Dallas/Ft. Worth divers: which dive shops 'bank' EAN 32 for fills ?

[scubafanatic]

I'm in Arlington, TX, haven't done 'local' diving in a while, looking for a list of dive shops that 'bank' EAN 32 in the Arlington, TX area (or as close to Arlington as possible.)

I'm especially looking for shops that DON'T do partial pressure blending, as I'm not going through the hassle of maintaining O2 'clean' tanks/valves.

Thanks in advance,

Karl

 

[Cyprian]

Aqua Trek Scuba in North Ft. Worth banks 32%. They are on Westport Parkway, North of Cabelas. A great group of folks as well. This is where I typically get all my fills

 

[scubafanatic]

Aqua Trek Scuba in North Ft. Worth banks 32%. They are on Westport Parkway, North of Cabelas. A great group of folks as well. This is where I typically get all my fills

Thanks Cyprian. I'm in south Arlington, so hoping someone has a lead a little closer to me. Scubatoys suggested International Scuba, but they're in Carrolton, a long drive for me as well. But I do appreciate the 'lead'.

Looking back over the last 8 yrs or so, the following local dive shops that I used to do a lot of business with have gone out of business:

Surface Interval Scuba (Grand Prairie, TX) (Banked EAN 32)
Tucker's (Grand Prairie, TX) don't remember if they had Banked EAN 32 or did partial pressure blending
Scuba Connection (Keller, TX) (Banked EAN 32)
Southern Scuba (Ft. Worth, TX) don't remember if they had Banked EAN 32 or did partial pressure blending

ALL those shops provided NITROX, and were either very 'tech' oriented or at least 'tech' friendly/knowledgeable.

 

[Cyprian]

Scubafanatic,

International does not bank 32, nor do they stick blend. They partial pressure blend only...unless something has changed recently.

Aqua Trek is the only shop that I know of in the DFW area that banks 32. I believe there is another shop East of Dallas that stick blends, but does not bank 32. I cannot remember the name at this time. Maybe Crazy Scuba?

Anyway, the owner of Surface Interval sold his shop to the current owners of Aqua Trek. They kept the other store open for awhile then sold it to a gentlemen that was not very successful. They then decided to close that store and keep the one in N Fort Worth open.

If you used Scuba Connection in Keller....this store is only about 10-15 more mins up the road when driving from South Arlington.

Something else that might interest you. They sell 32 by the cu. ft. So if you bring in an AL80, for example, and only need a top fill, that is all you are going to pay for. You don't have to worry about getting charged for a full tank.

Take care.

 

[scubafanatic]

Scubafanatic,

International does not bank 32, nor do they stick blend. They partial pressure blend only...unless something has changed recently.

Aqua Trek is the only shop that I know of in the DFW area that banks 32. I believe there is another shop East of Dallas that stick blends, but does not bank 32. I cannot remember the name at this time. Maybe Crazy Scuba?

Anyway, the owner of Surface Interval sold his shop to the current owners of Aqua Trek. They kept the other store open for awhile then sold it to a gentlemen that was not very successful. They then decided to close that store and keep the one in N Fort Worth open.

If you used Scuba Connection in Keller....this store is only about 10-15 more mins up the road when driving from South Arlington.

Something else that might interest you. They sell 32 by the cu. ft. So if you bring in an AL80, for example, and only need a top fill, that is all you are going to pay for. You don't have to worry about getting charged for a full tank.

Take care.

Hi Cyprian,

Thanks for all the details ! Sounds like Aqua Trek is my only practical option, hopefully they stay in business! ( I don't want to fool with the expense/difficulty of keeping tanks oxygen-clean. )

About Scuba Connection, back in the day, they were on the way to work. When they went out of business, I used Surface Interval Scuba. I've dome business with Lone Star Scuba in the past, but they are a LONG drive, and I believe they partial pressure blend too.

Karl

 

[Cyprian]

Karl,

Yes sir, I've walked the same walk you are currently undertaking (looking for banked 32) as I typically always dive 32. I was seriously considering my own setup when I started visiting Aqua Trek and basically pestering them about Nitrox. They bought a tri-stick that the departing Tiger Shark Scuba had....brought in some bank tanks and started banking 32. Needless to say I was happy. Of course, I'm only about 20 mins away from the shop...lol.

Side note: Lone Star is also partial pressure.