3500 psi fills in Minnesota?

[Russoft]

Planning on purchasing an HP80 cylinder for my wife. The length would be perfect for her short stature. My concern is getting a high pressure fill. Short of calling around or visiting in person, I was hoping I could hear from other local divers where they go for high pressure fills.

Scuba Center sells HP steel cylinders, so I would assume they also fill them. Anyone know the price of a fill?

Aquaventure $10 for a high pressure fill ($7 for normal fill)

FantaSea Divers rented me an HP100 once upon a time so I assume they also do high pressure fills

Air Down There Scuba seems to expressly NOT fill above 3300 psi according to their website

Minnesota School of Diving from my recollection only has 3000 psi fills available, but I'd be happy to be wrong.

 

[2airishuman]

Scuba Center in Eagan has a RIX compressor and is very good about fills of all kinds. I get good accurate HP fills almost every time but I have to leave the cylinders overnight (or all day) for this, because they will not fill them above their rated pressure while warm in anticipation of them cooling. They have to cool to 72 degrees and then be topped off, which takes several hours. If I recall correctly, air fills are $7 with a 10% discount if you get a 10-punch air card. They have a blending station and can provide oxygen fills, and can blend nitrox in any ratio. They use a blend strategy that does not require your cylinders to be oxygen clean for nitrox up to 40%. I believe nitrox is $15 a cylinder (up to 40%). They are comfortable with steels and twinsets, really a full service shop. I've never asked about helium.

I am unsure what the exact relationship is between the Eagan and Minneapolis stores, but day-to-day management is different and the services and inventory are not the same. Minneapolis has an oil-lubricated compressor. I've never obtained fills there and can't speak firsthand to the prices or service.

Minnesota School of Diving in Brainerd does offer HP fills -- I've obtained them there. They fill in a refrigerated water bath.

You do not mention A Diver's World in Lakeville. I get quite a few fills there. They have an oil-lubricated compressor. They have air fills only. I believe individual fills are $7, a 10-punch card is $60, and if you buy three cards at once you get a fourth free. Like Scuba Center, you have to leave your cylinders long enough to allow cooling time to get a good fill, also, they ordinarily perform walk-in fills only from the cascade, and the cascade usually isn't full enough to allow an HP fill.

I believe that Air Down There will perform HP fills, but they charge extra for them.

Fantasea has recently moved and are now in Long Lake, west of the metro.

I mainly get my fills at A Diver's World because I believe their air quality and fill practices are as good as any of the others and they are reasonably priced and have convenient access. You can usually park right by the door. I really like Scuba Center but to get from the parking lot to their air counter involves a 25 yard walk, 4 uneven concrete steps, two doors, and a couple of ledges that are hard to roll carts over, and it makes cylinder handling too much of a hassle.

 

[2airishuman]

Also the Owatonna Divers Club has HP fills, but are open only on Thursday nights. Fills are $1 for members. If I remember right, fills for non-members are $5.

 

[Russoft]

Fantastic info! I'm aware of other places (like A Diver's Word), but only mentioned the ones I've dealt with to date.

I think I'll inquire at the South Minneapolis location for Scuba Center since they're closest to us, especially if we need to arrange for drop off and pick up prior to a trip out of the city.

If MSD does walk-in HP fills, that solves most of the problem since the mine pits are the majority of the diving we've done to date.