In comparing nitrox and air dives, what is a primary benefit of nitrox diving?

Choosing nitrox for diving offers the primary benefit of a lower risk of nitrogen narcosis compared to diving with air. Nitrogen narcosis is a condition caused by the anesthetic effect of nitrogen at increased pressures encountered underwater. Since nitrox contains a lower percentage of nitrogen and a higher percentage of oxygen compared to air, divers are exposed to less nitrogen at the same depths. This reduction in nitrogen exposure diminishes the likelihood of experiencing narcosis, particularly at deeper depths where it is more likely to occur.

In contrast, while the other options mention aspects of diving, they do not align with primary advantages specific to nitrox. Increased decompression time is generally not a benefit of nitrox; rather, diving with nitrox allows for longer bottom times at certain depths due to reduced nitrogen absorption. Higher maximum depth is also not a benefit of nitrox; divers still have to adhere to specific depth limits based on the nitrox mix used. Lastly, increased thermal protection doesn’t directly result from using nitrox over air; thermal protection is influenced by wetsuit thickness and other environmental factors, not the gas mixture.