Recreationall TRIMIX

[FreediveWI]

When nitrox first came out it ws called "The Devil's Gas" and was banned from the DEMA show and entire islands- like the Caymans.

I finally quit working at one shop because I wasn't even allowed to mention the word of the sales floor of the owner's shop. He would also give out all kinds of wrong information to people about it and hated it when I corrected him- nitrox is a deep diving gas :
Now, of course, that shop, and almost every other one around here, offers nitrox.

When I first got certified in nitrox there were all kinds of hoops to jump through. Now you can get a card in an afternoon. When you go to the islands everyone is diving it- not just the tekkies.

Trimix is the same way. I had been trying to take a trimix course since the early 90's. Just trying to track down someone was a pain. Then, finding a quality instructor was another problem- steel stages and I have to buy Posidens just to take your class, are you nuts?? Now there are a few shops that are running trimix classes and offering trimix fills. This will only increase as other shops jump on board.

As it turned out, taking a trimix course was just a bunch of hoops to jump through to get a card. If you know how to control you bouyancy, and rig you gear right, it isn't that complicated. I know that flies in the face of what some of these people are telling you, but it isn't that hard to do.

I predict that triox, recreational trimix, will be almost as common in 10 years as nitrox is today. Right now GUE and IANTD have recreational trimix classes out. How long do you think it will be before TDI and PADI join them? Actually, PADI is coming out with their trimix course this summer. They still didn't have all of the details worked out the last time I talked to them, but they hope to have some system in place soon.

In other parts of the country the dive shops seem to be a lot more informed on the latest thigs in diving- just check out the MNSCUBA board to see what I mean. This area always takes a little bit longer to catch up.

Don't let anybody try and tell you how difficult it is. As long as you have good control of your bouyancy, trimix will make your diving safer, not more dangerous.

One of the biggest things that has come along in the last few years to make trimix safer is the Atmoix Helium Analyzer sold by Diverite. It is now possible to know exactly what your breathing, which wasn't always the case.

Jon