Carbon Monoxide in Cozumel

[mstevens]

I pledged for the cootwo Kickstarter, but really because it's a cool idea and I like toys, not because I'm worried about CO in Cozumel given that every shop I've dived with uses Meridiano 87.

 

[cvchief]

The only operator I am aware of that offers testing is Aldora as stated in this thread somewhere

Scuba with Alison bought an Analox CO tested back in the height of the CO scare for customer to use. I don't think it is on the boat regularly anymore as no ever wanted to use it when offered.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

For the record: There were several reasons we built our own fill station. One is even if you have an in line CO detector on your compressor, it does no good if not auto shut off, and loud enough to be heard over compressor noise.

So, both of our Bauer compressors have CO detectors with AUTO shutdown. In addition our operator has a second in line CO detector with audible alarm that is deafening. Then the air goes into a series of cascade storage tanks which would dilute even the most minute "puff" of CO.

That and we draw our air from 80 ft above ground. But we still hand test every batch.

AS for our Nitrox, we use a Membrane System which is physically impossible of making a truly dangerous mix of Nirox (>40%) as opposed to those who use a partial pressure method. This should be an important difference for those that don't check.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

ALDORA DIVERS

 

[Skittl1321]

Scuba with Alison bought an Analox CO tested back in the height of the CO scare for customer to use. I don't think it is on the boat regularly anymore as no ever wanted to use it when offered.

(Emphasis mine.) That just really is so surprising. Sad it's not on the boat anymore.

If a detector was offered to me, I'd test for sure. Why would anyone turn that down? It takes like two minutes, and then you know.

 

[mstevens]

One of the things I've really come to value about the dive shop owners who frequently post here is that they don't say "trust me".

They show me WHY I should trust what they say.

(As far as I can tell, no Cozumel dive shop I've ever used has ever posted here, so I'm not boosting my preferred dive shop.)

 

[cvchief]

(Emphasis mine.) That just really is so surprising. Sad it's not on the boat anymore.

If a detector was offered to me, I'd test for sure. Why would anyone turn that down? It takes like two minutes, and then you know.

Just ask and she would bring it, I imagine!

 

[cruiser]

Testing every nitrox tank is a dive industry standard, taught and emphasized in class. CO contamination in tanks isn't acknowledged in the dive industry, and isn't taught in dive class. Testing for CO has been a grass roots movement, thanks to divers like DandyDon, Swampdiver and others who have raised awareness of CO contamination, and a lot of us have taken it from there, buying our own CO testers, taking them on the boat and testing every tank. I've found very few contaminated tanks on the island but still use my CO tester on every tank, because you don't know if CO is in your gas unless you test it.

Feel free to PM or ask other questions, will see them later (have to get off the computer and get some work done)

---------- Post added July 23rd, 2015 at 05:47 PM ----------

As far as trusting people who run dive ops--I trust them. But the process of filling tanks has many variables and that's what I don't leave to chance - so I still test every tank.

---------- Post added July 23rd, 2015 at 06:52 PM ----------

I pledged for the cootwo Kickstarter, but really because it's a cool idea and I like toys, not because I'm worried about CO in Cozumel given that every shop I've dived with uses Meridiano 87.

Kudos on the cootwo idea--hope that comes to life. It would be handy to have a 2-in-1 unit.

I wish I had the faith you have in Meridiano, but I've heard of bad gas coming from there, one resulting in a fatality during a cave dive. Your experiences with them must be much different?

 

[mstevens]

Your experiences with them must be much different?

Completely different. I've hardly ever died at all breathing their gas.

They supply the large majority of scuba gas used on the island. Apart from having "heard of" problems with them, do you have any reliable reports?

 

[DandyDon]

Completely different. I've hardly ever died at all breathing their gas.

They supply the large majority of scuba gas used on the island. Apart from having "heard of" problems with them, do you have any reliable reports?

Ha! Never going to happen. Surely you realize how problems are hushed up in tourist destinations. It's ok, what you don't know about can't be bad, right?

 

[ggunn]

Ha! Never going to happen. Surely you realize how problems are hushed up in tourist destinations. It's ok, what you don't know about can't be bad, right?

And airlines watch what flights you are looking at so they can jack up the price just for you, right?