PADI's Enriched Air Diver Course or SSI’s Enriched Air Nitrox Course are options that you might consider if your goal is to become a scuba diver. But you might be wondering where to begin. This article will help you understand the differences and how to get started. Online nitrox certification programs are also discussed.
PADI's Enriched Air Diver course
The PADI Enriched Air Diver course teaches students how to safely plan and prepare for enriched air dives. It is mainly computer-based. The classroom portion takes approximately one evening. The course is compatible with other PADI courses, including Open Water and Advanced Open Water Diver. The course includes Nitrox diving, but you can also do them on your own.
The course is taught through interactive multimedia presentations, audio, and graphics, which are easy to understand and retain. To test your knowledge, there are short quizzes. The course includes a Quick Review, a practical application session, two enriched air training dives, and pre-dive simulations. PADI recommends that the eLearning portion be completed at least one year prior to you plan on diving with nitrox.
SSI's Enriched Air Nitrox course
The EnrichedAir Nitrox course offered by SSI makes a great choice if divers want to increase their bottom times or reduce their surface intervals. This course covers a variety of subjects from gas theory to proper mixing of enriched air and how to mark your tank. You will learn how to calculate the ideal enriched air mix for your specific depth and plan your dives in order to make the most efficient use of enriched air.
After completing an Open Water Diver (or Advanced Open Water Diver) course, SSI's EnrichedAir Nitrox training course will provide the skills and knowledge to safely dive using enriched oxygen. You can also use it to plan future dives and reduce decompression sickness. After passing the exams, you'll be able to safely use the enriched oxygen cylinder.
Online learning for Nitrox certification
There are two ways to get your enriched air certification: in a classroom or online. For the classroom course you will need to have a dive computer in order to learn the skills. The classroom portion of your enriched air certification will take an afternoon or evening. You can combine it with an Advanced Open Water or PADI Open Water course. If you have limited time you can sign up to private classes or make use of online learning resources. You can also do the course online and take the nitrox test offline.
A manual, a cylinder and a dive computer are required for the course. If you have an online learning option, you can use an app that simulates an enriched air cylinder to practice your skills. The EANx36 cylinder will work in both a classroom or online eLearning class. The class is open to students aged 12 and older.