Begin with Open Water Nitrox
IANTD Open Water Nitrox Diver, listed by IANTD as Open Water EANx Diver, is an entry-level scuba course that introduces new divers to open-water diving while also teaching the use of enriched air nitrox mixtures up to 40 percent oxygen. The official page describes comprehensive training for people who want to become scuba divers, with the goal of developing safer novice divers who have confidence and responsibility from the start.
This program is for beginners, and IANTD lists the minimum enrollment age as 10. It qualifies successful divers to dive to a maximum depth of 60 feet or 18 meters in open water, using enriched air nitrox mixtures up to 40 percent oxygen, with divers of at least the same level and without direct professional supervision. The course is meant for no-decompression dives under conditions equal to or better than those in training, with appropriate diver support available at the surface.
Training includes academic sessions, confined-water sessions, and open-water sessions using the IANTD Open Water Student Kit. At Extreme Exposure in High Springs, Florida, the value of this course is that students learn ordinary open-water procedures while also beginning to understand gas choice and nitrox use from day one. It can be a strong first certification for divers who already know they want a broader recreational diving pathway.
