More bottom time, shorter surface intervals, and dives that just feel less rushed, enriched air nitrox is the single most popular upgrade recreational divers make, and this course certifies you to use it in one straightforward day. You'll learn how nitrox extends dive time and reduces nitrogen loading, plus the hands-on essentials: analysing a cylinder before every dive and setting your computer to the right gas mix. Only your Open Water certification is needed.

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In detail

About This Course

Enriched air nitrox is one of the most widely used tools in recreational diving, and for good reason. By breathing gas with a higher oxygen content and lower nitrogen content than normal air, divers can extend their allowable bottom time and reduce nitrogen loading compared to diving the same profile on air, particularly useful across repetitive dive days.

The PADI Enriched Air Diver course is a single day, largely knowledge-based specialty that explains exactly how and why nitrox works, along with the extra precautions it demands. You will learn about oxygen exposure limits, why nitrox actually requires more care around maximum depth rather than less, and how to plan dives safely within those limits.

Hands-on skills are simple but essential: analysing a cylinder yourself before every dive to confirm its oxygen content, labelling tanks correctly, and setting a dive computer to the right gas mix so your no-decompression limits are calculated accurately.

Because it is quick to complete and immediately useful, Enriched Air Diver is one of the most popular specialties divers add, and it pairs particularly well with Deep Diver and Advanced Open Water Diver, where extended bottom time makes the biggest practical difference.

The process

How The Course Works

Step 1
PADI eLearning
You'll learn why breathing less nitrogen means longer dives and shorter surface intervals, along with exactly how to dive enriched air safely. It's flexible online study you can finish in your own time, in as little as a day.
Step 2
Hands-On Practical Skills
Your instructor then walks you through the practical side - analysing a tank to confirm its oxygen content, logging it correctly and setting your dive computer to match. Small habits that keep every future nitrox dive properly planned.
Step 3
Optional Open Water Dives
Some centres round the course off with open water dives so you can feel the benefit of enriched air for yourself, though this part is optional. Either way, you leave certified to fill up on nitrox anywhere in the world.
PADI states: two optional dives

Course curriculum

What You'll Learn

Learning Outcomes

How enriched air nitrox extends bottom time and reduces nitrogen loading
Oxygen exposure limits and managing maximum operating depth
Analysing a cylinder to confirm its oxygen content before diving
Setting a dive computer correctly for nitrox
Planning and logging enriched air dives safely

Getting ready

Before You Start & What's Next

Prerequisites

PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver certification

Next Steps

PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
PADI Deep Diver Specialty, often paired with nitrox for extended deep dives
Master Scuba Diver rating

Upcoming training

Dates & Booking

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Quick facts

Duration

1 day of structured training

Location

Unit 4, Bellman Court, Great Knollys Street, Reading, RG1 7HD

Certification

Recognised PADI qualification on completion

Have questions?

Enriched Air (Nitrox) Diver

What to expect