PADI course
Nitrox Diver
More bottom time on repetitive dives, and the planning that makes it safe
$345per diver
- Duration
- 1 day · knowledge and practical sessions
- Group size
- A small group, working through the analyzer and your own computer
Who can enroll
Open Water or higher Ages 12 and up
From the shop
PADI Open Water Diver or higher, from PADI or another agency, and at least 12 years old. Junior Open Water Divers aged 10–11 are old enough for the certification card but not for this course; the agency's minimum age is 12. You will complete a medical questionnaire before the course; some answers require a physician's sign-off before you can dive, so tell us early if that may apply to you.
About this course
Nitrox is ordinary air with more oxygen and less nitrogen. Less nitrogen means slower nitrogen loading, which usually means longer no-decompression limits — the difference shows up most on the second and third dives of a day.
The trade is a new limit to respect. Oxygen becomes the thing you can get too much of, so every dive has a maximum operating depth set by the mix. The course teaches you to analyze your own cylinder, log the result, set your computer to the mix you actually have, and work out the depth you must not pass.
The certification covers recreational blends from 22% to 40% oxygen. There are no required training dives — this is a knowledge and practical-skills course — though we usually run two dives with it so you use the procedures for real.
Photos from the Nitrox Diver course
How the course runs
Course day
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Knowledge development: oxygen exposure, nitrogen loading, and what changes
- Working out maximum operating depth from the mix, and the mix from the depth
- Practical: analyze two cylinders, log them, and set your computer to the blend
- Two optional dives on Nitrox, using the procedures end to end
What the fee covers
We provide
- All PADI learning materials and certification fees
- Analyzer use and cylinder-logging practice
Not included
- The two optional dives — boat, tanks, and the Nitrox in them are billed together if you add them
- Personal gear rental
- Nitrox fills after the course
Upcoming dates
No dates on the books right now. This course runs on request. See the full schedule, or ask us to set one.
Questions divers ask
Does Nitrox let me dive deeper?
No — the opposite. You have two limits now: the one your certification gives you, and a maximum operating depth set by your mix and an oxygen partial-pressure ceiling of 1.4 bar. Whichever is shallower is your limit for that dive. Nitrox buys bottom time, not depth.
What blends does this certify me for?
Up to 40% oxygen. Anything richer than that is a technical diving course with different gear and different procedures.
Are there required dives?
Not by the standard — you can certify from the knowledge development and practical application sessions alone. We usually add two dives anyway, because analyzing a cylinder on a moving boat is a different skill than doing it on a bench.
Do I need my own computer?
No, but bring yours if you have one. Learning the menus on the computer you actually dive is most of the practical value.
Will every dive be longer?
No. On a single shallow dive you will probably hit your air supply or the boat schedule long before the no-decompression limit. The gain shows up on repetitive dives between 18 and 30 meters.
Can I fly afterwards?
Wait at least 18 hours after multiple dives before flying. That is a minimum, not a guarantee — plan your last dive day with room to spare.