Hydro Testing on the Island?

[Dave Dillehay]

Stathis is a good guy and is the Bauer Rep who sold us 3 compressors for our HP 120s and 100s…which we always fill to 3475 PSI for our own use. His facility is next to ours across the street from Casa Mission.

We do not rent out tanks as steel tanks require a lot of care. That is why we went to the expense (like $200,000) to get consistent good fills and nitrox that can never be dangerous using the membrane method.

It may have been mentioned elsewhere but the "fake" aluminum 100s, even if filled to 3000psi, only have 92 CF—not 100.

And like others said, frequently filled to 2800 or less which means you are only getting 8-9 more CF for all the burden of handling those monsters. You are better off with an alum 80.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[scubafanatic]

Hopefully they'll hydro my old steel 72s, but if not I guess I'll just have to get some AL80s or whatever. We are contemplating renting an apartment or small house on the island and even at $10 to rent a tank it can add up quickly so I'll be bringing my little compressor. According to SouthWest's baggage policy I'm pretty sure I can bring it on the airplane. It should be interesting doing the "bag drag" with it

I didn't think it was even possible, but I think you may have just surpassed Dandy Don in your analysis/plotting to save a few bucks!

 

[JamesBon92007]

I didn't think it was even possible, but I think you may have just surpassed Dandy Don in your analysis/plotting to save a few bucks!

Well, if my girlfriend and I do two tanks at $10 that's $40/day. If we do that, say, four times a week that's $160/week or $640/month. That's OK if you are doing a once or twice-a-year vacation, but becomes real money if done on a daily basis. Thanks to the great info in this thread it looks like this can be made affordable.

I don't know Dandy Don's specifics off-hand but I got the impression that we came from similar backgrounds, at least as far as diving goes. I am a spend-thrift compared to my depression-era grandparents!

 

[DandyDon]

I didn't think it was even possible, but I think you may have just surpassed Dandy Don in your analysis/plotting to save a few bucks!

The claim that I make my own lead weights at my hotel is a Republican lie.

I don't know Dandy Don's specifics off-hand but I got the impression that we came from similar backgrounds, at least as far as diving goes.

I doubt that part. I'm just a vacation diver, who used to do three fast trips a year plus practice dive trips, but have throttled back to averaging one. I skipped last year for the solar eclipse, but making two in six months this year. I did accomplish a pretty good North American tour diving in different locations before I got old & lazy. Divers I met in Seattle asked me what actually brought up there, having never met a Texan who came just for the dives. The St.Lawrence was also a nice change of pace.

I am a spend-thrift compared to my depression-era grandparents!

Like my dad surviving eating cow peas and heating the house burning cow chips. Sounds smelly but you get used to it. I don't remember an age when I could smell feedlots.

 

[ReefHound]

I'm curious about the economics of the little compressor. May I ask the brand/model? Realize too that electricity is expensive, and almost any long-term rental (and even many short-term) will have you pay for electricity. I would guess that a small compressor is not very energy efficient (at least not as efficient as a large one).

Also, transporting the tanks to Mexico?

At times I have daydreamed about having a compressor but the economics never work out. You would need to be filling a large number of tanks daily to get it under $5/fill and I doubt you could ever get it down to Meridiano's cost. It isn't feasible even for most dive ops. The reason for owning a compressor isn't cost savings but convenience. You don't have to transport tanks to fill station and wait. You don't have to work around someone else's business hours. But maintaining a compressor is an expensive way to work around that. Better off owning a half-dozen extra tanks.

 

[ReefHound]

Well, if my girlfriend and I do two tanks at $10 that's $40/day. If we do that, say, four times a week that's $160/week or $640/month. That's OK if you are doing a once or twice-a-year vacation, but becomes real money if done on a daily basis. Thanks to the great info in this thread it looks like this can be made affordable.

When we shore dive, the most expensive tank rentals we've had were at Blue Angel at $10/tank. Scuba mau at Villa Blanca charges $6 as does Dive Paradise at it's various locations. Casa del Mar was $8.

 

[JamesBon92007]

At times I have daydreamed about having a compressor but the economics never work out. You would need to be filling a large number of tanks daily to get it under $5/fill and I doubt you could ever get it down to Meridiano's cost. It isn't feasible even for most dive ops. The reason for owning a compressor isn't cost savings but convenience. You don't have to transport tanks to fill station and wait. You don't have to work around someone else's business hours. But maintaining a compressor is an expensive way to work around that. Better off owning a half-dozen extra tanks.

The one I have is small enough that I could take it some place where there is no fill station and could be ran from a small generator. The reality it seems is that now most of those places have a dive shop so it would have to be a very remote place these days. Where I am living now I don't know where to get a tank filled--the local dive shop is only open when the owner feels like it and I think it's more of a hang-out for him and his buddies. As for the cost of running it and maintaining it goes, I guess that would depend upon how much a fill costs. A gallon of oil costs about $70 but it doesn't use much oil, but it needs to be changed about every 20-25 fills. I happen to live in a city with cheap(er) electricity so my actual cost, not including the purchase price of the compressor, is probably similar to getting the tanks filled at a dive shop, assuming there was one close by. I also have the advantage of not having someone tell me my old steel 72s are "too old to fill" and I can squeeze a couple hundred extra psi into them so they are equal to an AL80 (but weigh less).

 

[ReefHound]

What about filters? Do you have your air tested frequently? In the states, you also have the issue of liability if you fill for friends.

 

[JamesBon92007]

What about filters? Do you have your air tested frequently? In the states, you also have the issue of liability if you fill for friends.

I also replace the filters every 20 fills.

 

[WetInPortland]

When we shore dive ...

I'm curious where you're shore diving, and how you're getting to the entry point? I'd also be somewhat concerned about leaving a car in an unsecured location (especially if it's remote or there's little traffic) while diving.