2Tours N Iraq`
Contributor
I haven't read all of the posts so please forgive me if I repeat something that is already mentioned. Does the brand of reg you have make diving safer? Does the brand of BC you dive make diving safer? Unless you're diving something either extremely cheap or old, the chances are that they do not. Same goes for Nitrox, it doesn't make diving any safer. Only the diver makes diving safer by the practices they employ when diving. That being said, Nitrox does extend your NDL bottom time thus allowing you to stay at a certain depth longer than you would for air.
I have noticed that when diving nitrox and not pushing the limits, I feel less fatigued after a dive than I do with air.
Here's another way to look at it, if you want to extend your NDL bottom time limits (within the Maximum Operating Depth for that mix), get nitrox certified. If you are like me and like to increase your chances of observing more marine life, I would recommend it. Just remember you are likely to be just as fatigued diving to the NDL limit of nitrox as you would be diving to the NDL limit of air and all the risk factors remain the same. However, if you exceed the MOD for that mix then you add the risk of Central Nervous System oxygen toxicity.
I have noticed that when diving nitrox and not pushing the limits, I feel less fatigued after a dive than I do with air.
Here's another way to look at it, if you want to extend your NDL bottom time limits (within the Maximum Operating Depth for that mix), get nitrox certified. If you are like me and like to increase your chances of observing more marine life, I would recommend it. Just remember you are likely to be just as fatigued diving to the NDL limit of nitrox as you would be diving to the NDL limit of air and all the risk factors remain the same. However, if you exceed the MOD for that mix then you add the risk of Central Nervous System oxygen toxicity.