Dive shops in Ambergris Caye

[Allen Raphael]

Thanks for the valuable info Peter! We are definitely not folks who want to push the deco limits...there are already enough challenges to have a safe experience as it is, so why risk it getting hurt doing what you love? Great point regarding the early deeper dives, as we'll see if we can just use air for those. Now that we're getting a little more comfortable in the water, we will start really looking at our consumption. Now that we are both carrying cameras, with mine being pretty bulky unfortunately, our profiles may change as we try to master buoyancy and photography techniques!

If a particular dive operator doesn't carry Nitrox, I wonder if they would they be willing to "sub-lease" from another operator to get them? I suppose this is really a question for Chuck and Robbie's so I will contact them to see what our options are. We are going to buy our own analyzer after all...our hope is to dive for a long time and it's a worthwhile investment. It's not that I don't "trust" the operators but hey, it's our health and we do value it!

As for DAN, yes we definitely have it at the highest option available so if there's any issues, most of what he need covered should be covered. Hopefully.

 

[peterbj7]

Actually don't be lead into a false sense of security. Oxygen analysers analyse just that, and carbon monoxide analysers merely check for carbon monoxide. Neither will reveal, for example, harmful levels of hydrocarbons or other noxious substances. As to "tasting" the air (gas) before you dive with it, remember that many of these substances are undetectable in small proportions, even though their partial pressure may increase to harmful levels at depth. A few years ago I rented some tanks to people who had chartered a catamaran. The deal was that they used the gas I provided only and didn't refill them, but of course they did. They told me they had had them filled at a well-known liveaboard, which sounded likely. I took all these tanks out of service and did a visual inspection on them, and found alarming deposits of oil inside. From what I was able to learn it seemed the liveaboard had disabled the automatic shutdown that was supposed to occur when the filters on their compressor detected unacceptable levels of impurities, something that is commonly done to extend the life of filters. The result was air that might be OK at shallow depths but which would have become dangerous deeper. This oil would not have been detected by any of the analysers mentioned in this thread.

---------- Post added April 22nd, 2012 at 08:30 PM ----------

Hi Allen - you will be able to buy Amigos' nitrox at any local dive center, and I'm pretty sure C&R buy their air from Amigos as well.

As to the analyser, do be aware that once you've broken the seal it's time limited. Even if you don't use it it will expire after a certain time. It's hard to say how long that will be, but I usually reckon the costs of having a working O2 analyser is about the same annually as having top level DAN insurance. When you buy the analyser try to get one that has replaceable battery and sensor, and ask what a replacement sensor would cost. They vary enormously, and on some models you can't replace either sensor or battery.

Remember also that water is the enemy of a sensor. A single drop of water will destroy the sensor, even if it's brand new. I learned this to my cost some years back when a guest analysed her second tank of the day when she was still dripping from the first. By-bye analyser. Best get all the nitrox tanks you'll want in one diving session, analyse them all at the same time, and label the ones you're not using immediately with your name.

I made a post somewhere not long ago explaining how the Chamber in San Pedro operates, and what the significance of the monthly contribution from a dive center is. If in ANY doubt, I would always check with the Chamber the status of your chosen operator before you start diving.

 

[Downing]

As for DAN, yes we definitely have it at the highest option available so if there's any issues, most of what he need covered should be covered. Hopefully.

Good choice. DAN is a fantastic resource.