Nitrox question

[Guy Alcala]

Lets look at shallow shore dive like the BW. You'll almost certainly hit your turn pressure before you ever hit an NDL on a single tank, and it's still pretty close with doubles (100 min@50fsw NOAA Air table) not to mention you will surely be bored and ready for a tri tip sammich at the deli anyhow.

Within those parameters O2 exposure on is a non-issue, AIR NDL's are mostly a non-issue, nitrogen is still an issue. Why not spend an extra few bucks and make the only real issue, even less of an "issue?"
And you get a shorter SI, and less residual nitrogen for your series. 4-5 bucks more for all that in my book; DONE!

Glad it works out fror you, but $4-$5 is the price of another dive for me, and I'd rather do the dive. And for the difference in price for two Nitrox fills, I can pay for all-day parking at BW.

I use Nitrox to extend the length of my dives, not to lower the already neglible risk using air NDLs. And the downside of always having 32% or more in all my tanks is that I'm depth limited by OxTox to 111' or less at 1.4 PO2, which is a pain at the deeper sites I like to shore dive, so I've got to pre-plan my tank usage a lot more. Personally, I'm far more worried by the extra risk of OxTox at elevated PO2 levels than I am by the bends; I can probably recover from the latter, but won't survive drowning due to convulsions.

As to shorter SIs, I find that a non-issue around here. By the time I've warmed up a bit, hit the john, swapped tanks, transferred the data on my slate to my log and maybe shot the breeze a bit, at least an hour has passed, usually somewhat more.

Guy

 

[Guy Alcala]

32 mix is $8 with a card at Aquarius Del Monte.

I do agree that with your shallower beach dives, air probably makes
sense.

I thought if was $8.50 the last time I went by, but will check Sunday.

Guy

 

[Guy Alcala]

What about not crashing your car on the ride home because you are overly tired? What is that worth?

At least for those of us that have a long drive it makes a difference.

Well, when I get tired (a not uncommon event) during my 1:40 drive, I have a couple of exits I often pull off to take a nap. Betabel/Y Road is one, Masten Rd. and Coyote Hills Rd. (or maybe Bailey Rd.?; it's the one that leads to the garbage dump) are others. If that isn't an option for you and you find Nitrox will prevent you from getting tired, then it certainly makes sense to use it. My experience with it is ambiguous.

Guy

 

[Guy Alcala]

heh, you guys are talking about a couple of bucks difference btwn air and nitrox, but in my case it a small delta compared to the junk food pizza eating that takes place after the dives!

I think nitrox makes gianni's pizza taste better.

I find Gianni's pizza pretty bland, on air OR nitrox. Maybe you should try a different Pizza shop?

Guy

 

[Guy Alcala]

<snip>

There are a few more key formulas used in Nitrox, one is the EAD - Equivalent Air Depth - Which allows you to use Nitrox while diving an air table for greater conservatism. I've never found this formula terribly useful, but you will learn it in class.

I find the EAD tables to be the most useful method of using Nitrox, because I've got the (first dive) air NDLs memorized. The EAD formula isn't for the purpose of allowing you to dive an air table more conservatively, it's to allow you to dive Nitrox deeper at the equivalent (shallower) air depth NDL. Thus, if I know my air NDL at 60 feet is 50 minutes, at 75' on EAN32 I will have the same 50 min. NDL because it's the same amount of nitrogen loading.

BTW, sorry for the multpile individual replies. I know there must be some way to quote from multiple messages in a single reply, but I haven't figured out how. Any help?

Guy

 

[rdjiv]

Try the M-quote button to the lower right to select the posts to quote then hit the Quote button.

 

[Anti-Hero]

Glad it works out fror you, but $4-$5 is the price of another dive for me, and I'd rather do the dive. And for the difference in price for two Nitrox fills, I can pay for all-day parking at BW.

I use Nitrox to extend the length of my dives, not to lower the already neglible risk using air NDLs. And the downside of always having 32% or more in all my tanks is that I'm depth limited by OxTox to 111' or less at 1.4 PO2, which is a pain at the deeper sites I like to shore dive, so I've got to pre-plan my tank usage a lot more. Personally, I'm far more worried by the extra risk of OxTox at elevated PO2 levels than I am by the bends; I can probably recover from the latter, but won't survive drowning due to convulsions.

As to shorter SIs, I find that a non-issue around here. By the time I've warmed up a bit, hit the john, swapped tanks, transferred the data on my slate to my log and maybe shot the breeze a bit, at least an hour has passed, usually somewhat more.

Guy

Excellent - I don't dive nitrox past 100' so MOD is a moot point for me. And the "bends", especially a type 2 hit can kill you just as quickly as an 02 seizure when it paralyzes or renders you unconscious in the water. But I digress ...

I find the EAD tables to be the most useful method of using Nitrox, because I've got the (first dive) air NDLs memorized. The EAD formula isn't for the purpose of allowing you to dive an air table more conservatively, it's to allow you to dive Nitrox deeper at the equivalent (shallower) air depth NDL. Thus, if I know my air NDL at 60 feet is 50 minutes, at 75' on EAN32 I will have the same 50 min. NDL because it's the same amount of nitrogen loading.

Guy

Again - For ME, I don't find them useful as I don't dive air, and I don't dive air tables.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Well, when I get tired (a not uncommon event) during my 1:40 drive, I have a couple of exits I often pull off to take a nap. Betabel/Y Road is one, Masten Rd. and Coyote Hills Rd. (or maybe Bailey Rd.?; it's the one that leads to the garbage dump) are others. If that isn't an option for you and you find Nitrox will prevent you from getting tired, then it certainly makes sense to use it. My experience with it is ambiguous.

Guy

Coyote Hills Golf Rd. is the one that leads to the garbage dump
on the east side of 101. The golf course paid a BUNCH of money
to get it renamed.

 

[Guy Alcala]

Coyote Hills Golf Rd. is the one that leads to the garbage dump
on the east side of 101. The golf course paid a BUNCH of money
to get it renamed.

It seems that and Bailey are both Avenues now. I wound up using it Sunday, although since they put the gate in last year I can no longer drive up and park under the tree, so use the little pull-off just below it. I had a Sheriff's deputy come over and wake me up after a 25 minute nap, wondering why I was parked there. I guess he was worried that I might be a terrorist scoping out the dump

BTW, checked the Nitrox price at Aquarius: as I thought, a 10-fill card for 32% pre-mix is $85, plus 7.25% sales tax (presumably that should be 8.25% now, after the 'emergency' tax hike this year). Either way, you're paying over $9/fill.

Guy

 

[Guy Alcala]

Try the M-quote button to the lower right to select the posts to quote then hit the Quote button.

Aha! I tried the M-quote button before, but hadn't realized I could then just select multiple posts with the quote button. Thanks!

Guy