True, every one from Sports diver up is Decompression Qualified (Ocean Diver isn't - 20m maximum depth). However, not everyone will run a decompression dive. But now as a club, we recommend rich Nitrox in the afternoon, lean nitrox the following morning. (DDRC say your better bent on Nitrox than air)
Is nitrox worth it for deeper rec dives?
- Thread starter Marie13
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True, every one from Sports diver up is Decompression Qualified (Ocean Diver isn't - 20m maximum depth). However, not everyone will run a decompression dive. But now as a club, we recommend rich Nitrox in the afternoon, lean nitrox the following morning. (DDRC say your better bent on Nitrox than air)
noj3333
Contributor
Well without taking this way off track... if you set your computer (or use the 'correct table') to the mix you have, and dive it to it's NDL then your body will absorb them same amount of nitrogen (air vs nitrox)... Although I believe many people dive nitrox, and set their computer to air, it's something I rarely do... with that I don't think it's a 'Jesus take the wheel' approach to diving... YMMV...
EDIT... I'm with you... say at 10 minutes into your dive, you'd have less nitrogen in your system if you were on nitrox compered to air (all other factors equal)...
So yes, i do agree with you there... I think we're on the same page here...
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Hi @Marie13
Sounds like you have already decided not to dive nitrox with the "minimal" increase in dive time and the fact that your buddies will not be diving nitrox and will force your ascent. Personally, I always dive nitrox. I will gladly take the extra minutes on the 1st dive. I frequently do 4 dives per day and the benefit on repetitive dives is greater. I dive solo, my dive time is not controlled by a buddy, either gas consumption or NDL.
To each their own, enjoy your dives.
Sounds like you have already decided not to dive nitrox with the "minimal" increase in dive time and the fact that your buddies will not be diving nitrox and will force your ascent. Personally, I always dive nitrox. I will gladly take the extra minutes on the 1st dive. I frequently do 4 dives per day and the benefit on repetitive dives is greater. I dive solo, my dive time is not controlled by a buddy, either gas consumption or NDL.
To each their own, enjoy your dives.
OP
@scubadada
I've not totally made up my mind, but I am going in the direction of no nitrox. My dives are either from boats on the Great Lakes or the quarry. On the boat, everyone has the same SI (at least 1 hour) and quarry dives are also always 1 hour. So in my case, the decreased surface interval benefit doesn't apply.
@KenGordon
I'll be doing tech training eventually, as you very well know, but the earliest I'd be doing AN/DP is next year (2020). Then there's the issue of finding a new set of dive buddies. Current set are virtually all rec divers only and will likely never do any tech.
I've not totally made up my mind, but I am going in the direction of no nitrox. My dives are either from boats on the Great Lakes or the quarry. On the boat, everyone has the same SI (at least 1 hour) and quarry dives are also always 1 hour. So in my case, the decreased surface interval benefit doesn't apply.
@KenGordon
I'll be doing tech training eventually, as you very well know, but the earliest I'd be doing AN/DP is next year (2020). Then there's the issue of finding a new set of dive buddies. Current set are virtually all rec divers only and will likely never do any tech.
As long as you not partial pressure blending the Nitrox in your tank it does not have to be O2 cleaned. You can't go wrong diving Nitrox, even if your buddies are not. As a buddy team you descend and ascend together. If your buddies NDL counts down faster than yours because you are on Nitrox, then you are basically diving the air profile of your buddy but have the added benefit of not consuming as much nitrogen as your buddy.
kafkaland
Contributor
Perhaps I might missing something, but why do your tanks need to be O2-clean? They should be able to give you a 32% fill from the bank even with lesser cleaning standard, and then just top it off with air to get to 28%. No partial pressure blending with pure O2 needed.
OP
NDL is the limiting factor on the deeper (over 90ft) dives. I dive either HP80s or HP100s for the deeper dives. And as I mentioned in another post, current crop of buddies rarely dive nitrox. There's not much point in nitrox, especially the custom mixes, if buddies have to ascend before I do, since they're diving air and I'm on nitrox.
@Marie13 Kind of similar situation here in NY. I like nitrox myself and try to use if for all but the shallowest of dives. In your situation, why not just get banked nitrox. Banked nitrox does not need to go into oxygen cleaned tanks since you are not dealing with high % of oxygen. I hope and seeing that in the near future, more and more shops are offering banked nitrox. Recently I saw one offering 32, 34 and 36% banked nitrox, no cleaning required.
Also the reason you are coming across this issue is that nitrox is really designed for dives less than 115 feet and as you know the P)2 there is 1.4. The real answer for those depths is trimix. But that is a different situation all together. In the meantime, perhaps get banked 32% and keep your depth less than 111 feet. Alternatively get your tank filled to 32%, bleed it a bit and add air to get the PO2 to the ideal number for the depth you want. Yo can add air thru a transfill whip. The latter is time consuming.
Personally I would not do air dive at 130. Narcosis and limited NDL. If you are doing deco dives, then it's a different story.
Also the reason you are coming across this issue is that nitrox is really designed for dives less than 115 feet and as you know the P)2 there is 1.4. The real answer for those depths is trimix. But that is a different situation all together. In the meantime, perhaps get banked 32% and keep your depth less than 111 feet. Alternatively get your tank filled to 32%, bleed it a bit and add air to get the PO2 to the ideal number for the depth you want. Yo can add air thru a transfill whip. The latter is time consuming.
Personally I would not do air dive at 130. Narcosis and limited NDL. If you are doing deco dives, then it's a different story.
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