What good is Nitrox if your SAC sux?

[DandyDon]

2. My diving is mostly done with operators who determine the SI and there will ALLWAYS be non-EAN divers. Combined with the fact that EAN will typically not extend my bottom time by much either, maybe some other course is more appropriate at this stage. CMAS Rescue Diver perhaps? Sounds like a more useful course anyway.

I'm sure that Rescue course is a fine one, good idea, but hardly the same thing. In the US, the Nitrox course is typically only $100 US including everything, 3 hours in class. Then when the days dive plan would work better with Nitrox, you don't have to say "Haven't done that yet."

I've been on a several boats with all divers onboard were on Nitrox and it really helps with the boats activities. When the days dive plans would work better on Nitrox, it's sad to dumb them down to accommodate the divers who wouldn't do such small preparations.

 

[Deefstes]

I'm sure that Rescue course is a fine one, good idea, but hardly the same thing. In the US, the Nitrox course is typically only $100 US including everything, 3 hours in class. Then when the days dive plan would work better with Nitrox, you don't have to say "Haven't done that yet."

Are there any two courses that are the same thing? Like I said, I want to continuously learn so the question is really one of which course I should do first. Of course I'll do Nitrox at some stage but right now it seems to me that I'd benefit from Rescue more than I would from Nitrox, for all the reasons given above.

I've been on a several boats with all divers onboard were on Nitrox and it really helps with the boats activities. When the days dive plans would work better on Nitrox, it's sad to dumb them down to accommodate the divers who wouldn't do such small preparations.

I have never been on a boat where all divers on board were on Nitrox. In fact, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've been on a boat knowingly where any divers were on Nitrox. Like I explained above, the type of diving we do just doesn't seem to warrant Nitrox as your bottom time is limited by your SAC (and by the DM's bottom time) and surface intervals are decided upon by the operator and it bears in mind all the many divers who are not on Nitrox.

So I'm sure the scenario you paint is very valid but I don't see that happening around here anytime soon. On the other hand I'm sure I can think of some scenarios where a Rescue qualification would be useful, moreso than a Nitrox cert.

 

[sguft]

halemano:

While the details slowly came out to lead me to believe you are not pushing the ndl's too much on your liveaboard trips, the less trained or read members may get the wrong idea from the first couple sentences here.

When using nitrox there is of course a tradeoff between extended bottom time and an increase in safety compared to air (and a small window where you can obtain both).

To clarify, I prefer not to go into deco on my dives.

Last time I was on a liveaboard there were a couple of air divers and we usually went down as a group with a diveleader, so there I would not push ndl's. But I had a few dives with nitrox divers only where we did enjoy the benefit of extra bottom time.

So it's not really either way for me, but I would not be able to get that much of an extended bottom time for these dives, had I used air on the earlier dives of the day/week.

 

[Zeke XA3]

Are there any two courses that are the same thing? Like I said, I want to continuously learn so the question is really one of which course I should do first. Of course I'll do Nitrox at some stage but right now it seems to me that I'd benefit from Rescue more than I would from Nitrox, for all the reasons given above.

I think what the other poster meant was that

Rescue course is changing you from being a diver on a boat trusting in everyone around to, to becoming a diver who starts to think about other people. How you can avert a "rescue" scenario before it occurs even if you are not a DM/Inst. Also those courses tend to be several days and include a lot of pool practice.

A nitrox course, like other "specialty" courses, is short, cheap(er) and about extending your knowledge at your level.

 

[Green_Streak]

Oh were speaking financially.. Docc who is filling your doubles for the price of one? I will bring mine to ya... I only get them filled by the cubic ft.

well idk about him, but there was this one shop when i went to dive the big "O", they wouldn't fill my LP 108's like most shops around where i live will(i mean seriously, i barely didn't even get a cold 3000) so when i went to pay they only charged me for a single tank and i didn't feel the need to correct them(i mean it's not like they were properly filling them anyway)