New PADI 'Discover Enriched Air Nitrox' course launched...

Just received this from PADI and thought you guys might find it of
interest...

"As a result of revisions to the PADI Enriched Air Diver Course announced in
October 2003, many of you have asked for a simple, introductory enriched air
nitrox program. Effective immediately, PADI Enriched Air Specialty
Instructors may give recognition to divers who complete the first two
components of the course by offering them a new, DISCOVER Enriched Air
NITROX card. This new level may be beneficial when you don't have immediate
access to open water or when divers are not spending enough time in your
area to complete the full course. Divers who just want to learn a bit more
about enriched air without signing up for the full course may find this
option very useful.

PADI DISCOVER Enriched Air NITROX consists of these segments of the PADI
Enriched Air Diver Specialty Course:

1) Knowledge Development 1 (Enriched air dive planning, care for equipment,
hazard management, use and application of enriched air.) The PADI Enriched
Air Diver Manual is required. It is highly recommended to have students view
the PADI Enriched Air Diving video. Please note the video is required for
the full Enriched Air certification.

2) Practical Application 1 (using an oxygen analyzer to determine oxygen
content in an enriched air blend, verification of cylinder content, use of
fill log)

An enriched air dive may accompany the program, but is not required.

Successful completion of DISCOVER Enriched Air NITROX allows the diver to
dive on 32 percent oxygen within the no-stop limits of the air RDP or an
air-based dive computer, to a maximum of 30 metres/100 feet under the
indirect supervision of a PADI professional (Divemaster, Assistant
Instructor or Instructor) who is enriched-air certified."

"Bardo" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:bv6v20$p0p6d$1@ID-115313.news.uni-berlin.de...
> Just received this from PADI and thought you guys might find it of
> interest...
>


Yep, I got this as well today Bardo. But something deep down inside say's
this might not be the best idea in the world!

Scubatricky

"Tricky" <scubatricky@nospam.yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:bv6vfr$eni$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk...
> "Bardo" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:bv6v20$p0p6d$1@ID-115313.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > Just received this from PADI and thought you guys might find it of
> > interest...
> >
>
>
> Yep, I got this as well today Bardo. But something deep down inside say's
> this might not be the best idea in the world!

Yeah, I know what you mean - I guess the important thing is that some
control is exercised on how easily a diver with this new qualification is
able to obtain nitrox fills. Will it, for example, allow a diver with this
certification to take a nitrox cylinder along and get a 32% fill without
supervision? If so, who's to verify that they a) dive no deeper than 30m
with it and b) use air tables/computer set to 'air' for the dive and b) dive
under the indirect supervision of an Enriched Air-certified PADI
professional? Personally I'm a little concerned that it could lead to some
divers using it as a 'quick and dirty' way of getting their hands on nitrox
without having to go through a full blown course...

That said, anything that furthers the nitrox cause and gets more people
diving on it has to be a good thing, surely? After all, let's not forget
that PADI does already allow instructors to introduce nitrox (and even
allows students to dive on it!) as part of an open water course...

"Bardo" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:bv70g5$oci3s$1@ID-115313.news.uni-berlin.de...
>
> Personally I'm a little concerned that it could lead to some divers
> using it as a 'quick and dirty' way of getting their hands on nitrox
> without having to go through a full blown course...

I see this as part of PADI's continuing commitment to improving the gene
pool. Like in so many other areas in life, you're never going to stop
stupid people hurting themselves.

R.

On Wed, 28 Jan 2004 00:23:27 -0000, "Tricky"
<scubatricky@nospam.yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

>"Bardo" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
>news:bv6v20$p0p6d$1@ID-115313.news.uni-berlin.de...
>> Just received this from PADI and thought you guys might find it of
>> interest...
>>
>
>
>Yep, I got this as well today Bardo. But something deep down inside say's
>this might not be the best idea in the world!
>

I don't actually see what the problems is? Some people seem to think
there is a great mystique in diving nitrox but for a single mix I
don't see it. 90% of the theory is covered in the basic scuba courses
so why can it not be covered in a single day theory only course?

Pete
diving 'at' melbourne 'dot' me 'dot' uk

"Bardo" <me@privacy.net> wrote ...

> PADI DISCOVER Enriched Air NITROX consists of these segments of the PADI
> Enriched Air Diver Specialty Course:

I'm with Pete M - I don't see any problem with this and personally I think
that it's a smart/correct move by PADI.

