With the active dislike of decompression dives in the USA. I am surprised Nitrox isn't even more popular in the USA.
The divers we train are qualified to use Nitrox at OD (PADI OW), and to complete decompression dives once they have completed SD (the next qualification up).
For a no-stop dive to 30m you get more than double the NS bottom time if you use Nitrox 36 in preference to air (more than a third more bottom time if use Nitrox 32). [1]
95% of my coastal diving is from boats we charter. The extra cost of Nitrox is negligible in comparison to the boat, travel and accommodation cost.
On a cost basis, it is better value to use Nitrox to gain the extra bottom time.
Diving means I want in water time, time on the wreck. So for me the negligible cost of the Nitrox is well worth the cost.
From a personal point of view, I am happy to do the decompression, and the charter boats we use don't really care how much deco we do. Other than if we are so strung out that they risk loosing us (if that is a risk we would normally put a trapeze in).
Even with the fact that most of our dives include some decompression, most of us would use a bottom mix and a deco mix to reduce the stop time. (Granted accelerated deco is an additional qualification.)
For me it is even more academic, I am on a CCR, with OC buddies. My restriction is normally my OC buddy, what deco time they will run, and what gas they have available.
[1] Using the BSAC88 tables.
The divers we train are qualified to use Nitrox at OD (PADI OW), and to complete decompression dives once they have completed SD (the next qualification up).
For a no-stop dive to 30m you get more than double the NS bottom time if you use Nitrox 36 in preference to air (more than a third more bottom time if use Nitrox 32). [1]
95% of my coastal diving is from boats we charter. The extra cost of Nitrox is negligible in comparison to the boat, travel and accommodation cost.
On a cost basis, it is better value to use Nitrox to gain the extra bottom time.
Diving means I want in water time, time on the wreck. So for me the negligible cost of the Nitrox is well worth the cost.
From a personal point of view, I am happy to do the decompression, and the charter boats we use don't really care how much deco we do. Other than if we are so strung out that they risk loosing us (if that is a risk we would normally put a trapeze in).
Even with the fact that most of our dives include some decompression, most of us would use a bottom mix and a deco mix to reduce the stop time. (Granted accelerated deco is an additional qualification.)
For me it is even more academic, I am on a CCR, with OC buddies. My restriction is normally my OC buddy, what deco time they will run, and what gas they have available.
[1] Using the BSAC88 tables.
