To Nitrox or not to nitrox ,Why and how ?

[Frosty]

Theres a growing trend around here for divers to go to Nitrox diving.
What are the advantages of going over to Nitrox and in simplistic terms what are the training requirements?

 

[waterpirate]

Be aware nitrox is also a gateway drug to helium. Nitrox reduces the percentage of nitrogen in a given mix at a given depth. It has a lot of benefits and some draw backs. On line e-learning is the standard these days. No your p02 and understand your p02, the rest is comon sense and execution.
Eric

 

[herbdb]

Personally, if it did not cost twice as much, I would dive nitrox all the time, even for my two dive days of quarry diving. I think that I just feel better afterward. But I am too cheap.

When I am vacation diving, usually a week of four dive days, I spend the extra to use nitrox.

As long as you dive within the recommended limits for the mix, you stand less chance of problems with excess nitrogen and can reduce the interval between dives. I think it is almost required before a trip to Bonaire or Roatan where you can easily get four or more dives a day.

 

[TSandM]

The advantage to Nitrox is that it gives you longer bottom times or shorter surface intervals, for dives in the 60 to 110 foot or so range. By reducing the nitrogen you are breathing, it reduces the nitrogen loading in your tissues, and you therefore have a longer time at a given depth before you would require mandatory decompression.

Nitrox gives you very little on really shallow (2 ATA) dives unless they are extremely long. And it doesn't do very much for you on deep dives, because you have to reduce the extra oxygen to avoid toxicity, so the bottom time extension is not very great.

The minimum training to use Nitrox is a class which is purely classroom, and discusses the calculation of MOD and EAD, and covers oxygen toxicity and how to analyze tanks. It's not a huge time commitment.

 

[String]

Go Nitrox if you're ending your dives due to running out of no stop time as opposed to running out of gas or operator imposed maximum time. It'll extend your no stop time or allow a shorter surface interval.
If you're not ending dives due to an NDL there's not a lot of point using it - it simply costs more and means you have a shallower maximum depth.

Training is simple. Id argue overly simplified. You just read a glorified leaflet with most of the important maths stripped off and analyse some tanks.

Theres nothing mystical or magic about nitrox. Its a tool to do a specific job, nothing more.

 

[Krazytomdiver]

As a dive guide,without Nitrox I would have to retire.......now. It is my best & only dive buddy.

"living life without a hard bottom"
KT

 

[Rhone Man]

Personally, if it did not cost twice as much, I would dive nitrox all the time.

I'd use nitrox even if it did cost twice as much. Sadly, I simply cannot get nitrox in this part of the world.

I dislike surface intervals, as they get in the way of my diving. With nitrox I can cut them to the absolute bare minimum.

 

[Blackwood]

In addition to what's been mentioned above, Nitrox offers the ability to correct people when they ask how much air is in your cylinder.

 

[j yaeger]

as was said,extend your bottom time without deco obligation
i like it for my advanced course, deep dive,etc. when i'm pushing ndl limits
the extra money is worth it!
not worth the expense if you're low on air and still a lot of no deco time left
the"not tired" effect is b.s in my opinion...doesn't help humping tanks,driving to sites,gearing up!!!!!!
have fun
yaeg

 

[Dr Wu]

Nitrox reduces the percentage of nitrogen in a given mix at a given depth.

No. The percentage remains the same.

Regardless of "given depth".

People often have trouble understanding that little detail. But that "detail" makes all the difference underwater.

Find a good instructor.

Don't try to learn this on the internet.

It's not hard... but as Nitrox has become more common, there is always going to be a lot of miss-information around.