If you plan to dive more than once a day on your trip, enriched air is one of the most useful cards you can add to your wallet. This guide to the nitrox course Ambergris Caye divers take with White Sands Dive Shop covers who can enroll, how the online theory works, what happens on the reef and how long to allow.
It is written for certified divers who want longer bottom times on repeat dives, and for anyone collecting specialties on the way to Master Diver. Your course runs through our 5 Star PADI Dive Facility on the beach in San Pedro, owned and operated by PADI IDC Staff Instructor Elbert Greer.
How does the nitrox course on Ambergris Caye work?
Quick answer: The PADI Enriched Air Diver course at White Sands Dive Shop has two parts. You complete the theory online with PADI eLearning, which takes about 3 hours. On the island you then have a practical session with one of our instructors and make two barrier reef dives on Nitrox 32. You must be a certified diver aged 12 or older.
What nitrox is and why divers use it
Nitrox, or enriched air, is a breathing gas with more oxygen and less nitrogen than ordinary air. Air holds about 21 percent oxygen, while recreational nitrox blends hold between 22 and 40 percent, according to PADI. Nitrox 32, the blend used on our training dives, has 32 percent oxygen.
Less nitrogen in each breath means your body absorbs less of it during a dive. PADI explains that this lets divers extend their no-decompression limits, the time you can stay at a given depth before you would need decompression stops. The gain is most noticeable on repetitive dives, such as the second and third tanks of a day.
Some divers say they feel less tired after diving nitrox. PADI is careful to note that science has not confirmed this, so treat it as a possible bonus rather than a reason to enroll.
Enriched Air Diver in Belize: who can take the course
The entry rules are short. You need to be a certified diver, at least 12 years old and fit for diving to be certified as a PADI Enriched Air Diver.
If you are not certified yet, start with our PADI Open Water course on Ambergris Caye. If your last dive was a long time ago, a scuba refresher course on Ambergris Caye is a good way to get comfortable again before you add new skills.
How the nitrox course works, step by step
Our course follows the PADI format of online knowledge development followed by practical training with an instructor. Doing the theory at home means more of your holiday is spent in the water.
- Enroll online through our PADI eLearning sign-up for White Sands Dive Shop. This part is paid directly to PADI when you sign up, and the cost varies by where you live.
- Work through the interactive presentations, with videos, audio, graphics and reading. Short quizzes let you check your progress and review anything you missed. Allow about 3 hours.
- When you finish, White Sands Dive Shop is notified that you are ready for the practical phase.
- On the island, you have a Practical Application session with one of our instructors.
- You make two dives on our barrier reef using Nitrox 32, then you are certified as a PADI Enriched Air Diver.
PADI notes that the course itself can be completed almost entirely dry, with the dives optional but recommended. Our course includes the two reef dives, because using enriched air in real conditions is the best way to make the skills stick.
What you learn: oxygen limits and analyzing your tank
Extra oxygen brings a new limit. Breathed at too great a depth, oxygen becomes toxic, so every nitrox blend has a maximum operating depth. The Divers Alert Network explains in its article on nitrox diving safety and oxygen toxicity that seizures happen when a diver goes deeper than the maximum depth for the gas being breathed.
That is why the course teaches you to check your own gas. You learn to use an oxygen analyzer, read the result and set your dive computer for the blend. DAN’s advice is simple: always analyze the oxygen content, and clearly mark it and the maximum operating depth on the tank.
- Analyzing a cylinder and confirming its oxygen percentage yourself.
- Working out the maximum operating depth for that blend and sticking to it.
- Setting your dive computer for enriched air before you get in the water.
- Planning repeat dives with the longer no-decompression limits nitrox allows.
Air or enriched air: what changes
Nitrox is a tool, not a replacement for good dive habits. The table shows what actually changes when you switch from air to enriched air, using PADI and DAN guidance.
| Point | Diving on air | Diving on enriched air |
|---|---|---|
| Oxygen content | About 21 percent | 22 to 40 percent, such as Nitrox 32 |
| Nitrogen absorbed | Standard | Less, so longer no-decompression limits |
| Best suited to | Any recreational dive | Repeat dives in one day at moderate depths |
| Depth limit to watch | Your training and certification limits | Also the maximum operating depth of the blend |
| Extra checks | Normal buddy and gear checks | Analyze the tank and set your computer for the blend |
| Training needed | Open Water certification | PADI Enriched Air Diver certification |
Divers on forums say the same thing again and again: nitrox earns its keep on trips with several dives a day. That describes many Ambergris Caye holidays, where 1, 2 and 3 tank barrier reef dives are on offer. See the current course prices on our Water Sports page with every PADI course and price.
Pairing nitrox with other courses
Nitrox fits neatly beside other training. Our Advanced Open Water course on Ambergris Caye includes deep, night and navigation dives plus two electives, and divers often want to keep building after it. Nitrox is also one of the specialty certifications that count toward Master Diver, which requires five specialties.
To see the other options, read our guide to PADI specialty courses in Belize, or browse every level in our guide to learning to dive and PADI courses on Ambergris Caye.
Who teaches your Enriched Air course
White Sands Dive Shop is a 5 Star PADI Dive Facility, a PADI International Resort Association member and licensed by the Belize Tourism Board. Elbert Greer owns and runs the shop and holds the PADI IDC Staff Instructor rating. Read more about Elbert Greer, your PADI instructor.
Nitrox is a course about care and checking, and that suits his style. Vivake K. Bhalla described Elbert as “very friendly and fun, but equally very strict about safety.” You can read all the letters from Elbert’s dive students in their own words.
Nitrox course, Ambergris Caye: your questions answered
How long does the nitrox course take?
The online PADI eLearning part takes about 3 hours. On the island you then have a practical session with an instructor and two reef dives on Nitrox 32.
What do I need to take the Enriched Air Diver course?
You need to be a certified diver, at least 12 years old and fit for diving.
Can I do the nitrox theory before my trip?
Yes. You enroll in PADI eLearning online, pay PADI directly for that part, and we are notified when you finish so you are ready for the practical phase.
Does nitrox let me dive deeper?
No. Nitrox gives you longer no-decompression limits, but every blend has a maximum operating depth set by its oxygen content, and you must stay shallower than it.
Does nitrox count toward Master Diver?
Yes. Nitrox is one of the specialty certifications that count toward Master Diver, which requires five specialties.
Book your nitrox course with Elbert
Send us your certification level and travel dates, and tell us when you plan to finish the eLearning. Elbert will fit your practical session and reef dives around your trip. Email elbertgreer@fastmail.fm or call 011 (501) 226 2405.