PADI Enriched Air Diver


EXTEND YOUR BOTTOM TIME, ENJOY MORE OF YOUR DIVE

Enriched Air Diver or better known as the Nitrox course is most popular PADI specialty course.

The PADI Enriched Air Diver course is PADI’s most popular specialty scuba course. Because scuba diving with enriched air nitrox gives you more no decompression time, especially on repetitive scuba dives. If staying down longer and getting back in the water sooner sounds appealing, then don’t hesitate to become an enriched air diver. Diving with enriched air nitrox gives you more no decompression time,  and it makes a lot of difference especially on repetitive scuba dives.

The primary benefit for using Nitrox or enriched air for diving is the lesser exposure to nitrogen. The higher the percentage of oxygen in the cylinder the lesser will be the nitrogen intake. You can use this benefit to your advantage in a couple of ways; one option is to extend your no stop time during your dives, so you get longer dive times, especially when completing repetitive dives. Alternatively, you might prefer to continue to dive within the no stop limits for air, but use the reduced intake of nitrogen to increase your personal safety margin whilst diving. On the Enriched Air Diver course, you can learn about planning enriched air dives using dive tables or your dive computer. 

 

SOME QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE

How long does the PADI Nitrox course take?

The PADI Enriched Air Diver or Nitrox course will take approximately 2 to 3 hours to complete.

Can you dive deeper with Nitrox?

The primary reason for divers to use Nitrox is to extend their bottom time and reduce nitrogen loading and not to dive deeper where the possibility of oxygen toxicity becomes a reasonable danger.

Is diving with Nitrox better than diving with regular air?

The primary benefit of diving with nitrox is the extended bottom time and lesser surface intervals. There may be a psychological feeling that the larger percentage of oxygen intake makes one feel less tired, but this has not been proven.

Does using nitrox reduce the risk of decompression sickness?

Nitrox which has a higher percentage of oxygen means that the absorption of nitrogen by the body tissues is lesser which in turn decreases the risk of decompression sickness. For people who may not be very fit and may be at risk of DCS, can make the same dive profile using Nitrox.

Why is it important to do the Nitrox specialty course first before using Nitrox?

Diving with Nitrox requires that you complete the PADI Nitrox specialty course first because during the course you will learn about the theory of diving with Nitrox and the implications of using elevated levels of oxygen. Since the dives are not mandatory for this course, it can be done only for the theory and in a few hours.