First Nitrox Dives

[mislav]

By and large I use NITROX in place of air, when depth appropriate, on air tables (or an air computer). I take my margin in the extra risk reduction rather than in longer bottom time or shorter surface intervals. On one dive I notice little or no difference but on a multi-dive, multi-day series of dives I feel that I have much less fatigue.

Ditto here.

I dive on Nitrox tables if everyone is on the same Nitrox mix, but most of the time at least one other diver dives on air - which leaves me diving air profiles instead.

I don't notice any change after only one dive, but on repetitive dives it makes a difference. How can it not? You do absorb less nitrogen. I doubt this positive effect on fatigue could ever be scientifically measurable with enough accuracy to be proven beyond any doubt.

 

[Thalassamania]

Push come to shove I'd bet on less lung being blocked by venus side bubbles waiting to offgas.

 

[tridacna]

Push come to shove I'd bet on less lung being blocked by venus side bubbles waiting to offgas.

Shove comes to push, I'd bet on more feces being blocked by anus. This argument is not going anywhere. Following your logic, we should feel really really fatigued after diving reduced O2 mixes. Tri should have you surfacing like a zombie. It doesn't do that to me. And no, the deco gas doesn't have a magical "fix me up" effect either. Soon, we'll all be back to oxygenated water. :shakehead

 

[Thalassamania]

Shove comes to push, I'd bet on more feces being blocked by anus. This argument is not going anywhere. Following your logic, we should feel really really fatigued after diving reduced O2 mixes. Tri should have you surfacing like a zombie. It doesn't do that to me. And no, the deco gas doesn't have a magical "fix me up" effect either. Soon, we'll all be back to oxygenated water. :shakehead

Then you'd likely loose your bet and be wearing a feces eating grin. If helium and nitorgen were the same mass and had the same molecular size you'd be correct, but (last time I checked) helium has a much higher diffusivity coefficient than nitrogen.

 

[tridacna]

Then you'd likely loose your bet and be wearing a feces eating grin. If helium and nitorgen were the same mass and had the same molecular size you'd be correct, but (last time I checked) helium has a much higher diffusivity coefficient than nitrogen.

Codswallop.

1. There is no such thing as "nitorgen".

2. I would LOSE not "loose" my bet. I never tightened it. Nor did I make one. I was simply shoving my push...

3. You (not me) imply that it is the %O2 in the breathing mix that contributes to post-dive fatigue syndrome. I would further posit that we all know that Helium makes you talk in a higher pitch. It is this squeakiness that creates the feeling of well-being based on the Buehlwoman Donald Duck Syndrome (BDDS). Furthermore an analysis of the flatulence induced by the BS component of your argument could lead to sense of euphoria, clearly a marker for improved concentration and driving skills. I concede this argument to you. Brilliant logic.

 

[Thalassamania]

Codswallop.

1. There is no such thing as "nitorgen".

2. I would LOSE not "loose" my bet. I never tightened it. Nor did I make one. I was simply shoving my push...

3. You (not me) imply that it is the %O2 in the breathing mix that contributes to post-dive fatigue syndrome. I would further posit that we all know that Helium makes you talk in a higher pitch. It is this squeakiness that creates the feeling of well-being based on the Buehlwoman Donald Duck Syndrome (BDDS). Furthermore an analysis of the flatulence induced by the BS component of your argument could lead to sense of euphoria, clearly a marker for improved concentration and driving skills. I concede this argument to you. Brilliant logic.

Straight to the ignore list. Phew!

 

[letsgodiving]

Straight to the ignore list. Phew!

LOL...gotta love the ignore function.

 

[Hoffa]

We tripped to Utila in early May. On the second day the divemaster offered up Nitrox certification. We consented, and dove Nitrox beginning the third afternoon.

I mentioned something about Nitrox reducing fatigue, and the divemaster quickly said that while many divers made that claim, there was no proof that it was true.

We're ALWAYS tired on dive trips, and we seemed even more slagged out on this one, but the three of us who became certified definitely began feeling better after diving the Nitrox. We weren't diving crazy profiles on air. There were only four divers on our boat, and we all stayed with our divemaster.

Fatigue is such a subjective and multivariable thing. Maybe it was placebo. Maybe my body just took a few days to adjust from two straight days of serious lack of sleep right before the trip (I have my own passport story now). I dive every other year, at most, and maybe it took me a couple days to start feeling comfortable enough that it helped with my fatigue.

With such a subjective complaint (we don't have a fatigue-0-meter), it strikes me that it would be VERY hard for researchers to control enough variables to make for a good study.

 

[Charlie99]

We're ALWAYS tired on dive trips, and we seemed even more slagged out on this one, but the three of us who became certified definitely began feeling better after diving the Nitrox. We weren't diving crazy profiles on air.

As an experiment, try adding deep stops to your ascent profile next time around. You don't need to do anything fancy. What works for me is 1 minute at 40', 2 minutes around 30' or so, and then a normal safety stop. As I posted earlier in this thread, I found the either deep stops or going to nitrox cured my fatigue problem.

Charlie Allen

 

[tridacna]

Straight to the ignore list. Phew!

Ditto for your complete BS theory. Strange...you are normally so lucid. I strongly recommend a tank of 36% to clear your mind and refresh you. Good old fashioned air does not seem to be doing the trick. Wait, maybe this is the evidence that we've been looking for...?