Nitrox is quickly becoming an essential addition to your basic SCUBA certification. And its easy to see why. Diving with Enriched Air, or Nitrox as it is commonly referred to, allows you to stay underwater longer at depth ? and that?s the whole reason we?re diving, right? To be underwater. Anything that allows us to safely stay below the surface for a few extra blissful minutes is well worth the investment.
It is especially worth it on a liveaboard, where your dive profiles can be a little more complex than when diving off a day boat. On Juliet, we offer 4 dives per day ? 3 day dives and one night dive. Our dive profiles can look something like this:
| Dive | Time on Air* | Time on Nitrox* 32% |
| Dive 1, 8:30am: 100? dive at Bimini Barge | 20 min | 30 min |
| Dive 2, 11:30am: 80? dive at Tuna Alley | 22 min | 35min |
| Dive 3, 2:30pm: 50? dive at Miami Rita | 67 min | 2 hrs + |
| Dive 4, 7:00pm: 50? night dive at Miami Rita | 63 min | 2 hrs + |
*using PADI Air and EAN32 tables
As you can see, especially after the second dive, the benefits of using nitrox are dramatic. Then take into account the money you?ve spent not only on your vacation, but your gear, your training so far? why wouldn?t you want to double your time underwater? That is why you got certified, after all!
Even if you aren?t interested in extending your bottom time, don?t forget about the extra margin of safety allotted by breathing a gas that has less nitrogen in it, nitrogen being the inert gas in air that is responsible for most decompression illness. To breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you?re protecting yourself that much more. And most divers report that they feel less tired after a dive on Nitrox versus a dive on air due to the added oxygen in the air you are breathing. After 3-4 dives on a liveaboard vacation, that extra energy is pretty nice.
If you?re not Nitrox certified but want to know more about it, you can try Nitrox diving for free ? our experienced instructors will explain the benefits of Nitrox, walk you through the very simple steps of checking your tank?s contents and planning a dive with Nitrox. And when you see the value in it, we can certify you on board!
Unlimited Nitrox (EAN32) fills: $100 (7-day) $80 (5-day) $150 (10-day). Proper certification required
Nitrox certification course: $250 (includes unlimited Nitrox fills, add $50 for 10-day)
Juliet Sailing and Diving also offers rebreather support (oxygen available by request, O2 booster system). Please contact the office well before your trip to inform us of your needs.
