#1 Longer Bottom Times

Recreational nitrox (21 – 40% oxygen) contains a lower percentage of nitrogen than air. The reduced percentage of nitrogen in recreational nitrox allows divers to extend their no-decompression limits (or dive time) by reducing nitrogen absorption – the less nitrogen there is in a diver’s breathing gas, the slower his nitrogen absorption will be at a given depth. For example, according to the NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association) no-decompression dive tables, a diver using Nitrox 36 (or NOAA Nitrox II) may stay up to 50 minutes at 90 feet of sea water, while a diver using air may only stay a maximum of 30 minutes at this depth.

#2 Shorter Surface Intervals

A diver using nitrox absorbs less nitrogen for a given depth and dive time than a diver using air. This means that the nitrox diver has less nitrogen to off-gas during a surface interval, which can shorten the required surface interval drastically. For example, a diver using Nitrox 32 can repeat a 50 minute dive to 60 feet after 41 minutes, while a diver using air must wait a minimum of 8 hours to repeat the same dive (according to NOAA’s no-decompression dive tables).

#3 Longer Repetitive Dive Times

Nitrox becomes especially useful for divers who engage in more than one dive a day. A diver using nitrox will have a longer allowable bottom time on a repetitive dive than a diver using air because the diver using nitrox has absorbed less nitrogen. For example, after a dive to 70 feet for 30 minutes, a diver using Nitrox 32 can stay at 70 feet for a maximum of 24 minutes if he immediately reenters the water. However, a diver preforming the same series of dives on air may only stay at 70 feet for 19 minutes on his second dive (according to NOAA’s no-decompression dive tables).

#4 Reduced Exhaustion

Many divers claim to feel less exhausted after a dive on nitrox than after a comparable dive on air. By reducing a diver’s nitrogen absorption, nitrox may also reduce a diver’s post-dive exhaustion.

Are you Nitrox certified already?

Roatan Divers scuba diving Enriched Air Nitrox get certified

We offer great Nitrox diving packages starting from only $4 extra per tank! Check out a few of the dive sites in Roatan we highly recommend diving on Enriched Air Nitrox. We offer 80cf & 100cf aluminum tanks for diving Nitrox.

Roatan Divers is one of the few dive centers in West End with the ability to blend and fill their own Nitrox directly on site. So rest assured, your Enriched Air tank meets our Clean Air Guarantee.

Get your PADI Nitrox Certification
With Roatan Divers!

Not a certified Nitrox diver yet? No problem, it’s easy and fast to learn! In a day you can become a PADI Enriched Air Diver and continue your diving adventures on EANx32!

If you’re a PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver who is at least 12 years old, you can enroll in the Enriched Air Diver Specialty course.

$200 including PADI e-Learning and two complimentary Nitrox upgrades.

Book Now