Posted by Jim Haack on April 14, 19107 at 14:25:47:
PADI Enriched Air Diver
Looking to extend your bottom time? Want to spend more time diving and less time waiting to go down again? Nitrox may be the answer!
Enriched Air Nitrox is a breathing mixture with a higher percentage of oxygen (and lower percentage of nitrogen) than “normal” air. By reducing the uptake of nitrogen into a diver’s system, a nitrox dive has the no decompression limits of a much shallower dive, increasing bottom times and reducing surface intervals. While once considered strictly a “Tech” mixture, it is rapidly becoming a popular way of getting the most value for your recreational dive dollar at many resorts and liveaboards.
There are several important theoretical and operational considerations involved before giant striding into the water with your nitrox tank. In the PADI Enriched Air Diver course, you will learn how to safely plan and conduct enriched air nitrox dives and how to maximize the benefits of diving nitrox. The academic training is followed by a tour of a nitrox fill station and two open water dives breathing enriched air nitrox.
The PADI Enriched Air Diver class begins with a classroom session where you will review the basics of Enriched Air safe handling and use. The fill station tour and open water dives will be done following that date, and may be scheduled individually to meet your needs. The cost of the nitrox course is $130, plus $43.99 for the crew-pack. This covers the classroom materials, instruction, two tanks of enriched air nitrox and your certification as a PADI Enriched Air Diver.
The PADI Enriched Air Diver program is unique in that the two required open water dives may be combined with any other specialty dives. For example, the Deep Diver specialty is a four-dive specialty. You may dive nitrox for the first two dives and complete the open water requirements of your nitrox course while you dive halfway through the Deep Diver course. Alternatively, the Enriched Air Diver course may also be combined with the Advanced Open Water Diver course. If you combine the Enriched Air Diver class with any other specialty or AOW course, the combined cost of the two courses will be discounted $50!