Nitrox - NRC/PADI

OK, so I've booked my next diving trip!

I have enquired about Nitrox and have been told that they offer the NRC
level I and II courses (US$135). Is there any difference between these
and the PADI Enriched Air Diver course - and if so, which is the better?
--
David Mahon

On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 18:46:56 +0100, David Mahon wrote:

> I have enquired about Nitrox and have been told that they offer the NRC
> level I and II courses (US$135). Is there any difference between these
> and the PADI Enriched Air Diver course - and if so, which is the better?

Don't know about the relative merits of the courses, but nitrox is hardly
rocket science. I have heard of NRC, but only in the Maldives. I think
they're German. You may well get some blank looks when handing over your
card, but it's unlikely to be a problem.

Whether nitrox is really worth it on your standard 2 multi-level dives to
30m a day in the Maldives is another matter. I did use it once, but only
because it was free. The only real difference was my no-fly time was
lower on my computer. Made no difference to dive profiles or how I felt.

Jason

--
See http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ to view UK dive spaces or add your own.

"Jason" wrote

> > I have enquired about Nitrox and have been told that they offer the NRC
> > level I and II courses (US$135). Is there any difference between these
> > and the PADI Enriched Air Diver course - and if so, which is the better?

I'm not familiar with NRC, but if there are both I and II level courses, the
combination my include a lot more than the PADI Enriched Air Diver course
would. I suggest a bit of research to see what the NRC courses include.
Use of O2 above 40% and use of O2 to facilitate decompression might be nice
things to know.

> Whether nitrox is really worth it on your standard 2 multi-level dives to
> 30m a day in the Maldives is another matter. I did use it once, but only
> because it was free. The only real difference was my no-fly time was
> lower on my computer. Made no difference to dive profiles or how I felt.

I use nitrox on most dives. Even though I dive singles, my consumption is
low enough that I can get into deco on a first dive pretty easily on air.
It's a bit harder to do that on nitrox. It almost always makes a difference
on my second dive of the day and on any after that. On the other hand, when
I used to take intense dive schedule trips, doing 6 or 7 dives a day, nitrox
proved to be a mixed blessing. It kept my nitrogen loading down, but
sometime around the middle of the second day, I started running into 24 O2
limits, prompting me to do a couple of air dives just to keep my computer
happy.

Of course, those that dive particularly deep aren't going to find nitrox
awfully useful and those that do significant decompression can find a better
gas than either air or nitrox for their diving.

Lee

"David Mahon" <news@amigo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:EjOS8tCQeCfAFwgs@earth.amigo.co.uk...
> OK, so I've booked my next diving trip!
>
> I have enquired about Nitrox and have been told that they offer the NRC
> level I and II courses (US$135). Is there any difference between these
> and the PADI Enriched Air Diver course - and if so, which is the better?
> --
> David Mahon


NRC level 1 - upto 32% Nitrox. Only air tables/profiles can be used. Nitrox
computers must be used in air mode.
NRC level 2 - upto 40% Nitrox. Nitrox tables/profiles can be used. Nitrox
computers can be set to nitrox.

Tables are printed in the back of the booklet. Funnily enough they refer to
the PADI 32 and 36 tables as diagrams within the manual..

The wife is qualified to level 2 and I'm looking at the student manual now..

Hi Group,

the new PADI Nitrox course has been developed by NRC.

NRC Level I -> PADI Discover Enriched Air Nitrox --- allows to use only 32%
Nitrox
NRC Level II -> PADI Enriched Air Nitrox --- any blend of Nitrox up to 40%,
the PADI course is in fact the NRC I+II

You can now include the Discover Nitrox in the Open Water and Advanced
course.

Best regards,
Daniel

"Wilbo" <wilbosb.nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:clefc.105$GW5.90@newsfe1-win...
>
> "David Mahon" <news@amigo.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:EjOS8tCQeCfAFwgs@earth.amigo.co.uk...
> > OK, so I've booked my next diving trip!
> >
> > I have enquired about Nitrox and have been told that they offer the NRC
> > level I and II courses (US$135). Is there any difference between these
> > and the PADI Enriched Air Diver course - and if so, which is the better?
> > --
> > David Mahon
>
>
> NRC level 1 - upto 32% Nitrox. Only air tables/profiles can be used.
Nitrox
> computers must be used in air mode.
> NRC level 2 - upto 40% Nitrox. Nitrox tables/profiles can be used. Nitrox
> computers can be set to nitrox.
>
> Tables are printed in the back of the booklet. Funnily enough they refer
to
> the PADI 32 and 36 tables as diagrams within the manual..
>
> The wife is qualified to level 2 and I'm looking at the student manual
now..
>
>