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By CHAD CARNEY
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 19, 2001
Summer means long runs offshore for divers and spearfishermen. The 10-fathom line has hit 80 degrees and big fish have relocated to 100 feet and deeper. Visibility has dropped in 45-55 feet but is good in the 60s and almost top to bottom in 70-85 feet.
Many take enough tanks for 3-4 dives when they run out 20 nautical miles or more. Fuel tanks are topped and larger lunches are packed to make it a full day. Longer daylight means more time to dive.
More divers are diving with nitrox in their tanks for these repetitive 60-130 foot dives. Air divers who want full dives on the popular Blackthorn and Sheridan wrecks, close together in 80 feet, would have a long interval to spend on the surface. Most move to a shallower site rather than wait. Nitrox divers with computers can do both with a short sit-out time and greater safety margin. Recent tests have even shown better gas consumption rates with the oxygen-enriched air.
While spearing fish in the middle grounds or on wrecks past 100 feet, the high percentage of nitrogen in air becomes significantly narcotic. Recreational nitrox reduces nitrogen narcosis and fatigue on long dive days as well.
The only disadvantage to nitrox is a stricter adherence to the depth limit. Planning the dive used to be more difficult with tables, but today relatively inexpensive dive computers have lifted that burden and extended dive times.
Nitrox has become the most popular specialty course and is available in most dive stores.
-- Chad Carney teaches scuba and spearfishing and runs charters out of St. Petersburg. Call (727) 423-7775 or e-mail info@mobilescuba.com.