Wrote the PADI Nitrox exam today ...

[Alan Browne]

So, small classroom,

1 student did Nitrox years ago and wanted to refresh, so he wasn't in it for the exam.

1 was really lost - didn't prepare. Course was given in Imperial. He was French (France) and confused most of the time because things weren't metric.

2 Students (couple) seemed to have prepped, but were muffing a lot of the practice calculations.

And me.

Very good instructor.

I prep'd beginning about 6 weeks ago by reading the material, refreshing my table skills for OW, then the added the other tables for EANx as I went along. No biggie.

The class was in French and I don't know the French terminology well. So on some of the worksheets I really mis-interpreted the questions badly (the open written replies). Took a while to settle in.

The instructor said a lot of places do the classroom work 2 hours to prep for the exam. Ridiculous. If you prepared well, then (in class) went through all of the theory and how to do things, 30 minutes for lunch, some exercises (measuring tanks with 2 different oxygen meters) and so on in class there is no way you could do it in 2 hours ...

Gave us a tour of their Nitrox setup. (Discovered odd looking tanks ... they fill regular air for various local fire departments as well).

The whole thing took from 9:00 to 16:00 (exam included) ... well, when I left the couple and the French guy were still at it...

I scored 23/25 and 22/25. Reviewed with the instructor. Dumb mistakes mostly, but one was the way the answers were written seemed not specific enough. (Exam was in French or English - I read the question and answers in both languages and couldn't get the answer I thought it should be (signs of O2 tox onset)).

 

[Divectionist]

Interesting how different these course experiences can be.

I logged on to the woeful PADI elearning page and completed some dead easy multiple choice questions, which takes about 5 minutes, then went on a couple of Nitrox dives after analysing the tanks and that was it.

I actually researched Nitrox beforehand out of interest and was shocked how shallow the PADI questionnaire was. As long as you remember the number 1.4, you could pass it by common sense alone.

Standards must have been slipping for long. Diving certs will soon come on the back of cereal boxes.

 

[JackD342]

Interesting how different these course experiences can be.

I logged on to the woeful PADI elearning page and completed some dead easy multiple choice questions, which takes about 5 minutes, then went on a couple of Nitrox dives after analysing the tanks and that was it.

I actually researched Nitrox beforehand out of interest and was shocked how shallow the PADI questionnaire was. As long as you remember the number 1.4, you could pass it by common sense alone.

Standards must have been slipping for long. Diving certs will soon come on the back of cereal boxes.

I think you are comparing the computer version of the class to the tables version of the class. I am pretty sure that the number of new certs for divers who will use EAN with tables and without a computer are dwarfed by those using a computer. No, there is no reason to force them to learn tables anyway, just because that is the way we used to do it. But the tables version is still available. I in fact have a couple of those older PADI crew packs gathering dust, waiting for someone geeky enough, or masochistic enough, to want to learn that version.

 

[Alan Browne]

Interesting how different these course experiences can be.

I logged on to the woeful PADI elearning page and completed some dead easy multiple choice questions, which takes about 5 minutes, then went on a couple of Nitrox dives after analysing the tanks and that was it.

I actually researched Nitrox beforehand out of interest and was shocked how shallow the PADI questionnaire was. As long as you remember the number 1.4, you could pass it by common sense alone.

That shocks me...

 

[Marie13]

Interesting how different these course experiences can be.

I logged on to the woeful PADI elearning page and completed some dead easy multiple choice questions, which takes about 5 minutes, then went on a couple of Nitrox dives after analysing the tanks and that was it.

I actually researched Nitrox beforehand out of interest and was shocked how shallow the PADI questionnaire was. As long as you remember the number 1.4, you could pass it by common sense alone.

Standards must have been slipping for long. Diving certs will soon come on the back of cereal boxes.

Are you saying it only took you a few minutes to do the eLearning?

I did the SDI nitrox class two years ago, with the eLearning. Took me about an evening to finish. Couple of hours in the shop for review and learning to analyze.

 

[Alan Browne]

I think you are comparing the computer version of the class to the tables version of the class. I am pretty sure that the number of new certs for divers who will use EAN with tables and without a computer are dwarfed by those using a computer. No, there is no reason to force them to learn tables anyway, just because that is the way we used to do it. But the tables version is still available. I in fact have a couple of those older PADI crew packs gathering dust, waiting for someone geeky enough, or masochistic enough, to want to learn that version.

When I signed up for the class there was no option. You paid for the course, they gave you a bag with the materials and a checklist of things to complete before class day. The instructor had a hard on for people understanding every item and step of the way. He was about 40.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Are you saying it only took you a few minutes to do the eLearning?

I did the SDI nitrox class two years ago, with the eLearning. Took me about an evening to finish. Couple of hours in the shop for review and learning to analyze.

I did PADI e-learning nitrox about a year ago, and my recollection was that it was similar to what you're describing for SDI nitrox. That said, it wasn't difficult at all.

 

[Marie13]

I did PADI e-learning nitrox about a year ago, and my recollection was that it was similar to what you're describing for SDI nitrox. That said, it wasn't difficult at all.

Not difficult at all. I was just questioning the time @Divectionist said it took him to do the eLearning.

 

[JackD342]

When I signed up for the class there was no option. You paid for the course, they gave you a bag with the materials and a checklist of things to complete before class day. The instructor had a hard on for people understanding every item and step of the way. He was about 40.

To be clear, you learned to use the tables, right?
Unless you paid more than an eLearning course would cost, then no harm no foul, you just worked harder than needed if you will only be using a computer for EAN. You may want to ask the shop or instructor about other options not offered for future reference, in case it affects the way you do business with them in the future.
Also, PADI does have a dive computer crew pack version too, so there is still a non eLearning version that does not require learning tables. With that independent study followed by the classroom, it is not too much different from doing the eLearning course.

 

[JackD342]

Not difficult at all. I was just questioning the time @Divectionist said it took him to do the eLearning.

I had one student tell me the PADI eLearning took him 2 hours, but I think that is very much at the low end of the scale for actual experience. Still, easily done in one sitting. And I figure about an hour with me at the shop after, where I review far more than just the 10 question eLearning quiz and the two simulated dives. Multiple students will take longer.