Health Matters
wonders how anybody is still diving on compressed air. But we have
Nitrox myth buster:
also to consider a typical work day of a dive guide or instructor, as
this mostly requires repetitive diving as well as ‘yoyo’ profiles to
attend to all divers in a group.
Does diving on nitrox reduce tiredness and the incidence
As doctors, we would in general agree on the use of nitrox to
of headaches after diving?
minimize the residual nitrogen time as much as possible and reduce
the risk of decompression sickness for all our dive guides and
There is no scientific proof that the use of nitrox makes a dive instructors. However, a dive above a well-protected sandy bottom
less tiring or prevents headaches. Some divers actually report which ends at 20m is a scenario very different to diving a drop-off
this to be the case, for others there is no change.
at Brother Islands where there is a risk of losing a diver to depth or
currents. In such situations, you are faced with the risk of exceeding
the depth limit of the gas mix used.
Is nitrox compensating for nicotine and alcohol
With all of this in mind, it is near impossible to give an overall and
consumuption, decompression mistakes or fast ascents?
universally valid general recommendation for the use of nitrox for
professional divers working in recreational diving.
No. The use of nitrox can make a dive safer when the user
sticks to the rules. It never compensates and excuses mistakes
Before every individual dive, one has to consider the worst case
in regards of the depth. The dive guide might find himself in a
and behaviours of the diver on land or in the water.
situation where he faces the difficult decision between rescuing
a lost diver from a deeper depth than his actual gas mix as nitrox
Should a dive accident after a dive on nitrox or other
would allow. For this he puts himself at risk and compromises his
responsibility to the rest of the group.
oxygen enriched gases be treated with 100 per cent
A reasonable approach to the issue then seems to be to use nitrox
normobaric or even hyperbaric oxygen?
mixes in recreational diving, whenever the depth is, or can be,
limited, such as repetitive shallower dives, confined areas, when
Yes. In any case without discussion – 100 per cent normobaric
diving with children, and with beginner groups and intro-divers.
oxygen is even indicated after acute oxygen intoxication with
cramps or fits.
Issue 1 June 2009 www.cdws.travel 
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