What is Nitrox…

Did you know you have been breathing a form of nitrox all of your life? Simply stated, nitrox is any combination of oxygen and nitrogen.  So, since the air we breath is approximately 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen, it is a nitrox blend. Enriched Air Nitrox (EANx) are mixes that contain higher amounts of  oxygen and lower amounts of nitrogen. EANx offers many benefits to divers.

The questions in your mind probably all start with “why?” Why do I want to use nitrox? Why is it different to use than air? Why do I have to take an additional course to use it? Air, the gas that surrounds us, was first used for diving purposes as it is readily available. All certified scuba divers are taught the downfalls of diving with air. Decompression Sickness and Nitrogen Narcosis are two maladies that result from excess nitrogen in a divers body. As you dive, your tissues absorb nitrogen while processing oxygen. As you ascend, the nitrogen stored in the tissues is removed from the body as a part of the normal respiration cycle. By reducing the amount of nitrogen in the breathing mixture, you expose your tissues to less nitrogen. Since the quantity of nitrogen in the cells is reduced, you get less tissue fatigue and increased safety.

Underwater Dive Center is proud to offer the International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers (IANTD) Nitrox Course. Our course consists of eight hours of lecture and two open water dives. The topics covered include theory, nitrox tables, dive plans, gas analyzing, and equipment requirements. The open water dives introduce the diver to the actual benefits of Nitrox. When you complete this course will receive a Nitrox certification card from IANTD.

What You Learn…

• The benefits and concerns of Nitrox diving
• The history of Nitrox
• How to plan your Nitrox dives, such as, finding the best Nitrox mix, your maximum depth limits, and what your equivalent air depth is
• Learn to use Nitrox dive tables
• Operational aspects of Nitrox diving, such as, analyzing Nitrox mixes, logging your mixes, and labeling Nitrox tanks
• Switching Nitrox mixes in between dives

What You Need…

If you are doing the optional dives you will need your existing equipment, with the exception of your tanks. Tanks containing Nitrox need to be cleaned, dedicated, and marked with the mixture they contain. Dives for the classes are not mandatory but highly recommended. Additional fee for the dives includes 2 Nitrox Rental tanks with Nitrox fills.

The Learning Materials You Need…

IANTD Nitrox Diver Book, 32% Tables, 36% Tables, MOD Tables (included in the course fee). You may also want to pick up the IANTD Air Dive Tables.

Prerequisites…

• Advanced Open Water Diver
• or Open Water Diver with 20 or more logged dives
• Be at least 15 years old