Is nitrox worth it for deeper rec dives?

[Manatee Diver]

you need to complete the NITROX logbook...

Might be a Florida thing but only ever been asked to fill out the logbook on a nitrox tank rentals, never on fills.

 

[Mike1967]

Might be a Florida thing but only ever been asked to fill out the logbook on a nitrox tank rentals, never on fills.

In Australia we have to fill out and sign a logbook every time we pick up a tank with nitrox in it, regardless of if you're renting or own the tank.

 

[Dan_P]

I don’t do imperial because it needs to be stopped, but at 30m you get 50% extra bottom time on a standard Nx32, which skews the NDL/gas consumption ratio (rough math here), so your NDL pretty much aligns with how far your gas stretches on a “standard-range” single tank volume.

I know that’s just an example, but nitrox is real cheap and 50% more dive time on a regular rec dive is a lot.

 

[admikar]

Doing continuous blending requires a running compressor for each fill. Banking does not.

Well, you can't have it both ways.
Anyway, my opinion is that Marrie will most likely decide this is just not worthy, wait until she is tech certified, sling a bottle of rich EAN and do it that way.
Her current buddies all rec divers is different matter altogether.

 

[W W Meixner]

Might be a Florida thing but only ever been asked to fill out the logbook on a nitrox tank rentals, never on fills.

Manatee...

Tobermory is in Ontario Canada...somewhat north of Florida...

Your profile indicates you're not a certified diver...how much blended gas have you been buying being un-certified...

You're required to analyze your own mix when purchasing higher than 21% oxygen blends...and to verify through self analyzing and signature that your requested mix is correct...

Without self analyzing your mix prior to leaving the shop how do you know what's in the tank...suppose you asked for 30%...with the ''plan'' to conduct a 115 ft dive...and a mistake was made in the shop and the tank is filled with 100% O2...this being the case...leaving the shop without analyzing your mix...you're only making one more 115 ft dive...your last one...

Best...

Warren

 

[kelemvor]

I've going to have some deeper dives (110-130ft) this coming season. I'm wondering if nitrox is worth the cost for the wee bit of extra bottom time! I ran the numbers on my Perdix (medium conservatism). At 130ft with 28%, you only get 3 more minutes of NDL time than on air.

At my shop, I'd pay $14/tank (up to 100cft tank) for custom mix (you can get banked 32% for $12/tank). In addition, I'd have to have a pair of tanks O2 cleaned ($50/tank, so $100).

Most of my diving is only 2 dives a day. Occasionally I'll do 2 Lake Michigan charters in 1 day (4 dives), but most of those are shallower (less than 90ft, most under 70ft). I have a trip to the Straits of Mackinac in June (3 days of 2 dives each) and Toby in July (1 day of 4 dives 1 day of 2 dives). I'll be taking my own tanks on the Straits trip, and am up in the air about the Toby trip (Divers Den only has 6 HP100 tanks for rent) - I refuse to dive aluminums now. Screws with my weighting.

I got a pair of tanks O2 cleaned last summer, but I really only used the O2 cleaning when I was on my Alpena, MI trip. I could have easily done those dives on air.

I've debated this with several friends and they all just do deeper rec dives on air. I didn't get my new doubles setup (tanks I already had) O2 cleaned, either.

My preference is to use nitrox any time I can get it, unless it's unusually expensive in some particular location.

I pay slightly less than you for fills at my LDS, but given all the other costs of a dive, throwing in an extra $20 for two tanks of trox is worth it to me. I'm a firm believer in the "nitrox makes you feel less fatigued" and even as a layman I can spot several serious flaws with the study that attempted to address that. Even if it's all in my mind, so what. The result is good either way. I don't do it for the bottom time, as I'm almost always gas limited when diving single tanks. I do it for the peace of mind, and fatigue reduction. I generally target 1.4 and so would also choose 28% for that dive.

I do set my computer for nitrox, I just wind up ending my dive for reasons other than NDL as I mentioned.

 

[Bob DBF]

Screen shot from DRIS’ website.

The hazards of reading, now I find out that O2 is a combustible gas. Imagine my supprise.


Bob

 

[tursiops]

The hazards of reading, now I find out that O2 is a combustible gas. Imagine my supprise.


Bob

never mind

Added: my first post was nonsense, so I deleted it.
I've emailed DRIS to say WTF?

 

[tursiops]

never mind

Added: my first post was nonsense, so I deleted it.
I've emailed DRIS to say WTF?

DRIS has already changed that page. Good catch, Bob. Good work, Mike.

 

[Doby45]

@Dive Right In Scuba just needs a booster. LOL Few places outside of cave country will get ya up to the 3k mark on O2 fills.