Discuss: gas analyzer before second Shearwater?

[Marie13]

A pretty experienced tech certified friend expressed his dismay that he sees way too many tech divers springing for a second Shearwater before a gas analyzer, rather than making do with a backup computer in gauge mode and getting the analyzer. I tend to side with his thinking.

Over to you!

 

[NothingClever]

I bought my gas analyzer at the same time I bought my Perdix.

I’ll get another Perdix eventually but right now I’m content diving with a table + BT.

The gas analyzer and a simple pressure gauge are valuable to me for confidence in what I’m breathing, especially in developing nations. I see guys all the time assuming they know what they’ve got because the shop told them so. I couldn’t do that.

 

[RayfromTX]

Tech diving is a 10k buy in and it certainly doesn't end there. If you try to do it on a budget you will be forced to make some hard choices. If you are buying gas then use theirs until you can afford both.

For me I would cheap out on my vehicle and buy both along with a compressor and blending setup. I'm not connected to a shop for convenient and at cost gas fills. I fill my own and must have multiple testers and analyzers. It helps that there are two of us to justify the cost of analyzers. gauge mode and tables etc isn't a direction I want to go.

The cost of one class is about the same as the cost of a second computer or analyzer. I got the gear and then the training. My choice at the time and I don't regret it.

I'm just a tec greenhorn so that colors the validity and depth of my opinion on the matter.

 

[CuzzA]

If you're not filling your own tanks what's the point? My shop has two AI analyzers. I can't see a practical reason to buy one when you should be analyzing and marking your tanks at the shop. If you don't trust your shop's anaylizer, you might be better off finding a different shop, because what else are they neglecting at the fill station?

 

[Jcp2]

I take it by gas analyzer you mean for oxygen and helium, not for carbon monoxide?

 

[rddvet]

If you're not filling your own tanks what's the point? My shop has two AI analyzers. I can't see a practical reason to buy one when you should be analyzing and marking your tanks at the shop. If you don't trust your shop's anaylizer, you might be better off finding a different shop, because what else are they neglecting at the fill station?

Because in my personal opinion, if you're not taking those tanks and immediately diving them, they should be reanalyzed. Especially trimix. I fill my own gas and it's analuzed 3 times. Once coming out of the compressor, once out of the full tanks once filled, and then a final time before a dive (either before going in the truck or at the site). Get a pp filled trimix tank from a shop and analyze it within an hour of them filling it, then reanalyze in a couple days. I bet there's going to be a slight or major difference.

Personally I believe all divers should test their gas be it air through trimix for both % content and CO prior to every dive no matter when the tank was filled. If you can use a shop analyzer right before the dive, great. If not buy your own.

 

[CuzzA]

Because in my personal opinion, if you're not taking those tanks and immediately diving them, they should be reanalyzed. Especially trimix. I fill my own gas and it's analuzed 3 times. Once coming out of the compressor, once out of the full tanks once filled, and then a final time before a dive (either before going in the truck or at the site). Get a pp filled trimix tank from a shop and analyze it within an hour of them filling it, then reanalyze in a couple days. I bet there's going to be a slight or major difference.

Personally I believe all divers should test their gas be it air through trimix for both % content and CO prior to every dive no matter when the tank was filled. If you can use a shop analyzer right before the dive, great. If not buy your own.

Perhaps if you're taking a hot fill with you, but most people, myself included, drop tanks off and pick them up at a later date where they have since cooled to room temp. But let's apply your theory to reality. It's 80 degrees where I'm at right now. Tanks baking in the sun on a boat will probably be warmer, yet the water is in the mid 60's. So if you're really going to be that pedantic you should soak your tanks in the water to get an accurate read out for the actual condition the gas will be in. You'll just need to have thick skin when everyone else on the boat razzes you. It's inconsequential, IMO, and if you have tech training you were likely taught to dive a little more conservatively giving yourself some buffer room for slight variances.

 

[Jack Hammer]

As you get further into tech you add more tanks and have more opportunity for error. Analyzers can fail, be miscalibrated, or just give odd readings before failure. Always analyze tanks before using them to reverify contents. This is a process that takes under a minute.

ALWAYS know what you are breathing.

 

[Jack Hammer]

Perhaps if you're taking a hot fill with you, but most people, myself included, drop tanks off and pick them up at a later date where they have since cooled to room temp. But let's apply your theory to reality. It's 80 degrees where I'm at right now. Tanks baking in the sun on a boat will probably be warmer, yet the water is in the mid 60's. So if you're really going to be that pedantic you should soak your tanks in the water to get an accurate read out for the actual condition the gas will be in. You'll just need to have thick skin when everyone else on the boat razzes you. It's inconsequential, IMO, and if you have tech training you were likely taught to dive a little more conservatively giving yourself some buffer room for slight variances.

No offense, I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. What does soaking tanks before analyzing them have to do with anything? It's kind of ridiculous.

The tanks I filled in Chicago when it was 20f/-6c analyze within a point or two when I recheck them in Florida before my dive and they've been laying out in the sun all day.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I had an analyzer before I had a tech computer. They are not expensive. If you are going to start using anything other than air on a regular basis and own your own cylinders, get the analyzer first.
You should not be diving mixes with helium in them if you don't have a helium analyzer available on site.
If you're going to use deco gasses get the O2 analyzer first. If it's an either or.
Getting a second tech computer to do tech dives without at least having an O2 analyzer? You may want to question if you really have the proper mindset and attention to detail to start tech diving at all.