Who Introduced Nitrox Diving Techniques For Standard Scuba?

In the late 1990s, the dive industry introduced the concept of Enriched Air (or Nitrox) to help divers reduce the potential for dangerous situations. Nitrox is a gas mixture with a higher oxygen content than regular air. In the late 1970s, Dr. J. Morgan Wells, then the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) diving program, proposed procedures for diving with oxygen-enriched air and creating a breathing gas. Nitrox diving offers significant advantages for moderate depth diving when done carefully and correctly.

Nitrogen I and Nitrox II are standard Nitrox mixes defined by the NOAA in the US. Nitrox diving techniques for standard scuba were developed by Morgan Wells, who was the first director of the NOAA Diving Center. Credit for developing and introducing nitrox diving techniques for standard scuba goes to Dr. Morgon Wells.

In 1988, Dick Rutkowski, retired NOAA diving program training director, developed the first nitrox training program for recreational divers. New organizations, including American Nitrox Divers International (ANDI), Ed Betts, and Bret Gilliams, also contributed to the development of nitrox diving techniques.

The use of oxygen-enriched air (nitrox) has been a mainstream recreational diving mode since 1985, with new organizations like American Nitrox Divers International (ANDI) and PADI offering nitrox diving certifications. The nitrox diving data review by Richard D. Vann and American Nitrox Divers International International Safety Air Training by Edward A. Betts provides more information on nitrox diving and its benefits.

Who invented scuba diving technology?

Although a working demand regulator system had been invented in 1864 by Auguste Denayrouze and Benoît Rouquayrol, the first open-circuit scuba system developed in 1925 by Yves Le Prieur in France was a manually adjusted free-flow system with a low endurance, which limited the practical usefulness of the system. In 1942, during the German occupation of France, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Émile Gagnan designed the first successful and safe open-circuit scuba, a twin hose system known as the Aqua-Lung. Their system combined an improved demand regulator with high-pressure air tanks. This was patented in 1945. To sell his regulator in English-speaking countries Cousteau registered the Aqua-Lung trademark, which was first licensed to the U.S. Divers company, and in 1948 to Siebe Gorman of England.

Early scuba sets were usually provided with a plain harness of shoulder straps and waist belt. Many harnesses did not have a backplate, and the cylinders rested directly against the diver’s back. Early scuba divers dived without a buoyancy aid. In an emergency they had to jettison their weights. In the 1960s adjustable buoyancy life jackets (ABLJ) became available, which can be used to compensate for loss of buoyancy at depth due to compression of the neoprene wetsuit and as a lifejacket that will hold an unconscious diver face-upwards at the surface. The first versions were inflated from a small disposable carbon dioxide cylinder, later with a small direct coupled air cylinder. A low-pressure feed from the regulator first-stage to an inflation/deflation valve unit an oral inflation valve and a dump valve lets the volume of the ABLJ be controlled as a buoyancy aid. In 1971 the stabilizer jacket was introduced by ScubaPro. This class of buoyancy aid is known as a buoyancy control device or buoyancy compensator. A backplate and wing is an alternative configuration of scuba harness with a buoyancy compensation bladder known as a “wing” mounted behind the diver, sandwiched between the backplate and the cylinder or cylinders. This arrangement became popular with cave divers making long or deep dives, who needed to carry several extra cylinders, as it clears the front and sides of the diver for other equipment to be attached in the region where it is easily accessible. Sidemount is a scuba diving equipment configuration which has basic scuba sets, each comprising a single cylinder with a dedicated regulator and pressure gauge, mounted alongside the diver, clipped to the harness below the shoulders and along the hips, instead of on the back of the diver. It originated as a configuration for advanced cave diving, as it facilitates penetration of tight sections of cave, as sets can be easily removed and remounted when necessary. Sidemount diving has grown in popularity within the technical diving community for general decompression diving, and has become a popular specialty for recreational diving.

In the 1950s the United States Navy (USN) documented procedures for military use of what is now called nitrox, and in 1970, Morgan Wells, of NOAA, began instituting diving procedures for oxygen-enriched air. In 1979 NOAA published procedures for the scientific use of nitrox in the NOAA Diving Manual. In 1985 IAND (International Association of Nitrox Divers) began teaching nitrox use for recreational diving. After initial resistance by some agencies, the use of a single nitrox mixture has become part of recreational diving, and multiple gas mixtures are common in technical diving to reduce overall decompression time. Oxygen toxicity limits the depth when breathing nitrox mixtures. In 1924 the U.S. Navy started to investigate the possibility of using helium and after animal experiments, human subjects breathing heliox 20/80 (20% oxygen, 80% helium) were successfully decompressed from deep dives, Cave divers started using trimix to allow deeper dives and it was used extensively in the 1987 Wakulla Springs Project and spread to the north-east American wreck diving community. The challenges of deeper dives and longer penetrations and the large amounts of breathing gas necessary for these dive profiles and ready availability of oxygen sensing cells beginning in the late 1980s led to a resurgence of interest in rebreather diving. By accurately measuring the partial pressure of oxygen, it became possible to maintain and accurately monitor a breathable gas mixture in the loop at any depth. In the mid 1990s semi-closed circuit rebreathers became available for the recreational scuba market, followed by closed circuit rebreathers around the turn of the millennium. Rebreathers are currently manufactured for the military, technical and recreational scuba markets.

