Please Educate A Newbie on Nitrox :)

[ScubaFeenD]

TS&M alluded to this, but I just want you to be clear. Nitrox does not reduce risk of decompression if you are diving it to its NDL limits and it doesn't (from what is understood) reduce narcosis associated with nitrogen.

Further, 200 is a decent price, presuming it includes learning materials and actual in person instruction.

 

[k ellis]

Diving nitrox in my opinion is the only way to dive if your day consist of multiple dives. There is a lot of controversy over nitrox but one of the things I personally feel is you do tend to be more refreshed after you exit the water then you do when you are on air.

Nitrox is also benieficial in that you do extend bottom time quiet significantly at the cost of having a shallower maximum operating depth. There are some very important safety rules that come with nitrox and all of them will be covered in the class. As a newer diver it may or may not be as beneifical though for extending bottom time based on your sac rate. (Disclaimer: a small number of new divers have a great sac rate so this statement is based upon the majorirty of new divers and not all new divers)

The course is a great course and one I am very proud to have taken.

 

[k ellis]

Thanks for all the help. Now let me ask this... the dive shop in question offers the cert for $200. How is that price-wise?

for oklahoma its about right. You can catch it in the Tulsa area at around 180 dollars which includes study materials and class. Its a simple class and one youll be glad you have taken as it gives a more detailed reason to pay attention to dive times and the increased need to learn more about diving in general

 

[Amphiprion]

I would have to disagree about the tired thing. My last dive included both EAN50 and EAN90 but I was still went to bed early that night. However margaritas at dinner may have contributed to this.

Recreational nitrox which is less than or equal to 40 percent can be beneficial when diving numerous times the same day or if your air consumption is good, staying down a bit longer at depth. If you are doing a two tank boat dive then it is probably a waste of money. If you are diving a lot on a liveaboard then it is probably valuable.

Technical nitrox is generally used to accelerate the flushing out of nitrogen during decompression stops. Typically this can involve greater risk as you can hit a high pp02 at a much shallower depth.

Still, I'd take the class anyway. Its maybe a couple hundred bucks at most and can provide some valuable insight into what you are breathing.

 

[wrybosome]

Thanks for all the help. Now let me ask this... the dive shop in question offers the cert for $200. How is that price-wise?

That's less than I paid in PA.

 

[String]

If you;re ending dives due to running out of no-decompression times Nitrox is useful. If you aren't, it isn't.

 

[drdaddy]

If you;re ending dives due to running out of no-decompression times Nitrox is useful. If you aren't, it isn't.

I must agree with this - as this has been my case.

I never have found the "need" to use Nitrox. However, the class (PADI) was excellent, and it considerably increased my knowledge base concerning breathing gases underwater.

And, if I ever need the cert - I have it. In a month I will be going on a boat dive in Japan, however, they have planned enough surface time between dives that I won't need nitrox. So far, I have found this on every boat dive that I have been on. But, next year I will be in Thailand (medical relief work in the NW, and RR dive trip to Phuket) and plan some boat dives. If the dives are deep/long with short surface intervals, I would be very sorry to not be nitrox certified. As I understand it, one should know in advance of a dive trip whether the operator requires or if nitrox would be beneficial. Again, never had it to be an issue.

 

[kaerius]

If you're on a liveaboard or resort where you're doing 5 dives a day, you'll want it, diving that much is tiring. If you're only doing 2 dives a day, it's less of an issue, unless you can actually get close to the recreational limits on air. I've been close(at least close enough that I had to change depth to end up in X group instead of Y or Z, my buddies didn't care and dove to the limits, I stayed 10' above them), but then, I've been diving for a while. That was near the end of a 3 month stay at a dive resort.

 

[jscott099]

Nitrox is one of the easiest con eds to get. It is mostly self-study now and doesn't even require a dive. The profit margin on these classes is very high and their popularity allows dive shops to mark them up accordingly. Shop around. Also, PADI, SSI, etc etc...a Nitrox cert is a Nitrox cert. Just make sure you learn the material so you don't hurt yourself.

 

[halocline]

Thanks for all the help. Now let me ask this... the dive shop in question offers the cert for $200. How is that price-wise?

That's expensive IMO. Nitrox use is so easy and simple that it should be a low online course fee, that's it. Try to get a nitrox certification bundled with some other training for a much-reduced price. It's not that hard to do, and since there's almost no skill involved, the teacher is not nearly as important as with a more involved skill class.

If the shop told you that nitrox increases bottom time AND increases safety, maybe they need to take the class again. It can increase bottom time, and theoretically it can reduce DCS risk, but it does not do both. I bet someone has already brought this up in this thread.

It's very important to understand that nitrox has not been shown to decrease DCS risk in recreational diving. Making incorrect assumptions about safety is in itself an added risk, as it is likely to affect dive behavior at some point.

Regarding the fatigue issues, I have found that extending safety stops and practicing very slow ascents from the stop also reduce fatigue, particularly on multi-dive days. I believe the fatigue (this is a theory, not a fact) is mostly due to residual N2 loading, so lowering your N2 through any means 'should' have the same effect.

Nitrox is very useful for liveaboards and other multi-dive trips, as it does really increase your ability to do many dives to substantial depths in a given day and stay below NDL. For a two-dive day it probably won't affect your dives much, especially if you're in a group with both air and nitrox divers diving together with the same profile.