Red Sea Diving consists of scuba diving in particular. Scuba diving is further sub divided into nitrox diving, which has been gaining an immense popularity now days. It is recommended for those people who intend to go for a long time diving. The word ‘nitrox’ can be described as a portmanteau of two words: ‘nitrogen’ and ‘oxygen’. It can, in actual sense, be used for meaning a mixture of two gases. The ratio can be any. The atmospheric composition consists of 78% of nitrogen and 21% of oxygen. Hence, it won’t be wrong to say that every land-based living thing has breathed nitrox till date.
Difference
The major difference between nitrox diving and regular scuba diving is the way of mixing the air. The ratio of nitrogen and oxygen is very specific regular scuba, whereas nitrox has these gases mixed in utterly different proportions. It takes into consideration the ‘maximum Bottom Time’, or ‘Time spent underwater’ while carrying out the mixture. This is done in order to have the surface intervals minimized. Surface Interval can be referred to as the time spent on surface before the next dive. Nitrox diving is classified into two basic types: hypoxic, wherein the percentage of oxygen is less than 21, and hyperoxic, wherein the percentage of oxygen is greater than 21. Sport and recreational divers might make use of only hyperoxic mixes of nitrox. These mixes are better known as EANx, EAN, ‘enriched air’, and ‘SafeAir’.
Principle
The basic principle behind ‘nitrox diving’ is very simple. As per the knowledge of every experienced diver, the deeper and longer he goes under the water, the frequency of entry of nitrogen into his body increases. An excess of nitrogen might result into a swing of devastating illnesses. Some of them might get culminated into death. To prevent this, the diver should ascend gradually, stop decompression, and carry out the observation of the surface level which is recommended. This should be done prior to the subsequent drive. For a sport or recreational diver, there is a slight change. As his ‘enriched’ air contains a greater amount of oxygen and a lesser amount of nitrogen, he is bound to spend a greater time under the water and lesser time on surface intervals and decompression stops. In certain cases, they might not even take them.
Safety
This doesn’t, however mean that safety is completely ensured in nitrox diving. One cannot ignore a vital fact that gas interplay in our system varies according to the atmosphere. In other words, as the diver explores the ‘Underwater World’ in more depth, his system gases start behaving in a different manner. At the time of breathing, pure oxygen would not cause any harm. However, for those accustomed to nitrox diving, oxygen poisoning, oxygen toxicity becomes prevalent. Moreover, diving with the help of an incorrect nitrox mix might actually raise the diver’s susceptibility to various complications, as some ratios of oxygen and nitrogen don’t work properly at some depths. Hence, an adequate training of nitrox diving is imperative. This would help in averting any further impediments.
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