Does Nitrox kill brain cells?

[Captain12Pk]

A gas is only as standardized as the analizer reads when you sniff it.

It is not that hard to be off a few % when mixing and it is still up to the user to varify the true mix.

Of course it's possible to be off by a percent or so when gas blending. That's why it's important to know the MOD formula. Thanks though, for proving my point. We need to be "Thinking Divers" not lemmings.

 

[mikemill]

Of course it's possible to be off by a percent or so whem gas blending. That's why it's important to know the MOD formula. Thanks though, for proving my point. We need to be "Thinking Divers" not lemmings.

What will the formula give me that a table won't? And don't say that using the formula would let you do 31.325% instead of 31% or 32%. I don't trust the equipment enough to give me that much precision.

 

[alchemist117]

Learned it, used it, forgot it, remember MOD for 32 & 36% and stick to those very carefully, also my computer gives me an even more conservative MOD.

 

[DaleC]

Of course it's possible to be off by a percent or so whem gas blending. That's why it's important to know the MOD formula. Thanks though, for proving my point. We need to be "Thinking Divers" not lemmings.

As long as your tables are initially correct you will have a higher incidence of accuracy using them than by calculating the MOD via formula & calculator each time. Perhaps being a thinking diver means knowing when and how to use tables instead of reinventing the wheel each time.

 

[mikemill]

I think the most important thing is knowing what the formula and tables mean. I don't remember the formula. However, by taking a moment to think about what the formula meant and the important parts I was able to derive the formula without a book, calculator, or anything else (save a piece of paper and a pencil [and a few scratch outs]).

Once you know what it means does it really matter how you calculate it out?

 

[Sas]

As long as your tables are initially correct you will have a higher incidence of accuracy using them than by calculating the MOD via formula & calculator each time. Perhaps being a thinking diver means knowing when and how to use tables instead of reinventing the wheel each time.

Actually wouldn't the formulas give a greater accuracy? I know it did when I obtained nitrox tables to check my calculations for my nitrox course.

I would hardly think using a three variable formula would constitute reinventing the wheel each time... I find it faster than using a table, but then maths is my favourite subject

Once you know what it means does it really matter how you calculate it out?

Exactly.

 

[mikemill]

Actually wouldn't the formulas give a greater accuracy? I know it did when I obtained nitrox tables to check my calculations for my nitrox course.

I think what Dale is implying is that the table will consistently give you the correct/accuracy where trying to memorize an equation can(/does?) lead to mistakes.

I can easily create a MOD table for each % and it'd be just as accurate as the formula (because the table would be generated using the formula) and it wouldn't be prone to simply mistakes. Remember, the higher you go in math the worse your algebra becomes

 

[Sas]

I think what Dale is implying is that the table will consistently give you the correct/accuracy where trying to memorize an equation can(/does?) lead to mistakes.

I can easily create a MOD table for each % and it'd be just as accurate as the formula (because the table would be generated using the formula) and it wouldn't be prone to simply mistakes. Remember, the higher you go in math the worse your algebra becomes

Ah ok makes sense. If you do the equations correctly, the tables I was using (both SSI and TDI nitrox tables) were not as accurate as the formulas.

 

[mikemill]

Yeah, my PADI tables aren't either. That has more to do with how the information is found.

 

[DaleC]

If you generate a table for a PPO2 of 1.4 for mixes 21% to 36% you will do 16 calculations (which you can then use to do 100 dives) compared to doing 100 calculations (one for each dive). Statistically you have a greater risk of error doing 100 calculations than 15. Whether those calculations are more precise is a different story.

That's not why I use tables though. I'm just very lazy.