Posted by Clinton Bauder on March 28, 2000 at 20:04:26:
In Reply to: Re: Nitrox- Poll question posted by Jason on March 28, 2000 at 16:10:46:
Air is the wrong mix for any depth.
Onboard Nitrox fills is a big reason I'm out on the Cypress Charters boats in Monterey nearly every weekend. We don't have any islands to offer shelter from the swell so the best diving is usually in the 70-120 foot range where Nitrox really shines. Without it the third dive would be mighty short and shallow and therefore lame.
I recently got back from a trip to the Revillagigedos where they didn't fill Nitrox. The lack of bottom time at the mid depths where the action was really drove me nuts. As it was I ended up pushing my computer to the edge of deco or past several times a day and continually found myself out of bottom time with a tank still half full of air. The 10 minute safety stops got old, not to mention the worries about getting bent. I'm at the point now where I won't bother signing up for a boat that doesn't offer Nitrox.
Even for Channel Islands diving I think Nitrox would be really beneficial. My experience is that most boats will show you one good dive per day and spend the rest of the time in the shallows. If the boats filled Nitrox the first 2 or even 3 dives each day could be more aggressive before retiring to the urchin barrens.
Clinton