what is enriched air diver course vs nitrox

Why Enriched Air Nitrox for scuba diving?

In the scuba realm, “nitrox” (also known as enriched air nitrox and EANx) typically describes breathing gas that is 32-36 percent oxygen. More oxygen means less nitrogen, and that has some nice benefits. As you learned in the Open Water Diver course®, nitrogen absorption is one of the things that limits our ability to explore underwater. Enriched air nitrox allows you to:

What is enriched air diver?

Jan 12, 2022 · What is nitrox. Enriched Air, Nitrox, EANx are all different names for the same thing. They are all names for compressed gas with a higher percentage of oxygen than the standard air used for scuba diving. Standard breathing air is 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen compared to Enriched air can be anywhere from 22% oxygen up to 40% oxygen and 60% nitrogen.

What is the enriched air nitrox course?

Oct 11, 2021 · These tanks represent enriched air, which means the divers are diving with nitrox, a special blend of gas to enrich your diving experience. However, like everything else in diving, nitrox can be highly effective if used properly, or very dangerous if used incorrectly. Let’s take a look at what nitrox diving is, the pros and cons of diving with it, and why some divers prefer …

How do I complete the Padi enriched air nitrox course?

In the diving community, we use the term to identify any blend of air, especially those that have a mix different from our usual 79% nitrogen / 21% oxygen plus minute parts of other gasses. In recreational diving, we use the term Enriched Air Nitrox or EANx, for a breathing gas blend with a higher percentage of oxygen than the usual air we breathe. [rushkult_cards]

Is nitrox enriched air?

Enriched air, also known as nitrox or EANx, contains less nitrogen than regular air. Breathing less nitrogen means you can enjoy longer dives and shorter surface intervals. No wonder Enriched Air Diver is the most popular PADI® specialty.

Do you need to be certified to dive with nitrox?

You must complete a course and get certified to use Nitrox anywhere in the world and enjoy it's benefits. All major dive agencies have their version of the course, and any certificate will allow you to get Nitrox almost everywhere.May 9, 2020

How is nitrox diving different?

Nitrox is a combination of gases, used in scuba diving, different from the air we commonly breathe. It's composed of oxygen and nitrogen of 21% and 79% respectively. While Nitrox or enriched air, contains a higher proportion of oxygen than atmospheric air.Feb 25, 2020

Why is nitrox better for diving?

Divers who use nitrox absorb less nitrogen, making them stay underwater for longer. They're also less likely to get decompression sickness. It's worth noting that older divers and those who've experienced decompression sickness or physical injuries can reduce no-decompression limits with the gas.Jul 19, 2019

Is nitrox safer than air?

Secondly, using Nitrox while diving air profiles is generally safer in a decompression sense than using air. Indeed, by sticking to air limits while using Nitrox, you create a physiological buffer in terms of the amount of Nitrogen that is absorbed in by your body during dives.

What is the difference between nitrox and air?

The technical difference between nitrox and enriched air is like the difference between fruit and apples; apples are a specific type of fruit. Nitrox is where the mix between nitrogen and oxygen is not 79/21, but Enriched Air is more than 21 oxygen molecules per 100.Mar 3, 2017

Do you use less air with nitrox?

The most important benefit of diving with Nitrox is that it will give you more bottom time. Because there is less nitrogen in the air your breath less nitrogen will be absorbed which gives you more time at depth compared to regular air.

How much does nitrox certification cost?

The cost is $179.00. Price includes either the PADI E Learning Access Pass or text book, a demonstration on acquiring and logging Nitrox tanks and fills, the PADI Enriched Air Certification Card upon completion.

What is the primary benefit of diving with enriched air?

The primary benefit for using enriched air while diving is that you are exposed to less nitrogen when you go diving. The higher the percentage of oxygen in the cylinder means you will be breathing less nitrogen.

Can you dive longer with nitrox?

Therefore, even diving with Nitrox, this diver can only dive for maximum 30 minutes regardless of how much time before he reaches the no decompression limit. As a result, diving with nitrox does not offer a longer dive time for this diver. Diving with Nitrox reduces the risk of decompression sickness.

How deep can nitrox divers go?

The two most common recreational diving nitrox mixes contain 32% and 36% oxygen, which have maximum operating depths (MODs) of 34 metres (112 ft) and 29 metres (95 ft) respectively when limited to a maximum partial pressure of oxygen of 1.4 bar (140 kPa).

What is the deepest a diver can go?

Proper certification is highly recommended for those depths of SCUBA diving. As a basic open water SCUBA diver, the limit for how deep can you dive is 60 feet. If you wish to dive a little deeper, advanced open water certification will teach you more about diving beyond 60 feet.Nov 12, 2019

What is Nitrox in diving?

Nitrox is an abbreviation of Nitrogen-Oxygen the basic content of the air we breathe every day. In the diving community, we use the term to identify any blend of air, especially those that have a mix different from our usual 79% nitrogen / 21% oxygen plus minute parts of other gasses. In recreational diving, we use the term Enriched Air Nitrox ...

Is Nitrox good for diving?

