2/3 dives per day

[Lorenzoid]

. . . i dont know how my body would react to so many dives, even if i have planned bottom time, surface interval, etc ...

How YOUR body will react to X number of dives per day is something only you can determine by diving. However, how the statistically average person's body will react is what the tables are there to inform you. If you plan your bottom times and surface intervals using the tables, then statistics would suggest that your body will have no adverse reaction.

As others have said, two or three dives per day for several weeks is relatively few. Five is a lot. Six would be pushing the outer limits.

 

[TatianaSilva]

thanks to all ... I think it should be alright as some reefs ive been searching are not too deep either and people are quite flexible in case i want to stop for a few days.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba 2]

I would echo some of the previous posts by saying a nitrox class and purchase of a dive computer is a wise choice.

 

[DukeAMO]

To answer your question, the standard PADI Nitrox class does not include or require any diving. It's just the book work and a half-day classroom session. Actually diving with the class would have been fun, though.

 

[sphyrnidus]

I use Nitrox when doing multiple dives a day. But that's only because of safety. I did never notice a difference in tiredness. On occasion I'm on a live aboard that doesn't have Nitrox. So I do know the difference, because I've done up to 20 dives in 5 days whitout Nitrox. I'm 61 btw and reasonably fit, but not athletic..

 

[Becca65]

no, I don't want to avoid doing dives with the instructor - just as it was explained to us the Nitrox class didn't include any dives and just thought it was kinda expensive for a class with no dives. Have been told by our instructor and by some divers we've met at different lakes that Nitrox is a good thing and we were wondering if it was worth the cost.

 

[KeithG]

the value of nitrox is related to your dive profiles. it is useful if you are doing multiple square-ish dives each day. if you are doing multilevel level dives where the last half of the dive is in really shallow water (25 ft) then air is as good as nitrox as you will not get close to NDLs.

generally any place where you are doing 3 or more dives in a day, they are spread out across the day and so you should have lots of surface interval inbetween dives.

 

[fbk]

no, I don't want to avoid doing dives with the instructor - just as it was explained to us the Nitrox class didn't include any dives and just thought it was kinda expensive for a class with no dives. Have been told by our instructor and by some divers we've met at different lakes that Nitrox is a good thing and we were wondering if it was worth the cost.

How much is a Nitrox course? Mine was $100, definitely worth doing and cheap at twice the price.

 

[DukeAMO]

The combination of a computer and Nitrox will add a significant amount of bottom time, if
* You're diving deeper than about 20 feet, and
* You're not an air hog, or
* You're doing multiple dives in the same day.

I sometimes calculate my pressure group based on the dive charts just for practice. On most diving days, I stay underwater longer than the dive tables would allow, but I'm well within what my computer will allow. This is true even for the first dive, and it's almost always true for additional dives on the same day. I've done up to 4 shallow dives (15-40 feet) in one day on air without getting close to the NDL on my computer, but we had an average of 2 hours between each dive that day.

You notice the extra dive time that Nitrox gives you more on deeper dives. You also notice it more when you do a few dives in a row with only an hour or so of surface interval between each dive. And you notice it more if you're not an air hog. It's frustrating to have to get out of the water, or ascend above a wreck or a cool part of the reef with plenty of air left in your tank, because you got too close to your NDL. That's where Nitrox pays off.

 

[Becca65]

when we checked into it I believe the Nitrox course was almost $250 per person - and there are two of us so we have to double that amount, again, not against doing it just thought that was kinda high for a class where you don't even dive...but if it helps in the long run it would be worth it. Our dive instructor said we should do it because he's noticed he is less tired when he dives with Nitrox and uses less air (aka more bottom time). Don't think I'm an "air hog" - usually when we dive my husband uses more air than I do but so far we've always had plenty long enough to do what we want under the water. We do have dive computers. The other thing that surprised me about the course - and not doing dives - was that in other things they tend to want the instructor to watch you the first time you do something to see if you have any sort of reaction - but I guess that's not a concern with Nitrox so they don't worry about that.