Nitrox for 20 dives in 5 days?

[oly5050user]

For any dives shallower than around 50' you're wasting your money using Nitrox.

If you're diving the deeper reefs and wrecks at depths greater than 60' then the longer dive times and/or shorter surface intervals make Nitrox well worth it especially given the time, effort and expense to get there.

If you're going to be diving for years to come then there's little doubt that the Nitrox certification is going to be a good thing to have even if you don't get much out of it on your upcoming trip to the Keys.

Example. There's a difference in spending 19 minutes vs 26 minutes on the Duane. Those 7 minutes might not sound like much but believe me, it's huge.

It’s not just longer NDL time that the OP would benefit from but shorter surface interval time wold be a huge concern to benefit from. Also if OP does not already own a computer it’s time to buy one. I said buy one so he/ she can be familiar with it and read manufactures instructions. With rental computers do not expect vendor to have instruction booklet available.

 

[Ben_3]

I definitely recommend doing Nitrox, it's always handy to have, if the price is right I will chose it over air any day.

 

[gamon]

It’s not just longer NDL time that the OP would benefit from but shorter surface interval time wold be a huge concern to benefit from.

Yes, in my post - that you quoted- I specifically mention shorter surface intervals as a benefit of using Nitrox on dives deeper than 50'.

 

[Colliam7]

. . . we will be doing 20 dives over 5 days, mostly reef with 1 or 2 wrecks. As shallow as most of the diving is would you use nitrox?

For that intensity of diving - YES. A morning 2-tank dive, and an afternoon 2-tank dive, each day. Staying down on each dive as long as your gas supply will allow.

Get the certification (eLearning + shop as several have suggested, or just through the shop), spend the money for Nitrox during the week, enjoy the diving, have a 'lifetime' certification you can use elsewhere.

 

[flymolo]

nitrox adds a nice margin of safety to any dive when compared to air. it's worth getting the cert and diving nitrox, considering it's just a few dollars more each dive

 

[Mason Gierke]

Thanks for the input, I think we will being getting our cert.

 

[tursiops]

nitrox adds a nice margin of safety to any dive when compared to air.

The safety margin is only there if you back off from NDLs and keep the longer SIs. There is no safety margin if you dive Nitrox to its allowable limits of longer NDLs and shorter SIs. The possible safety margin is obtained by lessening your N2 exposure.

 

[stuartv]

It is very good that you are going ahead with getting the cert.

But, I think there has been some misleading information posted in here that bears addressing.

Statements have been made like "you get longer NDLs and shorter surface intervals", and "you get more margin of safety".

That is all only sort of true.

If you use Nitrox and dive to your NDL, your surface interval is not any shorter than if you dived Air to your NDL. What IS true is if you dive Nitrox, but you stick to the NDL for Air (for the depth you're diving), THEN you get a shorter surface interval - but then you are not getting a longer NDL.

If you use Nitrox and dive to your NDL, you do not have any more margin for safety than if you dived air to your NDL.

Diving to your NDL (for the gas you're using and the depth you're diving) gives you the same surface interval and the same margin for safety, no matter what gas you're using (Air or any flavor of Nitrox).

What you CAN do that splits the difference is you CAN choose to use Nitrox and spend a little more time on the bottom, without going all the way to your NDL. Then you are getting more bottom time AND would have a shorter surface interval AND more margin of safety. For example: You could be diving to 60'. If you use air, your NDL would be 60 minutes. With Nitrox, it might be 80 minutes (just for the sake of discussion). If you use Nitrox, but only stay down for 70 minutes, then compared to using air and staying for 60 minutes, you got more bottom time, would have a shorter surface interval, and would have a greater margin of safety. But, if you used Nitrox and stayed for the full 80 minutes, then your surface interval and margin are just the same as if you had used air and stayed for 60 minutes.

This should be covered fully in your Nitrox class. Enjoy!!

 

[scrane]

Having a Nitrox card is a worthwhile thing. In this instance the price per Nitrox tank would be a consideration for me.

 

[tursiops]

Having a Nitrox card is a worthwhile thing. In this instance the price per Nitrox tank would be a consideration for me.

More and more resorts and liveaboards are providing Nitrox at no charge, if you are certified.
No brainer.