Should I get a Nitrox certification?

[Kevin Floyd]

Yes.

While I don’t have a ton of dives I got my Nitrox certification the week after OW. I did a week of diving on Roatan and the dive center had some issues keeping use supplied with Nitrox. The days we did dive Nitrox I felt better at the end of the day then I felt the days I dove air.

As I’m still pretty new to diving there could be a lot of reasons for this.

 

[AdivingBel]

We were at 90 feet on my whale shark dives and no bottom in sight. I would say it would be an issue.

IMHO, the depth of the bottom has little to do with it. It's about how deep you plan to dive. I dive walls and blue water all the time on nitrox. If you're not comfortable maintaining your depth, there is a bigger issue. If you're concerned about down currents...well, yes they do occur, but they are rare (nearly mythical unless you're diving a site where they are known to occur in abundance). There are so many more likely ways to get in trouble diving, down currents generally aren't much of a factor in my risk assessment (and I regularly dive in Coz). Again all IMHO, YMMV.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

??
The Blue Hole is quite deep...it is not a Nitrox dive for anyone. Whale sharks are often quite shallow (the Belize site is 60-80 ft max), no issue on Nitrox there.

I did the arithmetic on the Blue Hole, as I'd like to do a research dive there. At 130 feet you could do a 28% mix and hit 1.4. Assuming you could get such a mix.

 

[yle]

According to Tim O'Leary there are skills you need on a nitrox dive.

"Inhale, exhale, repeat as required"

One more skill: pay attention to your MOD. To be fair, that's really the main difference between using nitrox vs air.

 

[yle]

Hi all,

I'm fairly new to diving (only been on 2 diving trips since getting my OW) so forgive me for asking a question that may be obvious. I am planning a trip that will have me do a high number of dives over a short period of time (around 4 dives per day over 4 days). I have been considering getting a nitrox cert to allow me to use nitrox for these dives. After some research, I am aware of some of the pros and cons of Nitrox but am still unsure whether my case warrants me spending on a nitrox cert (I am a student and would prefer to hold off unnecessary expenses + time concerns mean that I would rather spend my time diving than spend it studying for an exam). Any advice is welcomed!

Cheers,
Watson G

Hi Watson, I'll answer your question directly:

Yes, you should get your nitrox cert. You can probably stitch together, from all the posts above, what I'm about to say, but I figured it was worth summarizing in one post:

The nitrox class is relatively simple, informational and procedural. By this I mean there should be only a classroom session or two in which you'll learn what you need to know to safely dive with nitrox, the limitations associated with nitrox, and the advantages of using nitrox. You will also get some hands on training in the procedures (including using an analyzer to determine your gas mix, setting your dive computer or using tables to plan your dive, etc) associated with using nitrox.

The nitrox class should roughly cost $150. There is some variation in this, but I say roughly just so you know that if someone offers you the class for 39 bucks or wants to charge you $500, something is wrong.

Some of the classroom can be done "online"; however, I always taught the nitrox class in the traditional manner because, as I explained to my students, I could share with them my experience with actually using nitrox in different locations... and explain the differences they were likely to encounter between what the book (or online) says should happen and what actually does happen (in terms of those procedures.)

Finally, nitrox is a very good idea if you are planning to do a lot of dives on successive days... especially if any of those dives will be in the 70 to 110 ft range. Sure it costs extra... but it's worth it. Your class should explain why this is. If you're already going to be spending time, effort and money to plan a dive intensive trip, you should add the extra expense of nitrox (the class and the cost of the tanks) to the budget.

 

[yle]

Nope. Do the eLearning at home and go into the shop for some review and to learn how to analyze tanks, hands on. That's it.

...There are no "skills" that you need to practice on a dive.

I agree with you... it's true that the bare essentials of the nitrox class can be covered that way. But I always encouraged my students to come diving with me with a tank of nitrox if we could work it out. After leaving the classroom, I expected they would have questions and I've found that going on a dive with them later helped both them and me: they could ask their questions, I could answer them, they would better understand what nitrox was all about, and I could make a few notes about what to cover the next time I did the class.

