Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

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Tom Nic
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Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Tom Nic »

Did two deep dives today with Bassman, Pogiguy, and Bucknaked at Three Tree. Great viz, lots of critters, and a trinket or two.

I am exhausted.

These deep tire gas dives are killing me. :tomnic:

Heck, even Mr. Naked is diving 'trox.

And I am getting old. :rawlings:

Time to sell some aluminum cans and buy some nitrox. :calvin:
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Jeff Pack
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Jeff Pack »

I still havent found nitrox to leave me any less tired, etc on a 3 or 4 dive day. Just better bottom time and less SI. My dive buddy on our 1:10m dives winds up needing 2.5 hours of SI diving on air. I'm about to just fill her tanks so I dont have to sit around for that long... :)
=============================================

- I got a good squirt in my mouth
- I would imagine that there would be a large amount of involuntary gagging
- I don't know about you but I'm not into swallowing it

CCR discussion on Caustic Cocktails.
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spatman
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by spatman »

I noticed a big difference in how I felt at the end of the day when I switched to nitrox. Much less tired than when I dived air.
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Linedog
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Linedog »

They call it geezer gas for a reason.
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kdupreez
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by kdupreez »

Same here. felt much less tired on cold pnw dives with nitrox..

Also, i switched to argon in the suit.. nitrox is a lot colder than air imho.

and cold dives tire me too.. I know, I know.. i'm a cold water wimp.
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Tom Nic
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Tom Nic »

Jeff - I have noticed a HUGE difference for myself, and tested it in myself multiple times. I am convinced it is not psychological. And most of my young whippersnapper dive buddies have eventually come to a similar opinion.

Even for those like yourself who do not feel the difference there still has to be SOME effect of the residual nitrogen loading that is physiological - otherwise we could chuck our computers or stop calculating deco in our N2 addled brains.

Either way, I need to throw a tank or two of enriched air into the mix for my multiple dive days. Heck I bailed after dive 2 today. A nice 100 full of 36% would have been just what the doctor ordered.
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Tom Nic
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Tom Nic »

Linedog wrote:They call it geezer gas for a reason.
Yup. :rawlings:

Good suggestion on the argon Kees.

That and figure out where my suit has a slight leak. :tomnic:
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ljjames
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by ljjames »

kdupreez wrote:
Also, i switched to argon in the suit.. nitrox is a lot colder than air imho.
Thats a new one to me. (Nitrox being colder than Air)
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Tom Nic
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Tom Nic »

ljjames wrote:
kdupreez wrote:
Also, i switched to argon in the suit.. nitrox is a lot colder than air imho.
Thats a new one to me. (Nitrox being colder than Air)
Helium I would guess yes.

Nitrox I am not so sure, but argon might help in either case.
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Joshua Smith
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Joshua Smith »

I remember noticing the difference between nitrox and air. Even though I only dived open circuit for a year and a half or so. Warm, moist ccr gas at a constant P02 really spoils you, as far as that goes.
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Dusty2
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Dusty2 »

Who you calling a geezer? LOL I dive only trox and It makes a big difference for me. It also makes me feel more relaxed in the water. :rawlings: :rawlings:

Not only for the dive but for getting back up the hill afterwards! When I find myself out of breath a few snorts off the reg and I settle right down.

Nitrox! Don't leave home without it! :tomnic:
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Linedog
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Linedog »

It also makes me feel more relaxed in the water. :rawlings: :rawlings:

Great, any more relaxed and I'll be asleep!
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renoun
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by renoun »

Tom, are you getting fills from the machine in the Arco parking lot again?
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pogiguy05
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by pogiguy05 »

Well I have yet to get my geezer gas cert, now where is that book I bought? IMHO I would think that just like many other things like alcohol, drugs, etc., how Nitrox effects anyone may be different for everyone. I would only think it would become a problem if when you are diving you fall asleep from the effects. :neener: :popcorn:
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Jeremy
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Jeremy »

I switched to 32% last March after Fundies. Don't know if I feel less tired after just a dive or two in puget sound but I like being able to do quick repetitive dives and, being a single tank diver, virtually never incurring a deco obligation. Some dive shops give you good deals on Nitrox cards and make the first two fills free which helps offset the added cost.

I just did 8 dives at 8 different dive sites here in Bonaire yesterday. That was another reason to use 32%. :)
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Jeff Pack
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Jeff Pack »

Joshua Smith wrote:I remember noticing the difference between nitrox and air. Even though I only dived open circuit for a year and a half or so. Warm, moist ccr gas at a constant P02 really spoils you, as far as that goes.
thats a good point, all my nitrox dives have been SCR.
=============================================

- I got a good squirt in my mouth
- I would imagine that there would be a large amount of involuntary gagging
- I don't know about you but I'm not into swallowing it

CCR discussion on Caustic Cocktails.
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Dusty2
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Dusty2 »

Only in diving would someone spend thousands on equipment drive a hundred or more miles or fly a thousand miles, Pay a hundred bucks or more for a boat ride and bitch about the cost of a tank of trox! :stir:
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by lavachickie »

I'd read some material (from DAN, maybe) that said there was no scientific research supporting the claims that one felt better/less tired/etc. after diving on Nitrox compared to air. I'm usually pretty skepitical, but all I can say is after I started diving Nitrox I called bullshit on that... maybe it's a difficult issue to measure/quantify, but whatever... IT'S TRUE. A long day of multiple dives in the cold would wipe me out. Now I'm just comfortably and happily tired. :) That's scientific, right?
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Tom Nic
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Tom Nic »

renoun wrote:Tom, are you getting fills from the machine in the Arco parking lot again?
Don't be a hater. You know they have the best prices in town. In this economy you gotta do what you gotta do.
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Dusty2
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Dusty2 »

+1

Even if it is only psychological. Better is better. :boxer:
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Nwbrewer »

Besides adding a little 02 to the mix, extending your shallow stops a couple of minutes really helps my fatigue levels when doing Tire Gas dives. 2@30, 3@20, and hang at 10 until I'm cold/low on gas/bored, then slow up. Always plenty to see in the shallows when doing shore dives anyway. Helps to really stretch a tank out too. :supz:
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ktb
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by ktb »

People still dive on plain air?!? I used to do 2 dives on air and then need a nap. I got certified for Nitrox and never looked back.

And Tom, the Tacoma Scuba Nitrox punch card is so worth it -- only $7 a fill.
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by kdupreez »

i think if you switch to both nitrox and argon you will feel much less fatigued after dives.. but that obviously will come at a cost.

Like Kelly said, Tacoma Scuba has punch card that makes it about the same as air..
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Jeff Pack
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by Jeff Pack »

or spend 4k for a compressor, 2k for a scuba shack and power, few hundred in fittings, 225$ for AVO (bottle and gas) and its all low cost after that... :)
=============================================

- I got a good squirt in my mouth
- I would imagine that there would be a large amount of involuntary gagging
- I don't know about you but I'm not into swallowing it

CCR discussion on Caustic Cocktails.
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lamont
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Re: Tire Gas and Bottle Hunting Are Killing Me

Post by lamont »

thermal conductivity and heat capacity of O2 and N2 are close enough to not make any practical difference, particularly between 21% and 32%. any difference between air and nitrox as suit inflation or breathing gas is going to be placebo effect.
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