Diving Air vs Nitrox

[dyandiver]

My husband and I are 71 and 66 years young. We were both certified in the 80's and then didn't dive for 20+ years and are now actively back in the water and loving every minute. Neither one of us is nitrox certified - and do we want to be? My husband is somewhat of an air hog so he always runs low on air long before he reaches no deco limits. If you were me/he - is there an advantage to us in getting nitrox certified? The price of the course could just as well be spent on more dives.

Any/all thoughts and input appreciated. If we'll benefit then that's what we'll do. But if not -- why bother?

Thanks.

 

[Lorenzoid]

You know the saying that 60 is the new 50? Well, Nitrox is the new air. It was exotic stuff back in the '80s, but it's just standard diving gas to many if not most of us now. You would be doing a disservice to yourselves by NOT getting Nitrox certified. "Air hog" issues invariably improve with time, and no-deco time will increasingly become the limiting factor.

 

[gizmo1972]

its not just about extending you no decompression times
its better to limit your nitrogen loading so breathing higher levels of O2 cannot be a bad thing can it?
some people say they are less tired after diving using nitrox (not proven!)
but if youu use it correctly then it is safer than air IMHO
so if i was in your place then go for it!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Are most of your dives in the 60 - 100 ft range? Are you doing more than four dives a day? If not save your money and use it to get more dives in. I teach nitrox but rarely dive it. Just not necessary nor worth the added expense for most of what I do.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[danvolker]

My husband and I are 71 and 66 years young. We were both certified in the 80's and then didn't dive for 20+ years and are now actively back in the water and loving every minute. Neither one of us is nitrox certified - and do we want to be? My husband is somewhat of an air hog so he always runs low on air long before he reaches no deco limits. If you were me/he - is there an advantage to us in getting nitrox certified? The price of the course could just as well be spent on more dives.

Any/all thoughts and input appreciated. If we'll benefit then that's what we'll do. But if not -- why bother?

Thanks.

Alot of this is related to WHERE you will be diving. If you dove off of South Florida, the boats do NOT want you to dive air, and expect anyone but rank novices to be diving Nitrox....this is so you can have a boat running 2 dives with a 45 minute to hour surface interval, in a morning or afternoon--the boat needs to run at least the 2 trips per day... Typically you are given up to an hour per dive for bottom time.

Depth for us will be anywhere from 55 feet deep to 90 for the vast majority of dives..and you could dive every day for 2 weeks in different spots, and never have to go deeper than 65 feet deep. Nitrox is the way to go for the way WE dive.

There may be places where you have huge 2 hour plus surface interval potential, or where nitrox is expensive....in those places, maybe you don't have to dive nitrox so much.

On the other hand, if your cardio is not spectacular, you can use Nitrox on air profiles, and drastically increase your safety margins for DCS....and you will feel much more refreshed after diving.

 

[beaverdivers]

My husband and I are 71 and 66 years young. We were both certified in the 80's and then didn't dive for 20+ years and are now actively back in the water and loving every minute. Neither one of us is nitrox certified - and do we want to be? My husband is somewhat of an air hog so he always runs low on air long before he reaches no deco limits. If you were me/he - is there an advantage to us in getting nitrox certified? The price of the course could just as well be spent on more dives.

Any/all thoughts and input appreciated. If we'll benefit then that's what we'll do. But if not -- why bother?

Thanks.

Yes, definitely get Nitrox certified and dive it on every dive that is deeper than 30'. As you ( we ) get older, you are at a higher risk of getting " the bends ". Many of us older divers wisely use Nitrox, hence the nickname " Geezer Gas " Also, if someone is an air hog they are probably taking on more nitrogen due to increased workload.

 

[knotical]

… dive it on every dive that is deeper than 30'….

On what do you base your 30’ recommendation? Most gas hogs are well within no-decompression limits, and therefore gain no significant benefit from nitrox.

… if someone is an air hog they are probably taking on more nitrogen due to increased workload.

A common misconception. On-gassing of nitrogen is determined by partial pressures, not by the amount of gas passing through the lungs.

 

[uncfnp]

If it is readily available where you dive and not double the price, I would and do use it on all dives greater than 30 feet and more then one dive a day for that safety margin that Lorenzoid, Dan and beaverdivers mentioned. Even the possibility of a little extra margin against DCS is worth the few extra dollars.

Not only do I dive nitrox, but I will choose the highest mix available for the depth of the dive.

---------- Post added July 12th, 2013 at 05:47 PM ----------

On what do you base your 30’ recommendation? Most gas hogs are well within no-decompression limits, and therefore gain no significant benefit from nitrox.

A common misconception. On-gassing of nitrogen is determined by partial pressures, not by the amount of gas passing through the lungs.

I think he is associating higher air use with higher cardio activity underwater and not the actual tidal volume with respirations. As I understand it, increased workload, exercise underwater does increase the risk of bubble formation and hence DCS.

 

[beaverdivers]

On what do you base your 30’ recommendation?

Yes, a very conservative one. I had first typed in 40', but I would rather be on the conservative side. A diver is still taking in nitrogen in their slower tissues even at a depth of greater than 30'.

A common misconception. On-gassing of nitrogen is determined by partial pressures, not by the amount of gas passing through the lungs.

Interesting. Why do Scubapro/Uwatec dive computer take into account workload?

It is not just about the amount of gas passing through the lungs.

If a diver has increased workload, then the air integrated computer will give that diver less No Stop time.

 

[kombiguy]

As an aside, I seem to recall that "Undercurrents" had the results of an admittedly self-directed study that seemd to indicate that couples who dived nitrox on week long dive trips had more sex than couples who dived air.