Nitrox Specialty

The PADI Enriched Air Nitrox specialty at Les Basetes Diving is built around the hands-on work you actually do before and during a Nitrox dive. The center's location inside Club Náutico Les Basetes — with a bay in front for in-water sessions and boats at the dock for open-water components — provides the practical environment where the course takes place.

The course starts with the gas analyzer, the oximeter used to measure the real oxygen percentage in a specific cylinder before diving. Enriched air tanks can contain different mixes — 32%, 36%, or other EANx percentages — and the label tells you the intended mix while the analyzer tells you what's actually in the tank. That distinction is the first practical step of every Nitrox dive, and the course treats it as such rather than as a formality.

With the oxygen percentage confirmed, the next step is programming the dive computer correctly. Nitrox extends no-decompression times at a given depth compared to standard air, because higher oxygen content means less nitrogen loading per unit of time. But elevated oxygen also introduces a ceiling: the maximum partial pressure of oxygen defines the maximum depth for any given mix. The course covers how to configure the computer to handle both sides — the extended no-decompression benefit and the oxygen depth limit — and how depth and mix percentage interact in practice.

Equipment care is the third component of the curriculum. Oxygen-rich mixes react differently with lubricants, cleaning products, and certain materials compared to standard compressed air. Regulators and cylinders used with Nitrox require oxygen-compatible products and specific servicing protocols. The course goes through what that means concretely: what to check before using equipment with enriched air, what products to avoid, and how to maintain gear so it stays safe for Nitrox use over time.

Completing the PADI Enriched Air Nitrox specialty at Les Basetes Diving results in an internationally recognized certification valid at dive operations worldwide. For divers who have their Open Water or Advanced Open Water and want the most practically useful next step — longer bottom times on recreational dives without changing their overall approach to diving — this specialty delivers that directly from the Club Náutico Les Basetes base.