Who is the father of modern scuba diving?

Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan together invented the modern demand regulator used in underwater diving. Their invention allowed for the equipment known as the Aqualung, or self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), enabling safer and deeper dives.

Previously, divers were only able to explore the sea using diving bells or helmeted diving suits which were cumbersome and expensive. Divers were also dependent on air hoses connected to a surface source. Cousteau was searching for an underwater breathing apparatus that would allow divers to enjoy unencumbered swimming. He teamed with Gagnan, a Parisian engineer working at Air Liquide who had created a valve for regulating gas flow to gas-generator engines. Combining Gagnan’s engineering expertise with Cousteau’s practical experience, they created a demand valve system that could provide a diver with compressed air on demand and that adjusted to the surrounding pressure.

The Aqualung was introduced in 1946 and was available on the U.S. market in 1952. It provided safe and low-cost opportunities for scientists, engineers, and underwater enthusiasts.

What is the history of enriched air Nitrox?

In the 1950s, the United States Navy (USN) documented enriched oxygen gas procedures for military use of what we today call nitrox, in the US Navy Diving Manual.

In 1955, E. Lanphier described the use of nitrogen–oxygen diving mixtures, and the equivalent air depth method for calculating decompression from air tables.

In the 1960s, A. Galerne used on-line blending for commercial diving.

In 1970, Morgan Wells, who was the first director of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Diving Center, began instituting diving procedures for oxygen-enriched air. He introduced the concept of Equivalent Air Depth (EAD). He also developed a process for mixing oxygen and air which he called a continuous blending system. For many years Wells’ invention was the only practical alternative to partial pressure blending. In 1979 NOAA published Wells’ procedures for the scientific use of nitrox in the NOAA Diving Manual.

When did nitrox start?

The evolution of the use of oxygen-enriched air (nitrox) in diving can be traced to its origin in 1874, its use in the scientific diving community in 1979, and its introduction on a global scale to the recreational diving community in 1985.

Why doesn t everyone dive with nitrox?

When breathing normal air on a dive, we would have to descend to depths below 200 feet before oxygen toxicity becomes a problem. However, using enriched air or oxygen on a dive can cause us to reach depths that are potentially dangerous well within traditional recreational depth limits. For this reason divers must be properly trained to use enriched air to avoid a life-threatening accident.

The example above further highlights why divers making very deep dives will not be able to use enriched air at depth. If the diver were to descend to 130 feet, the maximum operating depth would be exceeded and there would be a risk of oxygen toxicity.

Who is credit for developing and introducing nitrox diving techniques?

While Morgan Wells gets credit for introducing these techniques for diving with special O2-N2 gas mixes (and for confusing the terminology by calling them “nitrox”), the credit or blame, in the eyes of some, for introducing this concept to recreational diving belongs clearly to Dick Rutkowski, a close friend of Wells …

Why doesn’t everyone dive with Nitrox?

When breathing normal air on a dive, we would have to descend to depths below 200 feet before oxygen toxicity becomes a problem. However, using enriched air or oxygen on a dive can cause us to reach depths that are potentially dangerous well within traditional recreational depth limits. For this reason divers must be properly trained to use enriched air to avoid a life-threatening accident.

The example above further highlights why divers making very deep dives will not be able to use enriched air at depth. If the diver were to descend to 130 feet, the maximum operating depth would be exceeded and there would be a risk of oxygen toxicity.

Who invented technical diving?

Michael Menduno is an award-winning journalist & technologist who has written about diving and diving technology for more than 25 years and coined the term “technical diving.” He founded and edited aquaCORPS: The Journal for Technical Diving (1990-1996), which helped usher tech diving into the mainstream of sports diving. He also organized the first Tek, EuroTek and AsiaTek conferences, and Rebreather Forums 1.0 and 2. Menduno remains an avid diver based in Palm Springs, Ca.

What is the 40% rule in nitrox diving?

If the dive shop has Nitrox in banks, or uses a compressor with either a membrane system or Nitrox mixing stick to create the Nitrox, then the dive shop may generally believe the cylinder being filled does not need to be O2 clean to be filled with Nitrox up to 40%. (That is, the standard practice is to apply what is known as the 40 per cent rule.) In this case the shop will be decanting Nitrox which is already mixed at a fraction of Oxygen (FO2) less than 40% into the tank. More dive shops are beginning to bank Nitrox and have it ready to decant into customers cylinders. Some dive shops keep more Nitrox banked than they do air. Using this method the cylinder and valve never see more than 40% Oxygen. If the dive shop is following the 40% rule, they will not require the cylinder and valve to be Oxygen cleaned, as the tank and valve only ever “sees” Nitrox below 40%.

