First Nitrox Dives

[tridacna]

This post may stir some controversy (please read it carefully) but:

I disagree with tridacna that people who dive on enriched air don't feel less fatigued. I think some genuinely do - and noticeably so - but hear me out tri, I have a reason!

C.

This could easily be resolved. But it won't. Design a trial. Send down N divers of varying ages to 60max with either Air or Nitrox and survey them afterward. Unfortunatelty, there is no economic reason for the dive industry to conduct such a test. They make too much money selling us on the "good feeling" produced by Nitrox. Absent this test, we will argue until we are blue in the face.

I spoke to a cardiologist regarding the "diver with CA saved by nitrox" story. He was highly dubious about that too. More fodder for the magic gas.

I like Nitrox because of longer BT and shorter SIs. That's it. uttahere

 

[DiveMaven]

Double blind studies have been done and show NO evidence of reduced fatigue after using nitrox. I'm over 40 and I don't feel any difference after using nitrox. Placebo effects can be very powerful to the believer....that is certainly proven in every scientific study!

 

[zahner]

anyone have a link to these studies? were they done for just one dive or multiple dives? I personally don't notice any difference after a single dive, but a huge difference doing 4 dives in a day on nitrox vs air.

 

[jbd]

I spoke to a cardiologist regarding the "diver with CA saved by nitrox" story. He was highly dubious about that too. More fodder for the magic gas.

What diver having a CA was saved by nitrox

 

[letsgodiving]

Double blind studies have been done and show NO evidence of reduced fatigue after using nitrox.

Link?

 

[DandyDon]

Ok so I waited a while to take Nitrox. Good class though. Dandy Don talked me into it cause he said he doesn't like to dive with Air divers in fla. Maybe we will meet someday.

:lol:​

I don't like to dive deeper, like on FL wrecks, when I'm on Nitrox and the buddy is on Air. For Cozumel and other sloping reef dives, and on shallow dive, I dive Air - unless there is a discount package for the trip, or I do 3 or more dives in a day. And it certainly can help when the whole boat is on Nitrox, but this rarely works out for me.

Hehe, check out my original Nitrox card....

Nowhere does it say anything about what kind of card it is, not on the front either. I used it many times before I got my combo Rescue-Enhanced Air card, no one ever noticed. They pretend to look. Diving Air, they usually don't check my card if I'm wearing an old T-shirt.

I think I'll stencil this one myself: DandyDiver-VoodooGas

 

[markr]

It also reduces fatigue, and I tend to use it if I have a long drive home the same day. If I dive nitrox and then make the 4 or 5 hour drive back from the SE of Florida, I am wide awake while the rest of the car that doved air are all exhausted. If you are under 30 you will not see a huge benefit but it helps for the over 40s, trust me.

Are you sure it's the Nitrox and not the fear of a firey death. I find when I'm driving I put a lot more effort into staying awake then the passengers ever do.

 

[tridacna]

Link?

Harris RJ, Doolette DJ, Wilkinson DC, Williams DJ. Measurement of fatigue following 18msw dry chamber dives breathing air or enriched air nitrox. Undersea Hyperb Med 2003;30(4):285-91

Hmmm...so there is evidence. Results show no differences in fatigue perception after diving nitrox. You can let your buddies drive! :blinking:

 

[tridacna]

What diver having a CA was saved by nitrox

I was. I was at 5000 ft on a single tank of Nitrox. I saw my first deep sea vent. The worms were incredible. Suddenly I had a sharp feeling of pain in my arm and chest. I sucked hard on the reg to get more precious nitrox. (I was diving 65%). Instantly I relaxed and felt much better. (I'm not even over 50). My cardiologist said that without Nitrox, I was a goner. And after the dive, I drove home because my buddies (who had been diving air) were exhausted.

 

[letsgodiving]

Are you sure it's the Nitrox and not the fear of a firey death. I find when I'm driving I put a lot more effort into staying awake then the passengers ever do.

Possibly, but I have tried the drive back with and without Nitrox and I notice the difference. It might not be the increased oxygen, the reduced nitrogen in my body might help with post diving fatigue.

Everyone's body is different, for instance I can't wear a cell phone on my belt for more than a hour without pain in my hip bone. I also get severe migraine from exposure to fluorescent lights but most people do not get effected by them. It is very possible that I am more sensitive to the increased nitrogen levels than the average diver.

Check the last line in this article:

"Bottom line, diving Nitrox means less nitrogen in you body, less post dive fatigue and just plain healthier."

http://www.progressivediving.com/nitroxGas.htm