Cozumel dive ops with hp119s or hp120s?

[Joaz Banbeck]

Anyone have a list of dive operators in Cozumel ( or who go there ) who have hp 120s or hp 119s? I'm rather big, and even with hp100 I end up being the first person who has to go up. I hate being the guy who limits other people's bottom time. ( Ok, ok, I'm a bit of an air hog too, but until I improve that, I'll need a bigger tank. )
Thanks

 

[Mayor]

Aldora has HP 100's and 120's.

 

[markmantei]

I believe there are 3 ops on the island with HP steels. Aldora, Living Underwater, and Liquid Blue Divers.

I cannot speak to the others, but I believe SOP at Aldora is to provide 120's to the men and 100's to the fairer sex, although I'm sure if they would oblige if there was a specific request to the contrary.

 

[Joaz Banbeck]

Thanks

 

[scubawife]

If you want a bigger tank to compensate for your air consumption rate, I'd suggest you go with a shop where the standard tank is an AL80 and request an AL100. If you go with one of the HP or LP steel tank shops, keep in mind that everyone on the boat is diving these tanks so, if you're usually the first one up on a dive, you most likely will still be the first one up... but you'll be sitting on the boat longer because if they're good with their air, they'll all be doing a nice long dive while you wait for them on the boat.

I dive with Living Underwater and they have LP 95s and 120s. (I dive a 95)

 

[WOODMAN]

I believe there are 3 ops on the island with HP steels. Aldora, Living Underwater, and Liquid Blue Divers.

Yep, that's pretty much it, as I understand things. I am also a big tank connoisseur, and I have looked high and low for other sources to no avail. I even partially paid for a 130 cf tank for a liveaboard trip out of Florida just so I could get access to it for that trip. Man, that sure worked out nice, and they still have it if/when I go back to them. But Cozumel? Those three operators are pretty much it. Another operator I know had access to a couple of 120's for awhile, but the owner ended up selling them to one of the unholy trio, so that was that. Solly, Charlie!:sigh_2: Woody

 

[vancouverdiver]

Check out Living Underwater who has steel 120's. Jeremy runs a great dive op. Tends to have smaller groups, and so you may have a more enjoyable dive trip.

 

[Mossman]

If you want a bigger tank to compensate for your air consumption rate, I'd suggest you go with a shop where the standard tank is an AL80 and request an AL100. If you go with one of the HP or LP steel tank shops, keep in mind that everyone on the boat is diving these tanks so, if you're usually the first one up on a dive, you most likely will still be the first one up... but you'll be sitting on the boat longer because if they're good with their air, they'll all be doing a nice long dive while you wait for them on the boat.

Some dive shops (including one of those three with 120s) have a policy of having everyone ascend when the first diver in the group gets low on air. When I was diving a 120 with that one dive shop with that policy, I saw a woman go through a 120 in 45 min and that's how long our dive was. Glad I paid big bucks for a big tank on that trip.

Today (or at least when today comes around in April) I dive with Living Underwater too. Their 120s are less negative than the heavy tanks I've dove before, but being LP they don't require converting one's reg to DIN.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

Some dive shops (including one of those three with 120s) have a policy of having everyone ascend when the first diver in the group gets low on air. When I was diving a 120 with that one dive shop with that policy, I saw a woman go through a 120 in 45 min and that's how long our dive was. Glad I paid big bucks for a big tank on that trip.

Today (or at least when today comes around in April) I dive with Living Underwater too. Their 120s are less negative than the heavy tanks I've dove before, but being LP they don't require converting one's reg to DIN.

The HP120s used by Aldora work just fine with yokes too.

 

[Mossman]

The HP120s used by Aldora work just fine with yokes too.

That's good to hear. Back when I tried Aldora in 2001, they would convert divers' regs to DIN for the duration of the trip.

So what changed? I thought that HP tanks' typical pressure of 3,500 was too much for yoke fittings to handle, hence the need for DIN. Are yokes getting better, is high pressure getting lower, or what?