Why might divers need additional thermal protection for Nitrox diving?

Additional thermal protection for Nitrox diving is primarily needed to compensate for heat loss. When diving, especially in cooler waters, a diver's body can lose heat rapidly. Nitrox, which is simply enriched air with higher oxygen content, does not change the thermodynamics of the water; therefore, divers may still experience significant heat loss just as they would with regular air diving. The use of thermal protection aids in maintaining body temperature, thereby allowing diversification in diving environments without compromising safety or comfort.

While preventing hypothermia is certainly important, the primary focus of additional thermal protection is to manage overall heat loss effectively. This can be vital for longer dives or deeper dives where water temperatures can drop significantly. The use of thicker wetsuits or drysuits can help retain body heat, thereby ensuring that divers stay warm throughout their dive, which is essential for both safety and performance improvement.

The other choices, while related to diving, do not directly correlate with the primary reason for additional thermal protection in Nitrox diving. Therefore, the emphasis is on how it compensates for heat loss to keep divers safe and comfortable.