RAID Nitrox

Prolong Your Dive

Duration Are you seeking to extend your underwater dive time? Do you wish to enhance your comprehension of decompression and utilize a gas that enables you to achieve just that?

The answers to these straightforward queries explain why nitrox has become the most sought-after specialty in the diving industry. Nitrox has garnered such widespread popularity within the diving community that numerous dive centers exclusively offer nitrox as their primary breathing gas.

Nitrox provides numerous advantages for recreational divers, with the primary appeal being its ability to enhance the management of decompression-related risks. Throughout the Nitrox course, you will gain insights into the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing nitrox as a breathing gas for recreational diving.

What Will You Learn?

You will learn new skills and extend your diving knowledge, including information such as why nitrox is often a better choice than air. Most importantly, this course will teach you how to plan nitrox dives, what you have to do to stay safe when you use nitrox, and how to analyze and label dive cylinders so that there is never a mix-up.

The Nitrox course may be completed using RAID‘s REMOTe-Training curriculum option. This is significant because it means you can earn the Nitrox certification by attending virtual classroom sessions on your computer. You will complete the online course academics; your RAID Instructor will take time to review your results and then demonstrate how to use a nitrox analyzer safely.

Program Content

During the Nitrox program, you will complete the online academics and learn the following:

• How to use nitrox mixes from 22%-40% oxygen
• How to plan dives to a planned maximum PO2 of 1.4 bar and a contingency PO2 of 1.6 bar
• What the causes and effects of oxygen toxicity are and how to avoid them
• How to safely analyze the oxygen content in a nitrox mix and know the depths at which you can use it
• How to label your nitrox cylinder appropriately
• How to fill in a nitrox log
• What the benefits of enriched oxygen are for sport divers

Note: Two open water dives may be offered by your instructor for this program, but these dives are not mandatory.

Prerequisites

• You must be a certified RAID Open Water 20 diver or equivalent.
• You must be a minimum of 12 years old.

Nitrox Diver Standards (ISO-11107:2009)

This course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to safely use Enriched Air Nitrox to a maximum of 40% oxygen, to the maximum depth of their highest certification.

This course is designed to safely train certified divers to:

• Use nitrox breathing gas with an oxygen percentage ranging from 22 percent to 40 percent.
• Plan dives within modified No Decompression units using a programable personal nitrox dive computer or by using dive planning software.
• Describe the hazards of handling high-oxygen gas mixtures, and the basic requirement for cleaning scuba gear for high-oxygen environments (i.e. mixes up to 40% oxygen)
• Calculate the Maximum Operating Depth of an analyzed nitrox breathing gas at a target depth between 6 meters/20 feet and 40 meters/130 feet and a partial pressure of oxygen between 1.0 and 1.6 bar.
• Understand the relationship between an oxygen partial pressure and NOAA time limits to determine oxygen CNS loading.
• List the signs and symptoms of Central Nervous System oxygen toxicity.
• Understand how to calibrate a simple oxygen analyzer and use it to measure O2 percentage in a cylinder of diving gas. To familiarize themselves with the standards procedures for gas analysis, students should use the Nitrox Virtual Analyzer powered by RAID App.
• Demonstrate how to properly label an analyzed diving cylinder.


Note: The nitrox diver specialty course is not a decompression course.

Student Prerequisites

• Be a minimum 12 years old.
• Be a certified RAID Open Water 20 diver or equivalent.
• May be included as part of any RAID program including Open Water 20, Junior Open Water Diver, Scuba Diver and Junior Scuba Diver.
• Complete the registration process, including all mandatory paperwork.
• Obtain guardian permission, if a minor.
• Access to an oxygen analyzer or use the Nitrox Virtual Analyzer App.

The Nitrox Specialty Diver certification entitles the holder to dive with a certified dive buddy, autonomously, to a maximum depth in accordance to prior certification using a nitrox breathing gas delivering an oxygen partial pressure to a planned PO2 of 1.4 bar and a contingency of 1.6 bar or less at maximum planned depth to a maximum of 40 meters / 130 feet.

The RAID Nitrox program with Aqua Ventura Divers is a specialized scuba diving course designed to educate divers about the use of enriched air nitrox (EANx) as a breathing gas. 

1. Prerequisite Certification: Before enrolling in the RAID Nitrox program, participants typically need to have completed their Open Water certification or equivalent foundational diving certifications. This ensures that divers have a basic understanding of diving concepts and techniques.
2. Gas Mixture: The focus of the course is on enriched air nitrox (EANx), which is a breathing gas that contains a higher oxygen percentage than regular air. Participants learn about different nitrox mixtures and their benefits for diving.
3. Safety and Decompression: The primary objective of using nitrox is to extend dive times and reduce the risk of decompression sickness. The program covers the safety aspects of nitrox diving, including managing oxygen exposure and understanding its effects on dive profiles.
4. Gas Analysis: Participants are trained in how to analyze nitrox cylinders to verify the gas mixture’s oxygen content. Proper gas analysis is crucial for ensuring the safety of nitrox dives.
5. Dive Planning: The course teaches participants how to plan dives using nitrox, including calculating maximum operating depths, oxygen exposure limits, and safe dive profiles.
6. Equipment Familiarization: Participants become familiar with equipment used in nitrox diving, including dedicated nitrox dive computers that help divers monitor oxygen exposure during dives.
7. Benefits and Considerations: Divers learn about the advantages and potential drawbacks of using nitrox as a breathing gas for recreational dives. This includes discussions on the extended no-decompression limits and the importance of safety margins.
8. Practical Dives: The program typically includes practical dives using nitrox to give participants hands-on experience with the gas. These dives allow divers to apply their knowledge of nitrox diving procedures in real-world scenarios.
9. Certification: Upon successful completion of the RAID Nitrox program, participants receive a certification recognized worldwide. This certification authorizes divers to use enriched air nitrox for recreational diving and opens up opportunities for longer and safer dives.
10. Gas Management: Nitrox diving emphasizes careful gas management, and participants learn how to analyze and label nitrox cylinders correctly, as well as calculate their gas consumption during dives.

Aqua Ventura Divers RAID Nitrox program  is a comprehensive course that provides divers with the skills and knowledge needed to safely and effectively use nitrox as a breathing gas for recreational diving. It offers numerous benefits, including extended dive times and enhanced safety, making it a valuable addition to a diver’s skillset.