Nitrox Requirement

[aknelsonone]

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Grin

However reality is that most of the TC dive stores do not have Nitrox. More than 10 years ago there were two Stores doing the Nitrox Blending. Today, lets count how many TC stores can Blend Nitrox? And are doing good business selling Nitrox. Lots of stores just advertise Nitrox classes.

Many of the store owners gripe about how much it cost to rent a few big O2 tanks and to get O2 whips for trans-filling. We are talking about reasonable expenses. A good Nitrox computer costs more. Hi

This tells the use of Nitrox. Yes increased usage over the last few years, but not as much as in other locations. How many divers own computers and how many do have Nitrox computers?
Most of the OW divers do not know Nitrox . Unless they have used the extended Bottom time advantages in the 60-110ft range (Lifeabords). Personally I highly recommend OW diver to take the classes and use the advantages of Nitrox.

I use Nitrox for the Safety and the extended Bottom time only on OC and with SCR. For Reef diving I will use Nitrox only when I put on a third or fourth dive for the day. You will feel definitly less tired after a dive using Nitrox. For cold water I will definitly use Nitrox if I have the choice.

Requiring Nitrox classes not really but it could be part of a AOW class as an elect. You learn to understand what partial pressure is. A Nitrox class opens the Horizon to the technical diving.

Rebreathers for everyone I would say hardly. Rebreathers for deep and long diving definitly; again it is driven by cost of the gas. Twin-sets do have a place but they get cost prohibitive as deeper the dive goes. Rebreathers cheaper; Hardly, SCR like Dolphin are reliable and have advantages for Recreational dept. For technical dives get ready to spend $7-10k and more for a good CCR model with an excellent safety record (no accidents). Around Rebreathers Safety and Reliability is what really counts.

Andreas

[eric myers]

I agree that Nitrox does not add a whole lot of complexity.  I seem to have all three sets of Tables Memorized and I have a horrible memory (i.e. @ 80' you get Air 30min, EAN 32 45min, EAN36 55min). With that said I don't think anything more should be required.

I am of the opinion that their are far too few dives (experience) required between levels in all certifying agencies.  YMCA, SSI, NAUI, PADI...they are all to blame.  You can become an "Advanced Diver" after 8 dives! And it just gets worse from there. You can be an instructor with less than 100 dives! 

The other reason why I think EAN should be required is remember all those people at dinner parties that get you talking about diving, when you didn't bring it up yourself, and they pull out that 20 year old OW dive card and they have not dived since their honeymoon?

I never understood them but I have learned most divers are not the enthusiasts we are.  They want their cert. and their 20' reef dive every year and that's it.  What would Nitrox training do for them? >> Nothing!

[NorthlandDivers]

First of all the certification companies are not all alike.  With SSI you have to have at least 24 dives and 4 specialties to be an Advanced Open Water Diver.  I also don't know of any of the major certification agencies that you don't have to have at least 100 dives before you can take the instructor course.  What the Specialty Courses do as well as the Advanced Open Water Diver Course is offer a platform for new divers to continue their diving education with an instructor.  I have heard a lot mentioned on this site about mentoring divers.  This is one method of doing just that.  It also helps build the confidence level of the diver and provides diving opportunities.  What really makes the difference is going diving.  It's just like anything in life the more you do it the better you will be at it.
You are right that there are really at least 2 types of divers, however both groups consider themselves divers and I won't take that away form them because diving is as much a social activity as it is physically activity.  There is the diver who just wants to get their certification card so they can dive on vacation every few years.  Then there is the diver who buys there own gear and looks for every opportunity to get out and go diving.  They are both enjoying the sport of diving.  You do have to aspire to become a technical diver or dive with back plate and harness to be a good diver.  That's the great thing about diving you can find the niche that you like and dive it.  I love underwater photography and video.  Put a camera in my hands and I'll have a great time no matter where I am underwater.

[wtdrm]

I have read lots of good info on this post. This is what MnScuba set out to be. As far as the original question about Nitrox being mandatory for the OW2 diver. I don't think so. I do think that it should be given more attention than is given in the current classes. If nothing else to whet the appetite of the diver that wants to go farther in there training. It would also give them a better understanding of the physiology of diving.
To the people that have disparaged re breathers I suggest you look at all types of re breathers and attend a 101 class so you understand them better. Re Breathers are not for everybody but they are not all 10K and they are not all extremely dangerous.
If we were to really look at the cost of a Dolphin style re breather they are not much more than the basic OW2 setup, and in my opinion a lot more fun to dive.
Just like any thing else, if you become complacent they will hurt you.
I would suggest going to the re breather forum here and learning some more.

I also commend Myron for some great posts. In my mind, well read my signature, it says it all.