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Nitrox Diving: The Way Diving Should Be

Nitrox Diving should be a must! I still don�t understand why people dive air.

I think Nitrox should be taught in conjunction with every advanced diving class and at least offered to any basic student who wants to take it. Maybe the reason some divers aren�t Nitrox certified is because the term �Nitrox� sounds technical and scary. Maybe if we called it �Really cool gas that�ll give you longer bottom times� more people would take the class.

Unfortunately that phrase is too long to wrap around the standard 80 tank, so we�re stuck with the scary sounding �Nitrox� label.

Nitrox is anything but technical

In fact, you�re breathing Nitrox right now. The term �Nitrox� can be applied to any nitrogen/oxygen mixture and since our atmosphere is 79% nitrogen and 21% oxygen; it�s a Nitrox mixture.

Often you�ll hear the phrase �Enriched Air Nitrox� which more accurately describes what Nitrox divers put in their tanks. These divers �enrich� their air by increasing the percentage of oxygen and decreasing the percentage of nitrogen. This change has a number of benefits.

Benefits of Nitrox Diving

By decreasing the amount of nitrogen you�re breathing, you decrease the amount of nitrogen your body absorbs.

This means you can do one of two things:

You can either stay underwater longer than you could with air and still not risk a mandatory decompression stop or you can dive using dive tables meant for air and have an added degree of safety.

Most divers choose the increased bottom time.

But Nitrox Diving is not without its risks

Oxygen can become toxic at certain pressures. Normal air doesn�t become toxic until you get to about 218 feet (66m) saltwater; well beyond the range of any advanced diving student. But the two most popular Nitrox mixes, 32% and 36%, become toxic at 132 feet (40m) and 113 feet (34m) respectively. Both depths are within the range of an advanced diver.

Oxygen toxicity is serious, hence the need for additional training.

If you make a mistake regarding your maximum depth, you could find yourself going into convulsions. However, this is an easily avoidable situation.

A Nitrox course is only a couple of days long, but in those couple days you�ll learn all about partial pressures and how they affect you.

Fortunately the benefits far outweigh the risks. You�ll increase your dive time and maximize every dive you do.

The people who benefit from Nitrox diving the most are the divers who find they constantly surface with 1000 to 1500 psi (70 to 105 bar) of air left. For these people, the extra 10 or 15 minutes offered by the right Nitrox mix is a welcomed way to burn that extra air.

Nitrox diving is the most valuable specialty class available. It�s a natural extension of basic diving. Think about it: The reason you�re getting certified in the first place is to spend time underwater. So it makes sense to take a class that will increase your bottom time.

Don�t be scared of the technical tone of �Nitrox�, it�s an easy-to-use gas that will enhance (or should I say �enrich�) your diving experience.

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