don't respirate as well on air (or nitrox) as you do on trimix. Thus, the co2 buildup happens because you are working harder and getting less for each breath.

I see no reason not to take a trimix course if it's not the money. It's safer in many aspects and that is never a bad thing.

Chris

[in_cavediver]

at the moment ive been quite happy diving to 50-55m on air as im still pretty new to tech only been a yr or so since i qualified (done around 45+ deep dives)
however i have some good friends who r all trimix divers who keep askin me wen im doing mine(no pier presure) the money aint an issue for the course. im sure i could do it but im not sure if its for me. any sensible advice?

Here is one simple reason to take the class: It will open options up for other breathing gases which WILL increase the safety of your dives.

I am not going to start the arguement about whether deep air is OK because simply put, its your choice. The safety factor comes from knowing, understanding and gaining access to another gas to reduce narcosis on your dives. (and after doing the dives, you'll know the difference). Once you finish the class, when you decide what gas to use for a particular dive, you'll have firsthand information and expierence to draw from. (even if its still to use air)

[texdiveguy]

I vote TRIMIX class for you if you have time and cost.