Is it worth the trouble and expense to carry emergency oxygen?

[2airishuman]

Stupid question: does oxygen not keep?

Oxygen keeps "forever" but the container it's in doesn't. Most people use the cylinders for training after 5 years and get them hydro tested and revalved.

In my particular situation I don't have enough oxygen for the more remote trips I'm doing now.

 

[2airishuman]

Hi 2airishuman,

I completed the training for a DAN O2 card. At the time, it allowed me to purchase O2 equipment and fill cylinders.

Has that changed? Or, are you talking about Minnesota state law?

The DAN O2 card was relatively painless to get. Is that an option for you?

cheers,
markm

Please take a look at the other thread.

 

[2airishuman]

I agree with the "yes". Particularly due the dive situations you regularly do. Just curious-- what depths do you dive with your relatives, freinds? I've never owned a $700 O2 bottle, but dive very shallow and almost always solo, so for me it makes little sense.

It depends, but not more than 100 feet. These are freshwater dives, and it's cold. We don't usually hit NDLs.

 

[KenGordon]

Ask the dive shops what card they want for any o2 fill. Get that card. Easiest would seem like TDI Advanced Nitrox.

And the answer is Yes.

 

[Wookie]

Yes.

If I was unclear, Yes.

If you didn’t understand, Yes.

If English is your second language, YES!!!!!

 

[2airishuman]

Yes.

If I was unclear, Yes.

If you didn’t understand, Yes.

If English is your second language, YES!!!!!

Wookie, I understand you best when you provide stories to illustrate your point.

 

[KenGordon]

Person cocks up deployment of DSMB, gets dragged to the surface. No symptoms, do you 1. call a helicopter? 2. Put them on o2 as a precaution? 3. Get them to make their own tea?

 

[Stoo]

Call 911 and meet the ambulance.

Gotcha. Well I guess that works as long as it's nothing too serious. We have a chamber in Tobermory that's on standby pretty much all the time. Even in my boat, which runs upwards of 40mph, it would likely take a solid hour to get there from many sites. Other areas where we dive it could be several hours before we could get in and meet paramedics.

 

[Stoo]

Stupid question: does oxygen not keep? Just trying to get my head around never needing it but having to jump through hoops to keep getting it.

As I mentioned, my DAN kit is maybe 20 years old and Its never been used. I had the bottle hydroed a few years ago and when I was draining the tank, I tested and breathed the O2. It seemed the same as a fresh fill. I couldn't find a place to service the regulator, so I just bought a new mask and stuck it on. It's stored in a Pelican case so away from light and moisture, but I'm sure the "rubber" bits inside are a little dry. I"m not overly concerned since it isn't "life support" like SCUBA regs. At least I know my O2 regs are serviced annually

 

[2airishuman]

Gotcha. Well I guess that works as long as it's nothing too serious. We have a chamber in Tobermory that's on standby pretty much all the time. Even in my boat, which runs upwards of 40mph, it would likely take a solid hour to get there from many sites. Other areas where we dive it could be several hours before we could get in and meet paramedics.

I didn't say it was a good plan, but it's the plan I have.

Last year I was diving Lake of the Woods near Bell Island. It was shallow but this is the sort of thing that makes me think. It's an hour's boat ride to the nearest reasonable access point, and then an hour's drive to Kenora, and then the closest chamber is in Winnipeg. Lake Superior doesn't have a hyperbaric chamber, closest ones are Minneapolis and Eau Claire.