I have long been of the opinion that for simple no-stop diving there is
NOTHING mystical about Nitrox, all of the existing courses are padded to try
and make something "special" out of it. There is nothing about basic Nitrox
that cannot be taught as part of an elementary course.

So well done PADI. Given that there is no dive that can be done where air is
the "correct" gas I'm all for introducing it at a very early stage, there's
nothing difficult in there. I'm seeing this as the start of making Nitrox
the standard diving gas by introducing it at elementary level, a good thing
IMHO.

Keith L

Nick Bown <nbown@nospamthanks.ixcg.com> wrote:
> Rudy Lacchin <rulaREMOVETHIS@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> I agree that there its possible that there will be someone out there who will
> dive below the 50m contingency MOD of Nitrox 32 on an OW or AOW ticket and their
> Discover Nitrox card but I would say the risks are pretty remote.
>
Doh! Should read 40m.... That'll teach me to do maths before my first cup of a morning!

"Keith Lawrence" <false@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:40178ec5$0$4096$5a6aecb4@news.aaisp.net.uk...
> "Bardo" <me@privacy.net> wrote ...
>
> > PADI DISCOVER Enriched Air NITROX consists of these segments of the PADI
> > Enriched Air Diver Specialty Course:
>
> I'm with Pete M - I don't see any problem with this and personally I think
> that it's a smart/correct move by PADI.
>
> I have long been of the opinion that for simple no-stop diving there is
> NOTHING mystical about Nitrox, all of the existing courses are padded to
try
> and make something "special" out of it. There is nothing about basic
Nitrox
> that cannot be taught as part of an elementary course.
>
> So well done PADI. Given that there is no dive that can be done where air
is
> the "correct" gas I'm all for introducing it at a very early stage,
there's
> nothing difficult in there. I'm seeing this as the start of making Nitrox
> the standard diving gas by introducing it at elementary level, a good
thing
> IMHO.

Absolutely. Couldn't agree more - providing the diver sticks to the 30m
limit imposed upon them by the certification. What concerns me slightly is
that I honestly think that PADI are kidding themselves if they think that
most divers with this certification won't eventually set their computers to
'32%' to take advantage of the extra bottom time. Then, of course, you'll
always get divers who will push the depth limits due to growing confidence
and peer pressure. But then I guess you could say that about any
certification!? After all, how many AOW divers haven't dived below 30m?!

That said, I personally welcome this 'demystifying' of nitrox - anything
that gets divers supping nitrox in a responsible way has got to be a good
thing.

Nigel Hewitt wrote:

> Pete Melbourne wrote:
>> Bardo wrote:
>>> That said, I personally welcome this 'demystifying' of nitrox -
>>> anything that gets divers supping nitrox in a responsible way has
>>> got to be a good thing.
>>>
>> Totally
>
> <aol>
> Me too
> </aol>
>
> The fact that for most AOW style diving on a single using a
> Nitrox mix will push the NDL out way beyond anything they
> can manage on any human SAC so it means that even if they
> do mess up totally the consequences won't be so bad.
>
> That, after all, is what an agency should be looking for. Even
> the blithering idiots get to dive safely and enjoy themselves.
>
> There is far too much mystique in diving. Nothing is complicated,
> nothing is really hard and the consequences of getting it wrong
> behind the wheel of a car can be far worse. Diving has long since
> moved from heroics to hobby.
>
> Although I admit the idea of a course **BELOW** PADI Nitrox
> rather amuses me. It isn't one of the most demanding ones in
> the book.
>
> nigelH

Nigel,

Have you seen the BSAC basic nitrox???

Danny (Flameproofs on)
--
The box said windows 98 or better, so I installed Linux

Header is false, correct is Danny at danshome dot org

On Wed, 28 Jan 2004 11:22:29 +0000, Danny Burchett <me@privacy.net>
wrote:

>> Although I admit the idea of a course **BELOW** PADI Nitrox
>> rather amuses me. It isn't one of the most demanding ones in
>> the book.
>>
>> nigelH
>
>Nigel,
>
>Have you seen the BSAC basic nitrox???
>
>Danny (Flameproofs on)

Funnily enough that is exactly what I thought

Pete (BSAC instructor)

Pete
diving 'at' melbourne 'dot' me 'dot' uk