The shifted percentage of nitrogen and oxygen when diving with Nitrox has , at least, two benefits compared to diving with regular compressed air. The most important benefit of diving with Nitrox is that it will give you more bottom time.

What is enriched air?

Enriched air, also known as nitrox or EANx, contains less nitrogen than regular air. Breathing less nitrogen means you can enjoy longer dives and shorter surface intervals. No wonder Enriched Air Diver is the most popular PADI® specialty. Available Languages.

How long does it take to get Nitrox certification?

Entire course: 1-2 days. It's possible to earn your nitrox certification in just one day. Simply complete the online course and schedule a short practical session with your instructor. The two dives are optional. You can also earn a nitrox certification simultaneously with another course.

What are the medical requirements for scuba diving?

Medical Requirements. Scuba diving requires a minimum level of health and fitness. Chronic health conditions, certain medications and/or recent surgery may require you to get written approval from a physician before diving.

What is technical diving?

Technical diving allows you to dive beyond recreational "no stop" limits. Stay at a shallow depth for hours, or plan dives beyond recreational dive limits. Rebreathers, simply put, save and recycle your breathing gas. This allows you to stay much longer underwater.

Can you use enriched air in scuba?

Most modern scuba equipment and dive computers can be used with enriched air, but your PADI Instructor will let you know if your gear meets manufacturer recommendations and local requirements. However, scuba tanks must meet oxygen service standards and be dedicated for use with enriched air. You'll practice using oxygen analyzers and special cylinder decals. Your PADI Dive Center or Resort staff will explain other equipment you may need to enjoy enriched air diving.

What is Nitrox?

First of all you might be asking ‘what is Nitrox?’. Quite simply, it’s air with a higher percentage of oxygen than the air we normally breathe. Usually air contains 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen. Nitrox, or enriched air, commonly blends 32% or 36% oxygen.

What are the benefits of increasing the oxygen?

In fact, the question here should be “what are the benefits of decreasing the nitrogen?”. When you dive nitrogen builds up in your body. Nitrogen build up can cause gas bubbles to form in your body and can lead to compression sickness. This is why your ‘bottom time’ is carefully calculated and closely monitored when scuba diving.

The Pros and Cons of Nitrox

Apart from longer dive times, using Nitrox has a couple of other benefits. With less nitrogen accumulated in your body you won’t need to wait as long in between dives. Surface intervals are all about releasing the nitrogen from your body, so less nitrogen means less time out of the water, and this all leads to more time for diving!

Getting Nitrox Certified

If you would like to get nitrox certified PADI’s Enriched Air Course is the most highly recommended by dive masters.

What is Nitrox class?

The PADI Enriched Air Diver course (Nitrox) is designed to teach students how to obtain enriched air, how to safely plan enriched air dives, and to consider a variety of other factors involved in enriched air diving. This class is dive computer based. The classroom portion of the course usually only takes an evening.

What is a PADI?

They were the first training agency to offer color reproduction in their print materials, slide carousels, VHS and then DVD videos, powerpoint presentations, web based eLearning, and now digital platform independent eLearning!

What is the difference between enriched air and nitrox?

The technical difference between nitrox and enriched air is like the difference between fruit and apples; apples are a specific type of fruit. Nitrox is where the mix between nitrogen and oxygen is not 79/21, but Enriched Air is more than 21 oxygen molecules per 100 . Most recreational divers, as opposed to technical divers, ...

Does Nitrox make you tired?

Another misconception is if you’re on a diving holiday using nitrox that it will make you feel less tired after doing many dives. Although there is no actual data to prove this, it is repeated by most divers. It could be just the ‘holiday’ effect where you’re more relaxed and there are no pressures.

What is nitrox?

Normal recreational scuba tanks have an air mixture of 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, and 1% of additional gases. This mimics the normal air we breathe on the surface. Nitrox refers to a few mixtures of gas that all have higher levels of oxygen at different percentages.

Advantages of diving with nitrox

One of the main reasons divers will get EAN certified is to have longer bottom times. When using a normal tank of air, you’re limited on time based on depth and nitrogen absorption. Excess nitrogen is what causes DCS. When your body absorbs the nitrogen from a regular gas mix, it builds up in body tissues and forms bubbles.

Disadvantages of diving with nitrox

Many believe that EANx diving lets you go to deeper depths like a technical diver. Unfortunately, this is incorrect. Tec divers use trimix gas, not nitrox. The higher levels of oxygen in an EAN tank will actually lead to shallower dives within the no-decompression limits.

How to get nitrox certified

Learning how to dive with nitrox and calculate the limits and other safety procedures is all covered in a nitrox course. The Enriched Air Diver course is one of PADI’s most popular and many who become dive instructors will take it 8.

Nitrox gear

Most gear is compatible with regular and nitrox air mixes. However, if you are using your own gear, you will want to make sure your regulator will work with both. The biggest concern would be using a titanium regulator. These oxidize at lower levels and won’t work well with an oxygen-rich gas.

Conclusion

Nitrox is a more concentrated mixture of oxygen than regular compressed air. It varies in oxygen percentage and each type has its own dive depth and time limits. While you will have longer dives on EAN, you will have to stay at shallower depths.