My point is simply that a nitrox instructor suggesting a dive or two shouldn't automatically raise a red flag. (I never charged extra for taking them on dives... we either wrapped it into their AOW course or it was just a fun dive.)

I'm concerned that the efficiency and convenience of elearning (as well as the extra revenue directed to the agencies... I mean, agency) tends to discount the advantage of an instructor in a traditional classroom setting who can share lessons from their experience that can't be found in a book (or elearning.) Just my two cents.

 

[NAUI Wowie]

To the OP - Despite what my detractors have posted, I think O2 toxicity is a downside. I recently got my certification. When I dive in places where there is the possibility to go deep, then I dive air. On the shallower, second dive, I use 36%. I would not dive the Blue Hole or Whale Sharks in Belize with nitrox, but that's my preference.

By your post, I believe you're young. Off gassing is not as difficult as it is for an older person. I'm in my 50's, and I "think" I feel the benefits of nitrox, but my empirical evidence is limited.

If funds are an issue, I would wait. I waited six years from my initial certification, and I didn't have an issue. The caveat is that I am a vacation diver - max of 16 dives per trip, mostly less. If you're diving all the time, then it would be worth it - depending on the environment you're diving in.

What about the nitrogen buildup on 4 dives a day? Wouldnt it be safer to dive nitrox for that reason alone? and is the O.P. advanced open water certified? if not id guess 60 to 70 ft a max depth. But even if AOW certified I know I personally have a dive plan with a max depth that I wont go past. Plus most dive computers now can give you a depth warning if you exceed your set dive plan max depth.

Standard 32% is good to about 112 feet deep so you are only going to be in danger past that depth yes? The best benefit I see from nitrox is a hugely shorter time between dives, I mean aside from the less risk of DCS which to me is a big deal also. Some people like the longer bottom time on nitrox but I breath like an elephant so prefer the shorter waits between dives that nitrox gives me

 

[In2theabyss]

Best cert you can do! Once you go nitrox you dont look back....

 

[Watson G]

To the OP - Despite what my detractors have posted, I think O2 toxicity is a downside. I recently got my certification. When I dive in places where there is the possibility to go deep, then I dive air. On the shallower, second dive, I use 36%. I would not dive the Blue Hole or Whale Sharks in Belize with nitrox, but that's my preference.

By your post, I believe you're young. Off gassing is not as difficult as it is for an older person. I'm in my 50's, and I "think" I feel the benefits of nitrox, but my empirical evidence is limited.

If funds are an issue, I would wait. I waited six years from my initial certification, and I didn't have an issue. The caveat is that I am a vacation diver - max of 16 dives per trip, mostly less. If you're diving all the time, then it would be worth it - depending on the environment you're diving in.

Thanks for this. My biggest concern is that for all the people tell me to take thr course online - the PADI websitr offers it for nearlu 300$ which is absurd. However, the dive op I'm looking at offers the course for 175$ with 2 dives included which sounds reasonable given the prices people have been quoting. But again some people have stated 2 dives should not be required and so that places some doubts on the op im using....

Anyway, I wanted to thank you for the more comprehensive reply - I am fairly ok on gas - I have not hit NDL before and have enjoy hour long dives at close to my OW dive limits - but then again I not been on enough dives as a newbie to closely monitor my gas. I won't be diving all the time though. This trip will be the only one I'm doing for a couple of months - I'm just worried about how 4 dives a day will affect me (I've done 3 dives a day no problem - just maintained surface interval rules etc all). I think my best bet is to call up and see if they offer a discount since I'm doing so many dives with them, if they are willing to give me a discount I will get nitrox training and the tanks else I will just wait - no harm no foul.. what do you think?

 

[Sean Walberg]

The nitrox class should roughly cost $150. There is some variation in this, but I say roughly just so you know that if someone offers you the class for 39 bucks or wants to charge you $500, something is wrong.

I've found a ton of variation in the price in my area, so it pays to shop around. It doesn't matter which agency you go through as long as it's a recognized one. At least out this way, all the PADI options start at $199. I did mine through SDI and paid way less.