Ever wondered what those other tanks on the boat were? Yellow and green sticker across them and divers using strange gadgets before they set up their equipment to check the exact oxygen content?
Meet Enriched Air Nitrox, “Well Hello There!”. Nitrox (for short), is very similar to the gas that you breathe normally both on the surface and while diving, except it has had additional oxygen content added to it to create a “richer” gas with a higher oxygen % vs. lower nitrogen % – the primary benefit being the latter, a lower nitrogen % thereby offering more in terms of No-Decompression-Limits at depth.
So, the nitty-gritty – as Recreational Divers, we’re limited by our bodies absorption of nitrogen while we’re underwater, which then is tracked by the use of a series of mathematical models which track said “on-gassing”. Now, if we were to reduce the amount of nitrogen we’re inhaling underwater, then that would then mean we are thus absorbing less at a given depth(& time spent there) vs. the same depth and time spent while breathing air – thus, allowing us the opportunity to stay longer – in a nutshell, that’s nitrox.
Despite misconceptions, Nitrox isn’t a deep-diving gas; it’s far better suited for mid-range dives in the area of 17-35m (depending upon the mix you’re breathing, more on that in a moment).
Nitrox mixes are selected according to your planned depth, so, the more the oxygen content, the shallowed it’s MOD (Maximum Operating Depth). The calculation for the MOD is taught during Nitrox and Advanced Nitrox Courses and so I’d highly recommend going through one of those courses before trying your hand at Nitrox diving.
Essentially, at intermediate depths such as the 17-35m range stated above, Nitrox can both increase your No-Decompression-Limits while also theoretically increasing your level of safety on all dives purely by the fact that there’s less Nitrogen absorbed into your body – which comes in very handy when making two dives in a day to check out a wreck at 20m, or even adding an extra safety blanked to the likes of repetitive 14m dives…
While it sounds like a miracle gas and the best thing since sliced bread, there is one caveat – the hazards of breathing higher oxygen pressures at depth, which can also “build up” in your system over time and require tracking (usually via your dive computer). Again, this is something you’ll learn about during a Nitrox Course, which I hope by now I’ve peaked your interest in!
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