Oxygen Analyzers – What’s New?

Richard Heath (Murrells's Inlet, SC) recently asked Undercurrent, "Now that I have been certified for nitrox use, I was going through the products you reviewed and was wondering if you had any preferred O2 Analyzers not mentioned a couple of years ago?"

John Bantin, our senior editor, replies.

Of course, knowing the oxygen content of the gas you are breathing is essential to every nitrox diver. Oxygen analyzers are relatively simple affairs with the galvanic O2 sensing cell being the most crucial part -- and the most expensive. It needs replacing periodically, probably every two years.

Because of the expense -- well over $200 -- divers are buying fewer O2 analyzers than expected. In fact, most divers simply use the unit provided by their dive resort, liveaboard or dive store.

We published our original review of O2 analyzers in February 2009. Of course, many are no longer available. However, the more popular models such as the Analox, Vandagraph, and Nuvair are still on the market and more or less unchanged in design. They're price upward from $250.

The least expensive recommended model is the NRC O2 analyzer, which you can find for as little as $150. https://goo.gl/RRq1RP