The ultimate eco lodge in Costa Rica isn’t even on land, but a liveaboard boat that visits Costa Rica’s best scuba diving spot, the famous Cocos Island.
It seems that your allowed underwater time in every single dive is not enough to fully enjoy the amazing dive sites of Cocos island. This is due to the fact that we are preventing the build-up of nitrogen in our body system. Comprising 78% of the compressed air that we breath from our scuba tanks, nitrogen is not really used up in our body, and if accumulated, can lead to nitrogen narcosis. But what if there is a method to safely extend your underwater journey in Cocos island, will you grab this opportunity?
What is Nitrogen Narcosis?
Unlike oxygen which is considered the primary gas in supporting human life, nitrogen gas on the other hand, has almost no use in our body. But we cannot get rid of nitrogen as it goes together with oxygen in comprising the air that we breath.
During your first dive, your nitrogen level will increase and this may shoot up to its maximum level if you go deeper. This is the reason why you should make a surface interval before making your second dive allowing your nitrogen level to decrease, if not, go back to its normal level.
Just incase you violated this standard rule, nitrogen narcosis will immediately set in where signs and symptoms include light-headedness, inattentiveness, difficulty concentrating, poor judgment, anxiety and decreased coordination. Some have said that the effects of nitrogen narcosis is comparable to the effects of drinking a bottle of tequila. Although the effects of nitrogen narcosis can be considered minor, but if not properly managed, can lead to fatal consequences.
How does Nitrox safely extend your Bottom Time?
Dive professionals has come up with a simple and clever way to prevent the onset of nitrogen narcosis: decrease the nitrogen content in the compressed air by increasing oxygen content. Then, low and behold, nitrox is born.
The typical nitrox formula being use in dive shops today is nitrox 32. This means that nitrogen is decreased by increasing the oxygen content to 32% from your typical 20%. If this is the case, then you may ask this question: Why not use pure oxygen like the ones you see and use in a hospital. There are 2 things that you should remember. First of all, pure oxygen becomes toxic after you reach a certain depth. This is also the reason why Nitrox has its depth limitation. While you are given an extended bottom time, Nitrox 32 is only safe to use up to a depth of 34 metres (112 ft). And secondly, nobody wants to go to a medical facility like a hospital.
Nitrox Diving as a Specialty Certification Course
After reading the above premise and now excited to go diving knowing that you have the option to extend your underwater botom time, we would like to clarify that not all certified divers can use it. Nitrox diving requires training and certification.
Offered as a specialty course, certified open water divers and advanced open water divers can have the option to enrol for the Nitrox Specialty Diving Course. Signing-up with this course allows you to gain knowledge on the science behind diving gas composition and blending for a specific depth.
For more information, please read these related articles:
Nitrox Diving: www.visitcocosisland.com/nitrox-diving/
Cocos Island: www.costaricajourneys.com/cocos-island
Scuba Costa Rica at Cocos Island: www.costarica-scuba.com/scuba-dive-packages-to-cocos-island
