More no-decompression time
On suitable dive profiles, reduced nitrogen exposure can extend the time available before reaching your no-decompression limit.
Enriched Air Diver
Dive Longer, Feel Better, and Maximize Your Time Underwater!
Want to stay down longer, reduce surface intervals, and come back feeling less tired? The PADI Enriched Air Nitrox Course is your key to unlocking more enjoyable and efficient dives. No wonder it’s the most popular PADI specialty course worldwide!
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PADI specialty course • Enriched Air Nitrox
PADI Enriched Air Diver Course in Sydney
Learn to plan and dive with enriched air nitrox. Reduce your nitrogen exposure, gain more no-decompression time on suitable dives and build the practical skills to analyse a cylinder, confirm its contents and set your dive computer correctly.
Online learning Approximately 2–4 hours
Practical session Analyse and record a fill
Optional ocean dives Two dives available
Minimum age 12 Open Water or equivalent
More time within your limits
Why divers choose enriched air nitrox
Enriched air contains a higher percentage of oxygen and a lower percentage of nitrogen than ordinary compressed air. At an appropriate depth, breathing less nitrogen can increase your available no-decompression time and reduce nitrogen loading across repetitive dives.
That makes nitrox especially useful for dive holidays, liveaboards, photography and days with several dives. The benefit depends on your depth, gas mix, dive profile and computer settings.
Use the right gas for the dive
Where nitrox adds value
Nitrox is most useful when nitrogen exposure or no-decompression time would otherwise limit the dive.
Better repetitive-dive planning
Lower nitrogen loading can be useful when completing several dives over a day, weekend or dive holiday.
Travel and liveaboard readiness
Many dive operators offer nitrox, making the certification valuable for photographers, liveaboard guests and travelling divers.
About post-dive fatigue: some divers report feeling less tired when using nitrox, but this is not guaranteed and should not be treated as the reason for exceeding conservative dive practices.
Knowledge and practical skills
What you’ll learn
Learn to verify the gas you will breathe, understand the limits it creates and configure your equipment for the planned dive.
Understand enriched air
Learn how oxygen percentage changes nitrogen exposure, no-decompression time and dive-planning limits.
Analyse the cylinder
Use an oxygen analyser to confirm the oxygen percentage rather than relying on an unverified fill.
Record and identify the fill
Complete the required cylinder identification and logging procedures before accepting the gas for use.
Set your dive computer
Enter the correct oxygen percentage and confirm that the computer settings match the analysed cylinder.
Respect maximum operating depth
Calculate and observe the maximum operating depth for the analysed mix and planned oxygen-exposure limit.
Manage oxygen exposure
Understand why oxygen exposure matters and how to remain within the limits used for recreational nitrox diving.
Course structure
Learn online, then practise with an instructor
Complete the knowledge development at your own pace, then demonstrate the practical procedures used before an enriched-air dive.
Complete eLearning
Allow approximately two to four hours for the interactive online theory and knowledge development.
Complete the practical session
Analyse a cylinder, record the fill and configure a nitrox-compatible dive computer with your instructor.
Add optional dives
Choose two optional open-water dives using enriched air if you want to apply the procedures in the ocean. An additional fee applies.
Before you enrol
Certification requirements
Minimum age
You must be at least 12 years old.
Diver certification
PADI Junior Open Water Diver, PADI Open Water Diver or an accepted equivalent certification.
Health and fitness
You must be in suitable health for any scuba activities included in your selected course option.
Planning a dive holiday?
Get nitrox-ready before you travel
Complete the certification before your trip so you can take advantage of nitrox where it is available, rather than spending holiday time completing training.
Common questions
Enriched air nitrox FAQs
Does nitrox let me dive deeper?
No. A higher oxygen percentage generally creates a shallower maximum operating depth. Nitrox is commonly used to manage nitrogen exposure and no-decompression time, not to extend depth limits.
Is nitrox automatically safer than air?
No breathing gas makes a dive automatically safe. Nitrox can reduce nitrogen exposure on an appropriate profile, but it also introduces oxygen-exposure and maximum-depth limits that must be managed correctly.
Are open-water dives required?
The two open-water dives are optional. You can add them if you want guided experience applying the procedures during real dives; an additional fee applies.
Do I need a nitrox-compatible dive computer?
You need a computer capable of being set for the analysed enriched-air mix when diving with nitrox. The practical training includes setting and checking a compatible computer.
Will nitrox make me feel less tired?
Some divers report less fatigue, but individual experiences vary and this outcome cannot be guaranteed.
Ready to become nitrox certified?
Choose an available course date and learn to analyse, plan and dive enriched air within the correct limits.
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