Am I in over my head?

[gregoryulrich]

What are the considerations one has to take into account when buying a used scuba compressor? I've seen one for sale at a reasonable price and it is fairly new. My first thought was "awesome, that would be really convenient!" but after thinking a little more I'm a little nervous about all the things that could go wrong (i.e. bad air fills). Is it worth it?

 

[idocsteve]

It goes without saying that by definition, all Scuba divers are in over their heads.

 

[Wayne at DiveSeekers]

Are you just planning on air or are you doing Nitrox fills? You do have to factor in other costs!

Servicing -Not all that expensive if you are mechanically inclined. Our servicing expenses are higher because of the # of fills that we do.
Filters - If doing Nitrox blending then there are multiple filters
Air samples - I recommend getting the tested for purity. We do a lot of fills at our shop so we send out for air samples 4 times a year.
Oxygen - Need this if you are doing Nitrox fills
Gauges, Valves, Whips, K bottles etc.. depending on how you are going to set it up.

It all depends on what you are planning to do.

 

[H2O 70]

I would love to have my own compressor.

There are going to be pros and cons to owning your own compressor.

Pro:

• convenience - get the fill you want, when you want
• cost per fill - low if you do a fair amount of fills
• you can mix your own Nitrox on Trimix

Con

• one more thing to maintain
• cost per fill - high if you don't do a lot of fills

I'm sure there are more for each list.

It will be like the rest of your gear. You'll learn how to use it an maintain it!

 

[gregoryulrich]

Thanks for the responses! My wife and I are diving air so far but we are continuing with our education and will eventually dive nitrox for some dives. I am very mechanically inclined so I'm not afraid to do my own maintenance. The plan is eventually to get our own boat with an onboard compressor. Gotta starts somewhere! I guess the air quality was what worried me. The compressor I'm looking at has an electrical driven motor.

 

[dannobee]

You should be fine.

Don't worry about the cost of the compressor, it's like having money in the bank; you could likely sell it for more than you bought it for.

When the time comes for nitrox, set it up for continuous blending.

 

[gregoryulrich]

It goes without saying that by definition, all Scuba divers are in over their heads.

I walked right into that one didn't I

 

[rigdiver]

The convenience factor is priceless. If it really is a good deal I'd say jump on it. Make sure to see it pump up to service pressure before buying. Check for leaks. Enjoy.

 

[idocsteve]

I walked right into that one didn't I

More like you "dived into it".

 

[CraigAClark]

If you are going to run the unit at home, make sure you can meet the power requirements.

Craig