On Tuesday, September 18, 2001 7:36 AM, Mike Wallace wrote:

(snip)
>> It's natural
> > to be tired afterward and yes, some dives are just plain
> > more strenuous than others.  And by dive, I don't just mean the
> > dive itself, I mean the whole preparation up to the dive including
> > getting up early that morning, loading your gear, driving to wherever
> > you're going, the boat ride, etc. etc. etc.  Then there's the whole
> > ritual after the dive.

> Agreed, but I can still tell a difference in the way *I* feel after a
> particular dive using air vs nitrox regardless of how strenuous the
> dive might be. In other words, for me there is a noticable difference
> in the way I feel after a dive using air vs. nitrox. Obviously not
> everyone feels a difference.

My experiences with nitrox are similar to Mike's.  I suspect that in much
the same way that individual tolerances and susceptibility to narcosis
varies between individuals so, too, does the feeling of being less fatigued
after a series of dives breathing a lower PPN2 mix.  While other factors
undoubtedly influence the onset of fatigue - level of fitness,
pre-/post-dive activity, hydration, stress, diet, lack of proper rest etc. -
the lower N2 content certainly has an ameliorating effect as far as I'm
concerned.  :-)

Strike