Ambergris Caye’s first and only Dive Center which is offering “Nitrox for Free!!!”
What is Nitrox? :: Why Nitrox? :: Who can use Nitrox?
How is it made? :: Nitrox Courses Available
Over the years, Aqua Dives Belize has been instrumental in setting new standards of diving in the island. With our endless willingness to improve, Aqua Dives has invested in only top of the line machinery and equipment to advance and enhance the dependability and reliability customers have come to expect of our PADI Gold Palm 5 Star Dive Center.
Thanks to our new investment in our air supply we are now able to produce precise Nitrox blends up to 36% at the push of a button, allowing Aqua Dives to offer unlimited Nitrox!
Aqua Dives has good news for those of you who are Nitrox Certified. As of February 2008 we have been offering Free Nitrox as an upgrade to several of our special dive packages with accommodation and special dive only packages # 4, #5, #8, and # 9 only.
For all other customers that have already purchased diving or dive packages without Nitrox you may upgrade to Nitrox at a 50% DISCOUNT from the original price of US$14.00 per Tank.
If you’re not yet Nitrox certified and you just don’t have the time to do so at home, consider doing it with us once you are here in Ambergris Caye. As part of our Free Nitrox offer you can be certified for only an additional US$165.00 as a PADI Enriched Air Diver. Once certified you will then be able to dive the rest of your vacation on Nitrox for Free!
Introduction
Nitrox has been around for some time now and has several different views surrounding it. It has been used for military, commercial and research diving. What is new is recreational diving with Nitrox. In fact, this is one of the most important advances in the sport in recent history. In this part, we will now try to clarify some concerns and concepts of Nitrox along with satisfying some common questions.
You may remember from your Open Water course that the air we breathe consists of 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen. There are also some other gases present, but only very small amounts. This air you breathe is considered as Nitrox 21. As we breathe, oxygen enters into our bodies and is effectively absorbed in to our body tissue. On the other hand, Nitrogen is inert and while diving Nitrogen builds up in your body as the pressure increases. At the surface an adult normally has 1.5 L of dissolved nitrogen. At 65ft. (20m) the amount increases to around 4.5L. Therefore, once on the surface the Nitrogen needs to be released gently by means of breathing (this is the purpose of surface interval as you must have already known).
Nitrox is a gas mixture where the proportion of oxygen is increased and that of nitrogen automatically decreased. Therefore, while Scuba Diving, the diver will absorb much less Nitrogen which brings all sorts of benefits.
The most common mixtures of Nitrox used for diving contain 40% or less oxygen, most frequently 32% and 36%.
Nitrox has several names: Enhanced Air Nitrox, Oxygen Enriched Air, EANx, or SAFE AIR.
Increased diver safety is the most important benefit gained by the use of NITROX. By increasing the percentage of oxygen in our breathing gas, we are also reducing the percentage of nitrogen we take in, reducing the amount of residual nitrogen that remains in the body, and resulting in an automatic reduction in the risk of decompression illness (normally referred to as the "bends").
Apart from the dangers of decompression illness, dissolved nitrogen may result in divers becoming more fatigue. When using Nitrox and diving the same time and depth as divers using regular air, many divers say that they are not as tired after a several dives using Nitrox as they were in the past using regular air.
Another benefit is that you could stick to your regular dive time and know that you have an extra level of safety due to breathing less nitrogen. Nitrox would be greatly effective for divers who are doing more than two dives a day or repetitive dives over multiple days. Note: Nitrox is not a deep diving gas it is an excellent alternative to air.
Other advantages:
- Nitrox is safer than air for the diver!
- Up to 50 times cleaner than standard air.
- Shorter surface intervals
- A reduction in Nitrogen Narcosis.
- More dives per day possible
- Reduced fatigue after the dive (declared by many EANx divers).
- Extended bottom times (no-decompression limits)
For example:
Depth |
Padi Limit |
Nitrox Best Mix Limit |
20 m |
45 mins |
219 mins |
26 m |
20 mins |
56 mins |
32 m |
14 mins |
27 mins |
To dive with Nitrox you must be certified as a Nitrox Diver. The Nitrox course normally takes a day. This course includes a theory component, but may also include dives. You'll effectivily learn how to calculate partial pressures of oxygen and nitrogen, how to calculate maximum depths, how to use Nitrox dive tables, theory about Decompression Sickness, and what equipment you will be able to use with Nitrox.
Our gas-blender technicians will pump your tank to required O2 content and then analyze it. We will allow you to analyze your own tank with a second analyzer before the dive. At that point you will be required to sign a sheet confirming the O2 content in your tank and your maximum depth.
Highly recommended to:
- Divers who are not as young as they once were
- Divers wishing to be more conservative
- Divers who may not be in peak physical fitness
Nitrox Courses Available at Aqua Dives:
With the new regulation set by PADI, you can get certified without the need to go into water at all! PADI Discover Enriched Air NITROX is the first part of a two part certification, allowing you to discover the benefits of Nitrox diving without going through the complete PADI Enriched Air Diver course.
PADI DISCOVER ENRICHED AIR NITROX DIVER
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisites: Open Water certification and 15 years of age minimum
Includes the following sections of the PADI Enriched Air Diver Specialty Course:
-
Knowledge Development 1 - covering enriched air dive planning, care for equipment, hazard management, use and application of enriched air, and completing a Knowledge Review.
-
Practical Application 1 - using an oxygen analyzer to determine oxygen content in an enriched air blend, verification of cylinder content, use of a fill logbook. You'll complete these requirements with a PADI Nitrox Instructor.
This course will allow you to dive with 32% Nitrox. You'll be able make Nitrox dives to a maximum depth of 30 meters/100 feet under the indirect supervision of a PADI professional (Divemaster, Assistant Instructor or Instructor) who is enriched air certified.
Upon deciding that Nitrox diving is for you, you can upgrade to the PADI Enriched Air Nitrox Specialty Diver certification by completing the second part of the course.
UPGRADE FROM DISCOVER NITROX TO PADI ENRICHED AIR NITROX SPECIALTY
Duration: 1 Day
Prerequisites: Discover Enriched Air Nitrox Diver certification and 15 years of age minimum
Benefits: Same as PADI Nitrox Specialty Course.
PADI ENRICHED AIR NITROX SPECIALITY COURSE
Duration: 1 Day
Prerequisites: An Open Water Diver and 15 years of age minimum
Includes: Academic Classes - 2 Open Water Dives – Certification
Benefits: After completion you will be able to dive independently using Nitrox with up to 40% oxygen and fully experience all the advantages Nitrox diving has to offer. All the knowledge Development sessions connected to this certification level are contained in the PADI Enriched Air Diver Manual you received as a part of the Discover Enriched Air Nitrox course.
Nitrox can prove to be the best thing that ever happened to your diving adventure!!!