Aluminum 80 Cost - Is this reasonable?

[ProfessorAronnax]

That's pretty cool! I hate paying full price for a 1/2 full tank

 

[Vtdiver2]

I live in Texas during the school year and Jersey during the summer. I suppose I could buy an 80 for less in NJ, but when I dive the rest of the year in TX(whose prices are quoted above), I would need to get it to Texas first, which would involve taking off the valve and going through a VIP and rip-off fills. There are 2 LDS's within 30 minutes of my house, bother of which are owned and operated by the same guy. Pretty much a monopoly.

Jesse, I have 2 words for you.....ROAD TRIP!!!!! Take a weekend run up to see Larry and buy the tank from him. The money you save will buy your gas for the roadtrip, with some left over for beer.
C-Dawg

 

[HowardE]

World Water's fill prices are great. We'll never see that in N.E.

There are many places that charge only $3 - 5. The only problem with World Watersports is that they're a little light on the fill... My last fill from them was only 2850 psi. I'd easily pay an extra dollar to get 3300.

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

Likewise

 

[JS1scuba]

Hey Everyone:

My LDS sells 80's for $200+tax each, which includes VIP and 1 year of free fills.
Alternativly, I could order one from ScubaToys for $124 with tax and shipping still being less than my LDS. Some potential problems are:

1. Even if Scubatoys does a VIP and takes off the valve, an dplugs it up, my LDS will still require another VIP for $20.

2. My LDS charges $7 a fill if you don't buy from them.

At first it seems obvious that the free air would more than pay for itself, but after a year I'll be paying $7/fill anyway.

What do you think I should do? Any advice would be great!

It's actually not a bad deal at all.

If it is a Luxfer cylinder with Thermo valve that would put it in the $145 price range. Charging seperate for a VIP is a rip since its a brand new tank so they probably include it. A typical 10 fill air fill card is $50-60 depending on where you go.

So you are getting a new tank with vip and a years worth of fills for $200 ... it's a bargain. Just make sure you do at LEAST 10 fills and you are golden.

Supporting your local dive center is always a good choice.

Cheers

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Fills are 5 bucks at my lds. I've never taken a tank in half full. I help out with so many pool sessions that anything under 1500 or so gets used for that. As a result helping out with them means I've not paid for air fills since last year. Still pay for nitrox but that's only 10 bucks. I still watch what I use it for tho. I've got two pst steel 80's which were 200 each incl tax & shipping. They are nitrox only. My three 72's are for air and I use them with classes and pool work. If you use more than 10 fills a year the free fills doesn't sound so bad. Read the fine print tho. Is there a limit on how many you use in a year. I try to dive every other weekend when possible this means 6-8good dives per weekend. at 2 dives per tank if doing classes that would be 3-4 tanks every other weekend times 20 on the low side not figuring using them for pool that's 60-80 fills in a year. Not a bad deal. even so it's not unusual for me to go thru 3 tanks min on a weekend. How many others I wonder do 3-5 dives a day on here? Cause it seems like two is the norm. Yesterday I did two(one multilevel to 90 total time about 1hr and another along the dam wall that was about 1:15 but that was shallower only 47 max depth. only used 1 tank for those two. That's the first time I've ever done that few in a day since my ow cert.

 

[Wayward Son]

His fill prices are high. I get air for $3.50, nitrox for $8.00. Other shops run $4.00 for air & $10.00 for nitrox. $7.00 for air is high.

Now, $200 for an AL80 is bloody high. But, if you're diving at all, a year's worth of fills does make it potentially worthy. Here I pay $135 for an AL80, with VIP/boot/air fill. So that makes your guy get a $65 fee for air, in comparison. That takes 10 fills @ $7 each to break even, any more & you're coming out ahead.

Here, it would take 19 fills to cover the difference. I rarely dive air, so unless the deal inculded a discount of sorts on nitrox it would do me no good at all.

 

[staticcornflake]

I guess I'll go with the local LDS becuase I will definatly use more than 10 fills. If I don't they'll treat me like crap and give me low fills, anyway.

I hadn't thought about Nitrox but I've looked into it and am taking the class next month. I'm assuming once I go Nitrox I won't want to go back to air, so the year of free air will be useless.

Here's the kicker: My LDS price for 80cf of EAN36 = $20

 

[markfm]

Ouch! Ask if he gives you a cigarette afterwards

 

[Tom Winters]

Here's the kicker: My LDS price for 80cf of EAN36 = $20

Ouch!