Nitrox course. What's the point?

[boulderjohn]

Ok. So that's just regulatory. Thanks.

The nitrox situation in this day and age is a little baffling. Perhaps knowing some history may help.

When nitrox was first introduced, it was considered to be a very dangerous product that only advanced divers could use. In the mid 1990s, the Dive Equipment and Manufacturing Association (DEMA) prohibited presentations on nitrox at its annual convention because of the perceived danger. In that era, dive agencies were formed to teach that really advanced stuff, including IANTD (International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers) and ANDI (American Nitrox Divers International). If you wanted to dive that voodoo gas, you had to go to an agency that would teach you how to do it and hope to live through the experience.

Then the regular agencies decided it was safe enough to teach themselves, but you had a lot to learn. My PADI nitrox class about 20 years ago was very intense, with a 50 question final exam and all sorts of math to do and formulas to memorize.

Then things started to be relaxed. Dig up ScubaBoard threads from 15 years ago and you will see threads in which people are screaming that they ran into nitrox divers who didn't even know how to computer MOD off the top of their heads. How could a dive shop give nitrox to such a person?!

Today, people realize it is not all that much of a big deal, and you really don't need to know all that stuff to dive safely with nitrox. But the old rules, class structures, and class fees tend to remain in place.

 

[lostsheep]

I am not interested in deco or tech. I just want to be able to dive nitrox when it is possible or advised.

When would nitrox diving not be possible or not advisable? I have my own answer, and it usually involves helium

I think the only value is getting shops to fill your tanks with nitrox. Some care, some don’t. I too was caught off guard while vacationing because I didn’t have a card and the operators didn’t know me.

 

[Manatee Diver]

You will need the card to dive Nitrox on a liveaboard, day boats, or at a resort. It's also a prerequisite for technical courses.

I was in Palau and refused Nitrox because I did not have my Nitrox card. I had my Advanced Nitrox, Decompression Procedures, and Trimix cards but not my Nitrox card (don't remember why I lost that one). I had to use an international data modem to log on to PADI website and provide proof that I had taken Nitrox.

Stories like this, and not wanting to present a tech card unless I am actually tech diving, is why my nitrox is one of the easiest cards to find in my card wallet.

without wanting to sound overly cynical I think you are enmeshed in a system designed to transfer money from your bank account to theirs. Do some more diving until you are pretty comfortable in the water and then just do ADV nitrox and deco procedures in one go

Nitrox is a prereq for most tech diving courses that I am aware of.

 

[LiteWeight]

But you had Advanced Nitrox. What was wrong?

What was wrong is that you can't fix stupid. This is the same divemaster that had dove in 467 of the 195 countries in the world. And swam us into the current at Blue Corner for 25 minutes until divers started running out of gas.

 

[lermontov]

Nitrox is a prereq for most tech diving courses that I am aware of.

unless its changed recently you can do adv nitrox /deco from AOW bypassing nitrox

 

[Marie13]

unless its changed recently you can do adv nitrox /deco from AOW bypassing nitrox

TDI Adv Nitrox standards online say you have to have TDI Nitrox or equivalent.

 

[lermontov]

TDI Adv Nitrox standards online say you have to have TDI Nitrox or equivalent.

hmm thats interesting - i dont have a nitrox cert -went straight to adv nitrox /deco procedures

 

[Belzelbub]

I am not interested in deco or tech. I just want to be able to dive nitrox when it is possible or advised. And I am pretty comfortable in water. I am not sure that I need to wait to have 150 dives (in Q2) to do Nitrox.

As has been stated, the main benefit is being able to get Nitrox fills. You hit on pretty much everything taught in your first post. Main thing I got out of it is understanding symptoms of OxTox.

When would nitrox diving not be possible or not advisable?

It’s not advisable when doing dives that are too deep, of course.

 

[TMHeimer]

I think it's all been said. Take the course if you are going to be doing a reasonable amount of diving where you will benefit from the longer bottom times.

 

[OTF]

LDS loves you (actually, your money), don't they? Go diving outside of instruction....

Say it louder for the people in the back. Based on their other threads and posts OP could most benefit from building experience doing dives outside of classes, without an instructor holding their hand on every dive.