At The Scuba Doctor we use partial pressure blending for Nitrox and Trimix fills, so your cylinders and valves need to be O2 clean when getting these fills because they will see 100% Oxygen.

What if I want a Nitrox fill over 40%?. This question is asked because many people in the dive industry simply refer to and follow the 40 per cent rule.

What is the introduction of nitrox?

The Number 1 benefit of using Nitrox is to safely extend your bottom time.Nitrox is mainly used in scuba diving to reduce the proportion of nitrogen in the breathing gas mixture. Reducing the proportion of nitrogen by increasing the proportion of oxygen reduces the risk of decompression sickness, allowing extended dive times without increasing the need for decompression stops. Nitrox is not a safer gas than compressed air in all respects. Although its use reduces the risk of decompression sickness, it increases the risk of oxygen toxicity.

It doesn’t matter which gas mix you use, if you dive to the limits, you will most likely injure yourself.Breathing Nitrox is not thought to reduce the effects of narcosis, as oxygen seems to have equally narcotic properties under pressure as nitrogen, thus one should not expect a reduction in narcotic effects due only to the use of Nitrox. Nonetheless, there remains a body of the diving community that insists that they feel reduced narcotic effects at depths breathing Nitrox. This most likely is a placebo effect and may be due to a dissociation of the subjective and behavioral effects of narcosis. However, it should be noted that because of risks associated with oxygen toxicity, divers tend to not utilize Nitrox at greater depths where more pronounced narcosis symptoms are more likely to occur.

It is a common myth that Nitrox is associated with deep or technical diving.There is anecdotal evidence that the use of Nitrox reduces post-dive fatigue, particularly in older and/or obese divers. This is known as an “O2 Buzz.” While many divers swear it to be true, there is no evidence to prove the myth. But, if it makes you feel better, who are we to say it doesn’t work.

What is the downside of nitrox?

Oxygen Toxicity and Depth Limits. While Nitrox diving comes with many advantages, such as an increased bottom time for no decompression dives, it also has a few of its own concerns. One of the main ones is oxygen toxicity that can occur due to the increased levels of oxygen in the mix.

2. Shorter Surface Intervals.For those divers that are in a hurry to get back in, another benefit of breathing Nitrox is shorter surface intervals. A diver using Nitrox absorbs less nitrogen on a given dive than one who uses air. This can make a remarkable difference in the time it takes to off-gas on the surface. For example, a diver using air will be in pressure group H after a 45 minute dive to 60 feet (18.3 meters). This means that he will have to wait for a minimum of 5 hours and 17 minutes to repeat the same dive. A diver using EAN32, on the other hand, will be in pressure group G after a 45 minute dive to 60 feet (18.3 meters), which means that he can repeat the same dive after only 53 minutes on the surface (according to NOAA’s no decompression dive tables).

3. Longer Repetitive Dive Times.Nitrox proves to be especially useful for divers, who want to perform more than one dive per day. Due to having absorbed less nitrogen on the first dive, Nitrox divers will have a longer allowable bottom time on a repetitive dive. For example, after a dive to 60 feet (18.3 meters) for 45 minutes a diver using air can stay at 60 feet for only 14 minutes if he reenters the water in half an hour. Whereas, a diver performing the same series of dives on EAN32 will be able to stay at 60 feet for 43 minutes on his second dive (according to NOAA’s no decompression dive tables).

4. Reduced Post-Dive Exhaustion.Although it is not scientifically proven, many divers claim to be less tired after dives on nitrox. One of the widely accepted theories, explaining this phenomena is that lower nitrogen levels reduce the amount of microbubbles in the diver’s bloodstream, thus reducing the post-dive lethargy.

Who developed nitrox diving techniques?

In the late 1970s J. Morgan Wells, then the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) diving program, proposed procedures for diving with oxygen-enriched air and creating a breathing gas mix known as NOAA Nitrox 1, or NN32, named for the percentage of oxygen in the mix. The gas mix was developed based on two criteria: a maximum operating depth of 130 feet and a maximum oxygen partial pressure of 1.6 atmospheres absolute (ATA). For years, the NOAA guidelines were the standard when it came to enriched air. In 1985 Dick Rutkowski, retired NOAA diving program training director, developed the first nitrox training program for the recreational diver.

How Is Nitrox Made?. Simply stated, nitrox is made by either combining or separating gases. While this might sound contradictory, it’s really just a matter of method. The two most common methods for manufacturing nitrox are partial pressure blending and the membrane method.

Partial pressure blending adds small, controlled quantities of pure oxygen to compressed air to achieve the desired mix. This is much like adding small quantities of very hot water into a stream of cold water to achieve warm water. It takes good control, but done properly it can be effective. The membrane, or gas separation, method employs a semipermeable membrane to separate the nitrogen from air, creating a breathing gas with elevated oxygen content. Both systems achieve the same result: a breathing gas with a concentration of oxygen higher than the normal 21 percent and a concentration of nitrogen lower than the normal 78 percent.