{"id":7129,"date":"2020-03-19T10:00:47","date_gmt":"2020-03-19T10:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kooxdiving.com\/en\/?p=7129"},"modified":"2020-03-16T14:15:34","modified_gmt":"2020-03-16T14:15:34","slug":"nitrox-scuba-the-beginners-guide-to-enriched-air-diving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kooxdiving.com\/en\/nitrox-scuba-the-beginners-guide-to-enriched-air-diving\/","title":{"rendered":"Nitrox Scuba: The Beginners Guide To Enriched Air Diving"},"content":{"rendered":"
Nitrox is a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen, containing a lower proportion of nitrogen than is normally present in the air \u2013 reducing the risk of decompression sickness when used as a breathing gas by divers. It\u2019s also known as Enriched Air Nitrox or EANx.<\/p>\n
What is Nitrox diving? Recreational and technical scuba divers typically use a blend of Nitrox in their tanks to allow more time to be spent underwater. Find out more about Nitrox scuba: the beginner’s guide to enriched air diving here\u2026<\/p>\n
Nitrox scuba diving has become extremely popular \u2013 you\u2019ll be able to spot the green and yellow tanks of oxygen-enriched air in dive shops around the world. There are some things you need to know about nitrox diving before you decide if it\u2019s right for you.<\/p>\n
Just like any piece of scuba diving equipment you need to understand and be able to properly use it to prevent any potential risk. And you need to remember that this gas mix doesn\u2019t necessarily let you dive deeper.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll need specialised training as there\u2019s a need to use special gear. This may include:<\/p>\n
Nitrox mixes usually contain more than 21% oxygen and less than 40%. Technical diving uses one of two Nitrox-based mixtures: Nitrox 1 that contains a 32% combination of pure oxygen and air with 68% nitrogen, and Nitrox 2 that combines 36% pure oxygen and air with 64% of nitrogen.<\/p>\n
Nitrox vs Air<\/b><\/p>\n
The benefits of Nitrox over regular air include:<\/p>\n
Use of Nitrox may cause a reduced ventilatory response which may result in a loss of consciousness due to breathing dense gas at deeper limits.<\/p>\n
Another main concern is the potential for oxygen toxicity \u2013 this can happen due to the increased levels of oxygen in the mix. There are two factors that need to be taken into account to avoid this \u2013 the amount and the length of exposure known as the oxygen limit.<\/p>\n
Nitrox depth limits estimates are done by Nitrox diving calculations. The maximum operating depth of Nitrox with 36% oxygen, for example, is 29 metres. A dive computer will be able to give you all the necessary information you need \u2013 including bottom and surface interval times.<\/p>\n
A back-up plan is to take a waterproof plastic dive table with you for underwater reference. This will provide you with imperial and metric calculations based on set standards \u2013 and can easily be stored in your emergency dive kit.<\/p>\n