IV
NAUI Nitrox Diver
Introduction
Preface
This NAUI Textbook, NAUI Nitrox Diver is written to provide students in NAUI Nitrox Diver courses and programs
the knowledge necessary to safely use any Enriched Air Nitrox (EANx) breathing mixture up to EAN40. Specific learning
objectives are stated at the beginning of each chapter. Review these carefully before and after studying each chapter
to make sure you meet the educational goals.
If this book is being used as part of a course of instruction, your instructor may schedule the course in any
sequence desired, so long as curriculum requirements are met. The chapters in this book should be read in the order
assigned by your instructor, not necessarily sequentially. You may not be assigned some sections to read at all, but you
are encouraged to read the entire book at your leisure in order to learn as much as you can about the varied aspects
of enriched air diving.
This book is not intended to teach you EANx diving activities without the guidance and supervision of a qualified
NAUI Instructor. Local information, techniques and practices for all areas cannot possibly be incorporated into this
text. This publication provides only part of your education for EANx diving. The bulk of what you will learn will be
provided by the instructor. Do not attempt to participate in any of the activities described in this book without the
supervision of a qualified instructor.
You may be just starting your diving education and EANx diving is being integrated with the other aspects and
requirements of entry-level diver training. Or you may have already learned the fundamentals of diving and are
learning about EANx diving as part of another continuing education course, e.g. NAUI Advanced Scuba Diver, or as a
specialty NAUI Nitrox Diver certification course unto itself. NAUI’s extensive instructor qualification process and the
trust we place in our instructor members makes this flexibility in course delivery possible.
In any scenario, by the time you begin learning about EANx diving you know what you should and should not do
as a diver and you understand some basic diving theory. You are qualified to dive only under conditions similar to
those in which you have received training. The purpose of this book, when used as part of a course of instruction, is to
specifically increase your understanding of EANx diving and to expand your skills and qualifications. Upon successful
completion of your course, you will be qualified to handle new diving circumstances and engage in additional diving
activities.
About the NAUI Nitrox Diver Program or Course
The NAUI Nitrox Diver Program, usually consists of about three or four hours of academics during which a written
exam is administered and some practical exercises involving calibrating gas analyzers and analyzing various
breathing mixtures are conducted and your performance evaluated. After successfully completing the program your
instructor will register you with NAUI Worldwide for an Enriched Air Nitrox certification card so that you will be able
to have your dedicated EANx cylinders refilled with enriched air.
The NAUI Nitrox Diver Course includes the same academic and practical training components, but also includes
at least two open water dives during which you will apply the knowledge acquired during the course. Completing the
two required dives qualifies you to be registered for the Enriched Air Nitrox Diver certification card as evidence that
you successfully completed open water training as well. In any event, either certification credential will provide you
with the evidence you need to obtain enriched air wherever your diving adventures take you.