Are nitrox classes really necessary in Indiana?

[Divin'Papaw]

Yes, I would recommend it. As a Hoosier myself I added Nitrox immediately after my open water course 15 years ago. You can't easily get Nitrox in the Midwest so you will most likely not use it locally. However, when traveling it can be very beneficial. It will significantly increase your NDL for depths in the 60-100' range. I dive it pretty much exclusively. Here in Florida where I live now it is just a far better choice than air and isn't that much more expensive.

As for narcosis don't be too worried about it. It's not the boogie man. You will only experience it when diving below 100' or so. Certain conditions can make it worse (cold water, low visibility, CO2 buildup from strenuous fining, etc). Some people are more prone to the affects than others as well. Just get certified and start diving within the limits of your training. You will learn gradually what you are comfortable with in terms of depth range and how narcosis affects you.

 

[kelemvor]

There are some topics that just never get boring on SB. Unfortunately this is not one of them. Will someone please say that nitrox induces a feeling of post-dive euphoria with life in general and get that over with too.

I've never experienced that myself, but it does decrease how whipped I feel after a couple of dives. I would say it keeps me feeling closer to normal.

 

[mhattenhauer]

I took my Nitrox class soon after my OW and I have dived 1 nitrox tank for S***s and giggles. I haven't had a need for it.

 

[Chavodel8en]

Nitrox will extend the time you can spend at depths below 80' or so without incurring a decompression obligation, or allow you to do many dives in one day or consecutive days.

I've gone 15 years w/out nitrox certification, mainly because I'm cheap, and I have no real need to go deep in my local shore diving. My wife doesnt dive, so on vacation, Im not doing a bunch of dives every day.

However, a couple times on vacation, mainly wrecks, nitrox would have given me a few extra precious minutes at depth. I was actually planning to get nitrox certified this summer, but COVID got in the way. $100 for you to get it now is a pretty good price, and its convenient to get it w/ your OW.

 

[scrane]

It is probably a good investment for $100.

 

[Brett Hatch]

narcosis is an issue with ppN2 lower FN2% and you lower PPN2 , its simple cause and effect

On a night out drinking, lowering the fraction of tequila you drink by replacing it with the same amount of bourbon does not affect the amount of narcosis that you'll experience. Replacing nitrogen with oxygen is analogous, since the two gases are similarly narcotic. This is relatively new information: it was thought for a long time that oxygen was less narcotic than nitrogen, and therefore nitrox would be less narcotic than air. Recent developments in the research has shifted this interpretation.

As for decompression sickness and NDL, breathing nitrox is definitely better than breathing air, since nitrogen is worse for DCS than oxygen. Which is the whole point of diving on nitrox instead of air (in the roughly 60 to 110 foot range where it is both useful and safe).

To the OP: I have never dived in Indiana. If the sites are commonly shallower than 60 feet or so, I'd say stick with air for now. If you're frequently diving deeper than 60 feet, then nitrox is very useful, with the downside of costing a bit more for a fill. Even where it is possible to do so, most folks don't recommend that brand-new divers go much below 60 feet anyway, for a number of reasons that they will cover in your OW class. So, I'd say leave it for the future.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

On a night out drinking, lowering the fraction of tequila you drink by replacing it with the same amount of bourbon does not affect the amount of narcosis that you'll experience. Replacing nitrogen with oxygen is analogous, since the two gases are similarly narcotic. This is relatively new information: it was thought for a long time that oxygen was less narcotic than nitrogen, and therefore nitrox would be less narcotic than air. Recent developments in the research has shifted this interpretation.

As for decompression sickness and NDL, breathing nitrox is definitely better than breathing air, since nitrogen is worse for DCS than oxygen. Which is the whole point of diving on nitrox instead of air (in the roughly 60 to 110 foot range where it is both useful and safe).

To the OP: I have never dived in Indiana. If the sites are commonly shallower than 60 feet or so, I'd say stick with air for now. If you're frequently diving deeper than 60 feet, then nitrox is very useful, with the downside of costing a bit more for a fill. Even where it is possible to do so, most folks don't recommend that brand-new divers go much below 60 feet anyway, for a number of reasons that they will cover in your OW class. So, I'd say leave it for the future.

I like the drinking analogy. Mind if I borrow it?

 

[Brett Hatch]

I like the drinking analogy. Mind if I borrow it?

Just bring it back with a full tank

 

[pauldw]

I don't think the OP was asking whether nitrox is required in his state, he was asking whether it would be useful for local diving. And, because he mentioned narcosis, I'm guessing he assumes nitrox helps people go deeper; that's a common misconception.

So, OP, nitrox does not help you go deeper. In fact, it doesn't let you go deeper. Your recreational limit is 130 feet. Your maximum on nitrox (32%, the most common blend) is 111 feet. What it does let you do, if you're diving in middle range depths (if you're diving in shallow depths, like under 30 feet, you can usually ignore tables entirely), is do more diving. The class probably doesn't even involve actual dives, just a knowledge component, and should cost less than other classes, so it's good to take if for no other reason than to understand nitrox.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

Just bring it back with a full tank