Why do I need a Nitrox certification?

[redacted]

I've read about half of this thread and feel that those advising that you need to learn more about what you are breathing/diving are correct. I just recently went through my Nitrox course with my NAUI instructor that has been teaching Scuba for 19 years. I feel that the cost of the class ($99 plus books) vs the knowledge that I gained is invaluable. Saying that you feel you know enough about it from doing it is the wrong way to go about it. At least when you are taught by an instructor you can ask questions to someone who has been training with the right answer and information and not get the answer from someone who read it on the internet.


Just my two cents.

Ant

So you paid for the book and, I'm sure, the c-card. That was probably about $50. What do you think you got for the $99 you paid for the instructor?

 

[p1p]

I'm more curious as the value add of the instructor? I mean seriously, you look at the table, you look at your mix, it tells you your limit, whats left? Am I being hopelessly naive?

 

[NubaScoob]

Certain things are more important to know that others and the Nitrox book does not have big bright red letters that say "Danger Will Robinson!!!". Its hard for reference material to emphasize importance of things sometimes. Also, different people learn different ways. For me, i can read something 10 times and not "understand" it. But if it is explained or shown to me i usually "get it" instantly. My instructor was able to clarify things I originally found confusing and explain things in a way i can easily remember them. Think of it like going to grade school. Mostly everyone went to school and learned from books. So why is there a teacher? Certainly not to just keep order in the classroom. To work with the students on things they need to be proficient at. to locate the students weaknesses and help strengthen them. I see the value in a teacher. Just my outlook on it though.

 

[AfterDark]

Certain things are more important to know that others and the Nitrox book does not have big bright red letters that say "Danger Will Robinson!!!". Its hard for reference material to emphasize importance of things sometimes. Also, different people learn different ways. For me, i can read something 10 times and not "understand" it. But if it is explained or shown to me i usually "get it" instantly. My instructor was able to clarify things I originally found confusing and explain things in a way i can easily remember them. Think of it like going to grade school. Mostly everyone went to school and learned from books. So why is there a teacher? Certainly not to just keep order in the classroom. To work with the students on things they need to be proficient at. to locate the students weaknesses and help strengthen them. I see the value in a teacher. Just my outlook on it though.

Look closely in the book. You'll see yellow triangles with a black exclamation point inside. Those are your DANGER signs. The gray areas in the EAD table that say WARNING another warning Will Robinson! Some people do well self learning others don’t and need a little help it was good you were able to get it.

 

[pixiefish]

Remember also that courses are aimed at the lowest common denominator.....great if you are intelligent enough to read complex information, digest and fully understand it yourself and implement it safely.....other people may learn much more efficiently with a dynamic, instructor-led approach.

 

[AfterDark]

Remember also that courses are aimed at the lowest common denominator.....great if you are intelligent enough to read complex information, digest and fully understand it yourself and implement it safely.....other people may learn much more efficiently with a dynamic, instructor-led approach.

Complex?

 

[redacted]

Remember also that courses are aimed at the lowest common denominator.....great if you are intelligent enough to read complex information, digest and fully understand it yourself and implement it safely.....other people may learn much more efficiently with a dynamic, instructor-led approach.

Why should all be forced to suffer the LCD?

 

[Peter Guy]

[should step away from keyboard....]

To those who think they can get all they need to know from a book, video, whatever, you are probably correct. You will learn enough to be able to safely dive recreational EAN mixes with what you can glean from simple texts/videos. This is truly NOT "rocket surgery."

But what is the purpose of an instructor? Please don't think the instructor's role is to regurgitate the text or such. Should not the instructor's role be to:

a. Confirm the student has, in fact, grasped the information from the materials? and

b. To expand on that information so that the student has a much better grasp of the whys and wherefores of the subject?

