SSI Nitrox Diving Specialty
Dive Smarter, Dive Longer with SSI Nitrox Specialty
Want to enhance your diving experience by extending your dive time and reduce your surface intervals? The SSI Nitrox Diving Specialty is the perfect course for certified divers who want to maximize their underwater experience. Breathing gas that has enriched air, or Nitrox (EANx), divers can extend their bottom time, reduce nitrogen absorption, and enhance their safety and comfort during dives. If you’re eager to improve your dive experience and explore the underwater world with longer, safer, and more relaxed dives, this is the course for you.

Why Choose the SSI Nitrox Specialty?
The SSI Enriched Air Diver or Nitrox Specialty course is one of the most popular specialty scuba diving certifications in the diving world. Here’s why it’s a game-changer for recreational diving:
- Extended Dive Time: By using Nitrox, you can stay underwater longer compared to regular air dives, which means more time to enjoy the dive site.
- Reduced Nitrogen Absorption: Nitrox reduces the amount of nitrogen your body absorbs, which decreases the risk of decompression sickness (DCS) and allows for shorter overall boat trips as there are shorter surface intervals between dives.
- Increased Safety: Nitrox diving is safer, particularly for multiple dives over a short period. You’ll learn how to plan and dive with Nitrox, improving your safety during each dive.
- Global Recognition: The SSI Nitrox Specialty certification is recognized worldwide, making it an essential credential for any diver who wants to take full advantage of modern dive technologies.
What You’ll Learn
The SSI Nitrox Diving Specialty course provides all the knowledge and training you need to safely dive with enriched air Nitrox. In this course, you will:
- Understand Nitrox Basics: Learn about the composition of Nitrox, including the differences between air and Nitrox blends, and how it affects your dive profile.
- Dive Planning with Nitrox: Learn how to plan your dive, taking into account of how the increased oxygen content in Nitrox has impacts on no-decompression limits and dive times.
- Oxygen Toxicity Awareness: Understand the risks of high oxygen exposore concentrations, including oxygen toxicity, and how to mitigate these risks by managing your depth and exposure.
- Dive Table and Computer Use: Master using dive tables or dive computers specifically designed for Nitrox diving, and calculate your safe dive limits.
- Cylinder Marking and Handling: Get hands-on experience with Nitrox cylinders, including proper identification, handling, and understanding of different oxygen concentrations.
Course Structure
The SSI Nitrox Specialty course is a combination of theory and practical training, designed to give you both knowledge and hands-on experience. The course structure includes:
- Theory Learning: Study online or with a manual to learn the theory behind Nitrox diving, including its benefits, risks, and how to manage dives using enriched air.
- Practical Dive Planning: You’ll apply what you’ve learned by planning your Nitrox dives with the guidance of your instructor.
- Open Water Dives: While the Nitrox course doesn’t require in-water training, your instructor will ensure you are prepared for real-world dives using Nitrox and will be available to answer any questions as you plan future Nitrox dives.
- Certification: Upon successful completion, you’ll receive your SSI Nitrox Specialty certification, allowing you to safely dive with Nitrox on future dives.
- Combine the Nitrox Diving Specialty with the Deep Diver Specialty: Get 2 specialties with the Nitrox & Deep Diver Specialty Combo.
Who Can Take This Course?
The SSI Nitrox Specialty course is open to certified Open Water Divers and above. If you meet the following criteria, you’re ready to take this exciting step in your diving journey:
Be at least 10 years old.
Hold an SSI Open Water Diver certification
(or equivalent from another agency).
Have a basic understanding of dive physics and physiology.
The Benefits of Diving with Nitrox
Diving with Nitrox isn’t just about diving longer—it’s about improving your overall dive experience and understanding the effects of difference levels of oxygen exposure on your body whilst diving. Here are just a few of the key benefits of becoming an SSI Nitrox diver:
- Extended Bottom Time Underwater: With Nitrox, you’ll have more time to explore dive sites, whether you’re visiting a reef, wreck, or cave. You’ll stay submerged longer and enjoy the beauty of the underwater world and marine life.
- Faster Surface Intervals: Nitrox allows you to reduce your surface intervals, enabling you to get back in the water sooner for your next dive. This is especially useful when you’re diving multiple times per day.
- Reduced Fatigue: Many divers report feeling less fatigued after diving with Nitrox, as it helps reduce nitrogen buildup in your body and minimizes the chance of decompression sickness.
- Increased Safety for Repetitive Dives: If you’re planning multiple dives in one day, using Nitrox will reduce your exposure to nitrogen and allow for safer repetitive diving.
Safety Precautions
As with all diving specialties, safety is a top priority in the SSI Nitrox Specialty course. Some safety practices you’ll learn to follow include:
- Choosing the Right Nitrox Mix: Understanding the oxygen percentage and the limits for each specific Nitrox blend (e.g., 32%, 36%).
- Avoiding Oxygen Toxicity: Knowing the risks of oxygen toxicity and how to avoid them by managing your depth and dive times.
- Proper Cylinder Handling: Ensuring you understand how to handle and store Nitrox cylinders safely to avoid potential hazards.
- Pre-Dive Checks: Always performing thorough pre-dive checks on equipment, including ensuring the cylinder is properly labeled and that you’re diving with the correct gas mix.
Start Your Nitrox Adventure Today!
Take the next step in your diving journey with the SSI Nitrox Specialty and enjoy longer, safer dives with enriched air. Whether you’re planning a dive trip to the coast, or you’re looking to enhance your skills and knowledge, this course is perfect for any diver eager to dive smarter.
Contact Us Today to schedule your SSI Nitrox Specialty course and begin your adventure into the world of enriched air diving. With Nitrox, the ocean is yours to explore longer and safer than ever before.
The Nitrox Specialty can also be combined with the Deep Diving Specialty on a single dive, which means you will get to see how the percentage of oxygen in enriched air mixtures directly effects how long you are able to spend at the maximum depth compared to on previous deep dives such as on your Advanced diver training course compared to these training dives. It may have been a while ago so you may need to look it up in your divers log book for details from previous training dives. This is why at our dive school we generally head to the deeper dive sites in the mornings so the diving times for the Nitrox course usually involve an early start.