Remember when Nitrox was "Devil Gas?"

[Thalassamania]

Honest to gods, the initial problem was wrench that EAN threw into the boat and meal schedule at resorts in Cozumel and Grand Cayman.

 

[all4scuba05]

You don't believe me yet? How about SCUDA?

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with SCUDA. Is that SelfContainedUnderwaterDieingApparatus?

Seriously, what is it?

 

[Thalassamania]

 

[charlesml3]

Honest to gods, the initial problem was wrench that EAN threw into the boat and meal schedule at resorts in Cozumel and Grand Cayman.

You may be right about that. Last time I was in Coz I got into a scrape with the dive shop owner over an extended bottom time. The way I see it is all done, I'm paying about $100/tank to dive there. At that rate, I'm going to stretch that thing out as long as I can...

-Charles

 

[Thalassamania]

You may be right about that. Last time I was in Coz I got into a scrape with the dive shop owner over an extended bottom time. The way I see it is all done, I'm paying about $100/tank to dive there. At that rate, I'm going to stretch that thing out as long as I can...

-Charles

The way they see it is that they need to get folks back in before lunch is over and turn the boat around for the afternoon trip.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

Gang,

I was reading another forum and someone reminded me of this. I remember wandering into the LDS that certified me when Nitrox was just beginning to be discussed. I forget what year that was... Maybe early 90's?

Anyway, I asked about it and the owner spit right back "What? That Devil Gas? We'll never fill any tanks with that stuff here!" I tried to turn down the emotion and actually talk about the physiology but she was having nothing to do with it. Just more ranting about "Devil Gas." Seriously here. I felt like I was talking to some 13th century alchemist who was trying to turn lead into gold. I was just silly and not the first, nor last time I'd heard that term used when referring to Nitrox.

I remember a bunch of people got together and tried to ban Nitrox from the DEMA show floor one year. Ban it? Come on now. This is an industry that thrives on change. We need change. We need to constantly be looking at better ways to do things. I sure don't remember anyone crying when those silly horse collar BCs with the stupid CO2 cartridge went away.

A couple of years later that same LDS mentioned above started filling Nitrox. But even then, it was rather bizarre. They'd ask you where you were diving and would refuse to give you any more of a mix than the maximum depth you could hit on that site. Even if you clearly explained that you were going to stay on top of the wreck, you still got a mixture for the bottom. Made for some really silly mixtures sometimes. I remember once they told me I was getting 25%. Please. That isn't even worth the effort. Or extra money.

Now everyone offers Nitrox. Any LDS that doesn't is probably going to be short lived. I dive it every chance I get. I know it's just human nature to be resistant to change but it's still disappointing to see people just knee-jerk a response and call it "Devil Gas."

-Charles

Nitrox, Vodoo Gas, Devil's Gas it was just for those crazy tech divers. It was just like the first time I saw a BCD in about 1980. Been diving without one for years and who in their right mind would need one.

 

[String]

Still a very high % of people here who think of it as devil gas and and even higher number who just don't bother using it.

It's not a benefit for everyone and every style of diving.

 

[Thalassamania]

Still a very high % of people here who think of it as devil gas and and even higher number who just don't bother using it.

It's not a benefit for everyone and every style of diving.

I know, they think a SCUDA full of Kool Aid is better than a tank full of NITROX ... oh well.

 

[fweber]

The way they see it is that they need to get folks back in before lunch is over and turn the boat around for the afternoon trip.

And that's the way they still see it around here. They're already pressed to get everyone there on time, get 2 dives in, return, get the tanks refilled and the crew fed, back out for an afternoon trip, return, refill, clean the boat, and the crew home in time to get some sleep. Extending the bottom time of those that aren't air hogs is not viewed as a positive.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Interesting conversation, I wasn't diving back in the day so this is a histroy lesson for me.

So in 10-15 years will we be having this disscussion on "Remember when we used to dive with gas that contained Nitrogen" (think Helium). Probably not! From my not qualified knowledge I understand that it reduces Narcosis but does nothing to change deco.