I don't know if I'm any good as a teacher/instructor or not -- honestly. I like to think I'm pretty good but, really, who knows? That written, I also spend about 6 hours "teaching" a PADI Nitrox class. I will review, with the students, the questions on the Knowledge Reviews and the Exam to make sure they have an adequate understanding of the subject from the POV of those who wrote the text and created the video. OK, that takes about 60 minutes on average (including the time to take the test). So what do I do the other 5 hours?

We discuss other things:

a. What is most likely to limit your dive -- consumption or deco -- and how to plan/execute based on that;

b. How is Nitrox actually made and what might that affect one's diving and/or gear;

c. Why/when should you use an enriched blend; and

d. How do you actually determine the mixture and then, once you have it, how do you actually plan your dive and do the various calculations?

These discussions take time and, I hope and believe, provide the students with a much broader knowledge base than they received from their materials. It appears that by the end of the course, they actually have a pretty solid understanding of the subject.

But then, they get enough to be safe after the first 30 seconds! But is the goal of the class just to be able to dive safely or to truly expand one's knowledge and understanding of diving and the use of enriched O2 mixes?

YMMV

BTW, my last EAN class had 7 (?) students and was, honestly, very profitable to me!

 

[diverrex]

[should step away from keyboard....]

To those who think they can get all they need to know from a book, video, whatever, you are probably correct. You will learn enough to be able to safely dive recreational EAN mixes with what you can glean from simple texts/videos. This is truly NOT "rocket surgery."

But what is the purpose of an instructor? Please don't think the instructor's role is to regurgitate the text or such. Should not the instructor's role be to:

a. Confirm the student has, in fact, grasped the information from the materials? and

b. To expand on that information so that the student has a much better grasp of the whys and wherefores of the subject?

I don't know if I'm any good as a teacher/instructor or not -- honestly. I like to think I'm pretty good but, really, who knows? That written, I also spend about 6 hours "teaching" a PADI Nitrox class. I will review, with the students, the questions on the Knowledge Reviews and the Exam to make sure they have an adequate understanding of the subject from the POV of those who wrote the text and created the video. OK, that takes about 60 minutes on average (including the time to take the test). So what do I do the other 5 hours?

We discuss other things:

a. What is most likely to limit your dive -- consumption or deco -- and how to plan/execute based on that;

b. How is Nitrox actually made and what might that affect one's diving and/or gear;

c. Why/when should you use an enriched blend; and

d. How do you actually determine the mixture and then, once you have it, how do you actually plan your dive and do the various calculations?

These discussions take time and, I hope and believe, provide the students with a much broader knowledge base than they received from their materials. It appears that by the end of the course, they actually have a pretty solid understanding of the subject.

But then, they get enough to be safe after the first 30 seconds! But is the goal of the class just to be able to dive safely or to truly expand one's knowledge and understanding of diving and the use of enriched O2 mixes?

YMMV

BTW, my last EAN class had 7 (?) students and was, honestly, very profitable to me!

I had no issue taking the course, if that's what dive ops and agencies want to let me use Nitrox I am okay with that. And the overall cost is slim compared to my total diving expenses and I'm happy to contribute in a small way to a scuba instructor's income. And I appreciate how an instructor can enhance the minimum required information. But I do take exeption to those who sound the alarm that recreational divers are going to die unless they have every formula memorized, have all the tables memorized and know all the science behind it.

When I was in college and now 30+ years later even more so I appreciate professors who were able to take a course and distill it down to 3 - 5 really meaningful points and make sure those were drilled into us. I like your 30 second course version.

I'm pretty sure my wife has fogotten just about everything she learned in her Nitrox course. I have no problem though taking her to Bonaire and doing 3 dives a day to no more than 80 feet and letting her dive Nitrox 32% even though she doesn't remember any of the course. And she doesn't have much life insurance.

 

[Peter Guy]

Diverex -- as long as your wife remembers to:

a. Analyze her own tank (or watch you do it);

b. Only breathe 32% (+/- a percentage point or two); and

c. Stay above 100 feet;

then she has probably retained enough!