The Diver’s Dilemma: Air in Your Tank, But No Time on Your Computer?
Picture this: You’re at 22 meters (72 feet), gliding along the magnificent vertical wall of Balicasag Island. A majestic green sea turtle rests on a ledge just below you, and a school of shimmering jackfish circles in the deep blue. You glance at your air gauge—you have more than half a tank left, fantastic! But then you look at your dive computer, and you see the dreaded numbers on your no-decompression limit (NDL) ticking down… 5… 4… 3…
It’s the most common frustration in modern diving. You have plenty of air to breathe, but your computer tells you it’s time to ascend. Your body has absorbed too much nitrogen, and you have to end a spectacular dive prematurely.
What if there was a simple, safe, and easily accessible way to solve this problem? What if you could significantly extend your bottom time, especially on those amazing second and third dives of the day?
There is. It’s called the PADI Enriched Air Diver specialty, and there is no better place on earth to earn this game-changing certification than right here in Bohol.
Decoding Nitrox: What Exactly is Enriched Air?
The PADI Enriched Air (Nitrox) course is the most popular specialty in the world for a very good reason. Let’s break down what it is, and just as importantly, what it isn’t.
What it IS: The standard air you’re breathing right now (and in a regular scuba tank) is made up of approximately 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen. “Enriched Air Nitrox” (EANx) is simply air that has a higher percentage of oxygen—and therefore, less nitrogen. The two most common blends used in recreational diving are 32% oxygen (EANx32) and 36% oxygen (EANx36). That’s it! It’s just a different breathing gas mix.
What it is NOT (Myth-Busting Time!):
- It is NOT for diving deeper. In fact, because of the higher oxygen content, your maximum depth is actually shallower than on air, a key safety principle you’ll learn in the course.
- It does NOT mean you use less gas from your tank. Your breathing rate and air consumption are the same. A tank of Nitrox will last just as long as a tank of air in terms of volume—the magic is in how long you can stay at depth.
- It is NOT technical diving. It’s a straightforward recreational specialty course that is easy to master.
The Golden Benefit: More Precious Time Underwater
So, if you can’t go deeper, why is Nitrox so beneficial? The answer lies in that pesky nitrogen. Your no-decompression limit is determined by how much nitrogen your body tissues absorb during a dive. The less nitrogen you breathe, the slower your body absorbs it, and the longer you can safely stay at depth.
This is where diving in Bohol becomes the perfect case study.
Our diving schedule is a diver’s dream: often two or three incredible dives a day. On your first dive, your NDL on air might be perfectly fine. But as you do your second and third dives, the residual nitrogen in your system dramatically shortens your available bottom time.
With Nitrox, this effect is significantly reduced. Let’s look at a real-world example on a typical dive day exploring the stunning reefs of Pamilacan Island:
- Dive 1 (on Air): 25 meters for 30 minutes.
- Dive 2 (on Air): After your surface interval, your NDL at 20 meters might only be 25 minutes.
- Dive 2 (on Nitrox32): In the same scenario, your NDL at 20 meters could be closer to 40 minutes!
That’s 15 extra minutes to explore the reef, look for frogfish, or get that perfect photo. When you multiply that benefit over a week-long dive holiday, you are gaining hours of extra underwater time. Bohol’s most spectacular sights—the vibrant walls, the schools of fish, the healthy coral gardens—are often in the 18-30 meter (60-100 foot) range. This is the absolute sweet spot where Nitrox provides the maximum advantage.
The Bonus Benefit: More Energy for Your Holiday
While PADI is careful to state this as an anecdotal benefit rather than a guaranteed scientific fact, the overwhelming feedback from divers is unanimous: diving with Nitrox leaves you feeling less tired.
The theory is that your body uses less energy to off-gas the smaller amount of nitrogen after a dive. For divers on holiday, this is a massive plus. Instead of feeling exhausted after a three-dive day and crashing before dinner, you’ll have more energy to enjoy the sunset, explore the restaurants and nightlife of Alona Beach, or even feel refreshed enough for an exhilarating night dive.
The Course Itself: Certified in Just Half a Day!
Worried about spending your precious vacation time in a classroom? The best part about the Enriched Air Diver course is its convenience. Here at Sierra Madre Divers, we complete the entire certification in-house in just a few hours.
You’ll join one of our experienced PADI instructors in our open-air classroom for a relaxed and personal session. We provide all the official PADI course materials, and you’ll have the benefit of learning directly from a pro who can answer all your questions. The course is primarily knowledge-based and covers:
- The procedures for managing oxygen exposure.
- The safety considerations for handling and diving with enriched air.
- The simple, hands-on skill of using an oxygen analyzer to personally verify the contents of your scuba tank before every dive.
- How to set your dive computer to work with your specific Nitrox blend.
Because the course is so efficient, you can easily complete it in a single morning. Imagine this: you finish your first dive of the day, and during your surface interval, you complete your Nitrox certification with us. By the time you’re ready for your afternoon dive, you’ll be a fully certified Enriched Air Diver, ready to enjoy the benefits immediately. For just 8,000 Philippine Pesos, this certification is the single best investment you can make in your dive holiday.
Upgrade Your Vacation: The Smartest Choice a Diver Can Make
Getting your PADI Enriched Air Diver certification while in Bohol is the most efficient way to maximize your vacation. You are diving in a location perfectly suited to its benefits, and the ease and speed of our in-house course mean you sacrifice virtually no vacation time.
You’re already here, in one of the most beautiful diving destinations on the planet. Why let your computer be the boss of your bottom time?
Don’t spend another dive wishing you had a few more minutes. Talk to our team at Sierra Madre Divers this morning, and you could be doing your next dive on Nitrox this afternoon. It’s the smartest upgrade you can make.
