and why any AOW Diver should do this course next!
I used my time in Malta (or Gozo, to be precise) wisely and did the SSI Nitrox course. Its a nice half day course with the option for 2 nitrox dives after the theoretical part. My first course with SSI and I have to say their online course impressed me – appealing design, nice combination of text, videos and charts. And my first dive course in German (with an Austrian instructor), which made it easier for me to understand the technicalities of the course.
Sorry, whats Nitrox? Or more correctly Enriched Air Nitrox? For recreational diving it’s any gas mix with an oxygen level higher than 21% (our normal air) upto 40%. But why did I do it?
# 1 It gives you more time and a bit of safety
As the dive instructor said rightly, I have family, so Nitrox is a great way to add an extra margin of safety to my dives. It reduces the nitrogen accumulation in the body during dives, simply due to the reduced level of nitrogen in the gas you breathe. My objective however was more to gain more bottom time (I don’t do decompression dives yet), which allowed me to stay around the amazing wrecks for find in Gozo a bit longer.
But it’s a also a very comforting thought that the risk for DCS is lower if you dive a normal air profile (so you use the bottom time you would have with air). And after the course I feel more confident as a diver overall. I understand that oxygen has its own risks, so there is a depth limit (yes, unless you have a death wish you actually have to stay shallower with Nitrox compared to air) depending on the percentage of oxygen in the gas.
# 2 Its soooo cool
When I first saw guys going in the water with a twin set and the green-yellow nitrox sticker in Dahab, it was clear that I need to try. Sounds funny, but its that kind of stuff that makes my heart stop for a second. I had the same while admiring the fancy rebreathers during an indoor dive in Germany last winter. For me diving is not only the under-water wildlife admiration. I love the learning aspect most I guess, and there is soooo much more to learn! On top, telling your colleagues you dived on nitrox (and see the big question mark in their eyes!) sounds pretty awesome, right?
#3 More bottom time on repetitive dives
I am planning a live-aboard to get as many dives in as possible within a week, and also want to enjoy the night dives (I love them!). And of course want to have more than 10 minutes bottom time a potential fourth dive in a day. And most boats, as much as I can tell from my little research, offer nitrox with no enormous fee, so why not make use of it?
#4 Good motivation for my kids to pay attention in school
Why? Well, there are some few calculations you will need to do. Yes, dive computers can calculate for you, but at least the Maximum Operation Depth is something you should always do yourself. Not only because you have to write it on the cylinder but also because its good to be sure the computer and your calculation are aligned.
It also gave me some insights into gas mixing in general, what the compressor looks like (in Malta it’s a huge apparatus, they also do helium mixes for technical diving), the two methods used, and how you analyze and then do your calculations. In preparation for the course I had practiced the calculations a bit with my Dahab instructor, including to do the calculation of the Equivalent Air Depth, so basically your bottom time. For that it helps to be able to have some basic math skills (dividing and multiplying is enough basically).
My son is currently not super motivated to do any math, but he did his bubble-maker and is desperately waiting for his 10th birthday to do his Junior Open Water . And since he wants to become a police/rescue diver or instructor when he is a grown up, he better pay attention in school so he can calculate the correct gas mix for his students!
Some people also say they feel less tired from diving with Nitrox. While my instructor said there is no evidence for it, might be a placebo. For me, I had the same feeling of bliss as after most other dives. And on top, the feeling of accomplishment to master a new skill I can be proud of!
