Nitrox device helps Green Flash Dive fight the bends

Green Flash Dive owners Joey and Rhea McDoulett pose in front of their Chinatown dive shop.(MARK RABAGO)

While up-and-coming football players aspire to bend it like Beckham, the bends are not exactly welcome in diving.

That’s why Green Flash Dive has sought to limit decompression sickness among local divers by recently acquiring a nitrox machine.

And it’s celebrating the occasion by having a promotion. Owner Rhea McDoulett said under the promotion, Green Flash Dive is offering an introductory price of $10 for oxygen-enriched air in standard tanks. 

Green Flash Dive owner Rhea McDoulett shows of their brand new nitrox machine. (MARK RABAGO)

Nitrox refers to any gas mixture composed (except trace gasses) of nitrogen and oxygen. A nitrox machine reduces the proportion of nitrogen by increasing the proportion of oxygen and thus reduces the risk of decompression sickness on divers.

“As a mixture any increased level of oxygen allows the diver to have a less likelihood or risk of bends or any decompression,” said Green Flash Dive co-owner Joey McDoulett. 

While Green Flash Dive isn’t the first to offer nitrox on Saipan, it is the first to acquire a nitrox machine on island when the equipment has become a standard in diving destinations in Micronesia like Palau.

Green Flash Dive is currently offering an introductory price of $10 for oxygen-enriched air in standard tanks. (MARK RABAGO)

“We introduced it because it is a safer alternative for the diver. It’s safer for divers. In fact, in Palau, almost all of the divers use nitrox across the board, because it’s easier for all of the dive companies because now they don’t have to worry so much about their customer coming up and having a decompression injury. It’s just safer,” said Joey McDoulett, who is a lawyer by trade and dive instructor in his free time.

Aside from safety concerns, nitrox also affords dive shops and their divers more opportunities to book dives with their clients.

“It also makes it less fatiguing, less tiring, because part of the symptoms that you get from diving on regular air is after a three-dive day you’re already tired,” he added. 

Rhea McDoulett, who is a 20-year veteran of the diving industry, said Green Flash Dive ordered the nitrox machine in 2018 even before the COVID-19 pandemic brought tourism to a standstill in the CNMI. Its purchase got delayed because of Super Typhoon Yutu and the aforementioned pandemic.

And while most dive shops closed during the pandemic, Green Flash Dive remained in operation as it supplies air and other equipment to not only dive shops but dive enthusiasts in general, including scientists from the U.S. mainland who dive as part of their work.

“Well, even the dive shops themselves still need to do things even when they don’t have many tourists. They were still diving. They have their equipment that needs to be fixed and I know some of them offered it to the locals for a great discount just to keep things going,” said Rhea McDoulett.

She did admit that the closing of most dive shops deprived them of a lion’s share of their business, but they’re still happy to have survived the past couple of years.

Opened in 2017, Green Flash Dive is named after the majestic natural phenomenon that occurs whenever the sun sets. The McDouletts said they named their company that because they simply love a green flash. 

Aside from providing nitrox, regular air, and all sorts of diving  equipment, Green Flash Dive is also the only company in the CNMI to provide hydro testing. 

“So all tanks, not just scuba tanks, but all pressurized tanks including those used in the hospital and used by firemen have to be tested every five years and that’s also what we do,” said Rhea McDoulett.

Green Flash Dive is open everyday from 7am to 6pm. For more information call 670-287-3243 or 670-233-3243 or email them at rhea@greenflashdive.com.