If the price really is $18.00/Nitrox fill!!!!!!!!!! then I would say No, it's not worth it.
Is Nitrox worth it?
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Just a little Nitrox info as well... I pay $8 for nitrox fills in my Steel 100's. That is from empty.
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Pretty sure it's not - the way they price things on Marathon is a little confusing, but I think it's an $8 upgrade - well worth it on the T-Bolt.dl348:If the price really is $18.00/Nitrox fill!!!!!!!!!! then I would say No, it's not worth it.
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It's kinda funny how Nitrox prices vary, here in Calgary I pay $7 CDN. On my recent trip to Hawaii I paid $10 US. I was also quoted $15 CDN :06: at another LDS here in Calgary.
I did 8 tanks when I was in Hawaii and felt the it was definatley worth it, but @ $18 I waould have passed and just gone with less Bottom Time.
I did 8 tanks when I was in Hawaii and felt the it was definatley worth it, but @ $18 I waould have passed and just gone with less Bottom Time.
I would say that nitrox varies in price for several reasons....
The place where I get the cheaper fills... they BANK 32, 36, and 40. So it's very easy for them to do fills. Pre-mixed, and ready to put into the tank.
Other places do "partial pressure fills" which involves putting pure O2 in the tank first, then "topping" it off with air, to achieve the mix you desire.
The cost of Bottled O2 can vary from place to place, and also by the amount of O2 that the dive shop buys.
Hopefully this is a decent quick explanation of why it varies in price, and time to fill nitrox tanks.
The place where I get the cheaper fills... they BANK 32, 36, and 40. So it's very easy for them to do fills. Pre-mixed, and ready to put into the tank.
Other places do "partial pressure fills" which involves putting pure O2 in the tank first, then "topping" it off with air, to achieve the mix you desire.
The cost of Bottled O2 can vary from place to place, and also by the amount of O2 that the dive shop buys.
Hopefully this is a decent quick explanation of why it varies in price, and time to fill nitrox tanks.
WarmWaterDiver
Contributor
We prefer Nitrox when we can get it, but often the more remote and less developed spots don't offer it.
There was a snippet in the last Undercurrent regarding anecdotal use of nitrox vs. air on apres-dive activities. The anecdotal data was when diving air, a nap was almost always the activity with the morning 2 tank dive, lunch, then nap, then the afternoon dive. The anecdotal evidence was using Nitrox increased odds of replacing the nap with more vigorous activities.
I have paid a similar such surcharge in other locations - such as Divetech in Grand Cayman - US$18 for a 100ft3 rental tank filled with Nitrox. But considering all the other things that went into the dive vacation, it was worth it to us. We have used anywhere from 25% O2 to 50% O2 (as well as the naturally occuring 21% O2) EAN.
To each his or her own.
There was a snippet in the last Undercurrent regarding anecdotal use of nitrox vs. air on apres-dive activities. The anecdotal data was when diving air, a nap was almost always the activity with the morning 2 tank dive, lunch, then nap, then the afternoon dive. The anecdotal evidence was using Nitrox increased odds of replacing the nap with more vigorous activities.
I have paid a similar such surcharge in other locations - such as Divetech in Grand Cayman - US$18 for a 100ft3 rental tank filled with Nitrox. But considering all the other things that went into the dive vacation, it was worth it to us. We have used anywhere from 25% O2 to 50% O2 (as well as the naturally occuring 21% O2) EAN.
To each his or her own.
Eagle-scuba
Contributor
$10us is what I pay on average,....some smaller shops might charge a little more if they are using a nitrogen filter....but definately YES...especially if you are doing repetitive diving....more than 3 dives above 100 ft........just refresh yourself with the tables, and compare the EAN tables to your RDP as far as bottom time ....if you are doing 1-3 dives in a 24hr period, then air might be the way......keep in mind the next days diving also .....see ya` under
NYHippo
Registered
I dive Nitrox every dive that permits at least 28%. I dive one al100 and one al80. It is true that my SAC rate will not allow me to stay any longer on Nitrox then on air, but I FEEL safer with the NDL cushion I have on Nitrox. I also have noticed that I am less tired after a day of diving on Nitrox than on air. To me a few dollars is worth it.
I personally like the extra safety margin that nitrox provides, but then everyones not a fat old fart like me. Bottom line is that it does take out the between dive fatigue I used to feel on air. I also don't seem to get the narcosis effect like I used to around the MOD of the mix I'm using. I now have a couple of tanks that I dedicate to air fills for the shallower dives(20 ft. sharks teeth searches off Venice), but when I had all of my tanks O2 clean, I did'nt dare put "regular" air in them, even though they were usually filled off a 32% bank. As far as $18 fills, if you are at a remote locale and that's all there is, then they got you by the kohones. I know of at least one popular springs dive site that charges $18 per fill and other than a little grumbling, most people don't bat an eye. I've got enough tanks to take with me on a road trip to cover 3 dives a day for 2 days mostly because I trust my LDS $5 nitrox fills over the $18 fills anyday. Yes, that's $5 per fill with his 10 fill card! At six tanks a trip, average two trips a month, I can buy another HP 100 in two months! But if it came down to it, and I didn't have a full tank when an opportunity to dive came up, I would pay the price for the fill just because it's diving, man!
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