why hasnt nitrox replaced compressed air completely?

[boulderjohn]

This article from the DAN magazine Alert Diver mentions the DAN recommendation of 12 hours. "DAN recommends a 12-hour minimum surface interval before flying." It appeared in the July/August 1995 issue.

My PADI dive tables (pretty old) list all the copyright dates on them, and the latest is 1994. They call for the familiar 12 and 18 hour intervals.

 

[Hawkwood]

This is the most "recent" reference I could find that cites DAN and 24 hours. As others have said, it was as a recommendation.

"Ask DAN - Flying and Diving". May 2008 in Scuba Diving: How To Scuba Dive | Scuba Diving Training & Certification | Scuba Diving

".....

We recommend waiting at least 24 hours before flying after diving — better safe than sorry — but if that's not possible, the following shows the minimum guidelines for different diving circumstances, based on flying in commercial aircraft.

• A single dive within recreational limits: 12 hours
• Multiple days/multiple recreational dives: 18 hours
• Decompression diving (planned or unplanned): 24 to 48 hours

....."

 

[chillyinCanada]

I was taught 24 hours before flying in my OW class and it has long been my belief that Dan had changed their recommendations from 24 to 18 around 2005, but obviously I'm not sure and have no proof nor even an anecdote. So, I'm surprised to find some of you submitting evidence that those recommendations were in place longer.

 

[boulderjohn]

This is the most "recent" reference I could find that cites DAN and 24 hours. As others have said, it was as a recommendation.

"Ask DAN - Flying and Diving". May 2008 in Scuba Diving: How To Scuba Dive | Scuba Diving Training & Certification | Scuba Diving

".....

We recommend waiting at least 24 hours before flying after diving — better safe than sorry — but if that's not possible, the following shows the minimum guidelines for different diving circumstances, based on flying in commercial aircraft.

• A single dive within recreational limits: 12 hours
• Multiple days/multiple recreational dives: 18 hours
• Decompression diving (planned or unplanned): 24 to 48 hours

....."

Interesting.

That is not on the DAN web site--it is on the Scuba Diving magazine web site. It does not identify the speaker, so when it says "We," the identity of "We" is unknown. It could be someone from the magazine saying it and then summarizing the DAN position. The title "Ask DAN" implies that the writer is within the DAN organization, but it does not clearly state that. It would be interesting that a DAN representative would say something different from what is found on the DAN site itself.

I would like to see something that clearly comes from DAN.

---------- Post added July 11th, 2014 at 12:29 PM ----------

I just wrote to DAN for a clarification.

 

[Hawkwood]

Exactly...

 

[Lorenzoid]

Exactly +1. It muddies the water when someone paraphrases or embellishes or does anything other than directly quote what DAN's website implies is DAN's position. Rightly or wrongly, some people see DAN as the closest thing we have to an ultimate authority on diving medicine.

 

[Blyslv]

[...]

Many people still remember that original 24 hour recommendation and repeat it, just as it was repeated in this thread. Those people will then tell others that DAN recommends 24 hours, which they know because they read it somewhere. The people they tell will in turn repeat it to others.

[...]

Our instructor told us that 24 hours was the original recommendation and later research dropped it to 18. Yet in my (perhaps over) conservative mind I stuck with the 24 hour rule. It was just easier for me to remember. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[lamarpaulski]

I use Nitrox sometimes but for the vast majority of my dives it makes no sense. Almost always the dive is limited by air consumption. The partial pressure limit is an obvious potential pitfall for universal nitrox too. KISS.

the major cost in diving for most of us are overheads which dont vary appreciably
with the number of dives done in a day:air tickets/car rental,hotel accomodation/insurance/food& entertainment/gear & gear rental


if nitrox can double your diving time, effectively giving you twice the bang for your buck for a modest increase in
tank filling expense, why is compressed air still offered (is it too risky for the average diver?)


thx

 

[shoredivr]

Although I fully understand the desire for an increased safety margin and think I understand the point of using nitrox if you're doing three to five dives in one day, I don't really see a huge increase in bottom time if you're doing just a couple of dives in a day. With a couple of hours of SI, the type of profiles I usually dive and my SAC rate (15-16SLM or about .5 cuf in a wetsuit, 16-18 in a drysuit), it's usually gas, not NDL that's limiting my bottom time. And I'm not using an Al80, my standard tank is a 10L 300 bar or a 15L 200 bar.

You guys must have awesome SAC rates...


--
Sent from my Android phone
Typos are a feature, not a bug

Regarding the safety angle, as James Lapenta mentioned somewhere earlier in this thread, take a course from Steve Lewis or read his Six Skills book and you will notice that diving 4 or 5 dives per day loads up your oxygen clock. Repeat this over a live aboard of 4 or 5 days and the oxygen exposure over 24 hours can be way too high.

 

[chillyinCanada]

This article from the DAN magazine Alert Diver mentions the DAN recommendation of 12 hours. "DAN recommends a 12-hour minimum surface interval before flying." It appeared in the July/August 1995 issue.

My PADI dive tables (pretty old) list all the copyright dates on them, and the latest is 1994. They call for the familiar 12 and 18 hour intervals.

Son of a gun! mine must say the same. Now let me think. Which suitcase did I leave those in?