Meridiano Fill Station Adding Analox Clear inline CO Monitors

[DandyDon]

This is big news for to me. The hidden risk of Carbon Monoxide tainted tank air was ignored industry wide with a common attitude of "no problems yet" so long that many divers far more experienced than I believed there were no problems, including local professionals. That attitude was naive in my mind even tho popular because if you don't test you really do not know - you're diving on hope. And it came unglued a couple of times this year when many compressors were working at their peak...

One successful and respected Operator with their own compressors incurred several injuries that had all the signs of CO toxicity. No public test results were ever announced of course, but the Op lost a lot of business and the injured divers were seemingly lucky to be alive.

Our tests of Meridiano filled tanks in August repeatedly showed readings over 7 ppm, some more than twice that. See the long story here.

And those were not the first CO cases on Coz. There are no other records to my knowledge of serious injuries, but that's a questionable story really. I could expand on that, but let's move on to good news...​

I just didn't bother contacting the fill station as others have before, but things lined up better this time around. In addition to my amateur testing, another diver on the boat also had another brand of analyzer getting the same results - and if you can't trust an Anesthesiologist to test gases...?

Well, we couldn't have accomplished anything without Dave helping. He was skeptical at first, even resistant, as he is a gas expert in his own right, and had no reason to doubt the fill station before - but mostly with the Doc's help he kept an open mind, then got on our side.

Now I may well have some details off here and there, but that's the general story as I understand it. Whatever I got right and wrong, nonetheless, Dave is assisting with the acquisition of 5 inline units, possibly after helping talk them into acquiring and installing them.

Not that I will stop testing my tanks. I'll have my new Analox EII CO portable unit when I come back, but then Dave ordered one of those too so Aldora can also test tanks. I still think that more divers & all Operators need to be testing along with the fill stations, to guard against whatevers. The Doc & I put some some of our money into this, and it's rewarding to see Meridiano and Dave doing so as well.

And thanks again to Suprane, the Doc who didn't want to go public before now as well as Dave for their permission in allowing me to share all this.

I do hope all this is taken as a good example to embrace, by other divers, other Coz Operators, other Coz compressor owners, as well as other destinations beyond. The units are expensive investments, but for a serious operation only pennies a tank to guarantee safer air than the vast majority of other Caribbean & Latin America destinations.

And when you go to Roatan, Ambergris, or whever - take your CO tester, but ask them: "They run inline CO compressor monitors on Coz! Why don't you treat my safety as well?" Blame it on me; it's fine.

 

[annlaur]

DON, YOU RULE !!!

I must say when I read you embarking on that crusade months ago, I was skeptical about its outcome. So glad I was wrong and very impressed with what you and Suprane have accomplished. Kudos also to Dave Hilleway for getting things done. Never met him but having dove with Aldora quite a lot last winter and hung out with Memo and the rest of the staff, it was obvious to me that they run a top-notch operation thriving to be the most innovative on the island, so it only seems logical they would eventually get involved on this essential issue.
Thank you to the three of you. This is a huge safety improvement, for both vacation divers and local professionnals breathing off tanks everyday.

 

[Coral-Reefer]

I'll have my new Analox EII CO portable unit when I come back,

Back from where? Are they on the market yet or are the going to be introduced at DEMA? I would like to get one before Dec. 4th if possible.

 

[DandyDon]

DON, YOU RULE !!!

:laughing: Hardly but thanks.

Back from where? Are they on the market yet or are the going to be introduced at DEMA? I would like to get one before Dec. 4th if possible.

Uh, back from home to the island again. Yeah they'll be introduced at DEMA but can be ordered online soon.

The EIICO has just been loaded up on our webpage! The buy online function hasn't been activated yet, but soon!

 

[RubberDucky]

Our tests of Meridiano filled tanks in August repeatedly showed readings over 7 ppm

This was my experience earlier this year as well. It seemed that 5ppm - 8ppm was about the average. Then of course there was the one I've already posted about that averaged 30ppm. Kudos to all involved in making Cozumel that much safer of a place to dive.

 

[shawrg]

Great news! Pushing the thank you button is inadequate. You're a hero!

 

[DiverG]

Thank you Don for spearheading the effort. Thank you Dave for keeping an open mind, and coming onboard to get this done.

 

[suprane]

Thanks Don for this most excellent post! There is no way that I could have stated it better!

There were times through all of this when I felt sure that our concerns were going to be pushed aside and ignored. So, I felt very pleased when Dave Dillehay contacted me a few nights ago with the news that they had ordered (5) five in-line units to be installed at Meridiano! And, additionally, that a portable unit had also been ordered for Aldora's use to double check their tanks! I was even more impressed that he took the time and effort to send me copies of the correspondence that had transpired between he, Memo Mendoza (of Aldora Divers), and Analox Sensor Technology, as well as photo copies of the actual purchase orders.

As I stated in another thread, I met with Dave Dillehay in Cozumel in August and discussed our concerns with him. I found him to be a very intelligent, thinking individual. And although I was at first of the impression that he was a bit skeptical of our testing methodology and the validity and reliability of our results, it is obvious now that he did persue the issue.

For those of you not familiar with Dave, he is a very pivital individual with the dive business on the island of Coz. In addition he is an avid and intelligent diver in his own rite. Top that off with the fact that he owns and operates an industrial gas testing company in Texas, and he is just the sort of person that you want to have involved with this situation!

It would have been difficult (or impossible!) to accomplish what we have without him on board! And, for that reason, my thanks go out to him!

I also must thank DandyDon for his tireless efforts in keeping this problem at the forefront of everyones thoughts! I just don't have the time or energy to burn up a keyboard (figuratively) the way he does! LOL

Finally, it is obvious to me that diver safety on the island of Cozumel has taken a huge leap forward as a result of this!

Anyone who has any questions about this or the desire to see the actual invoices may contact Don or me and we will gladly e-mail them to you.

 

[firstdive2005]

Good work Don, your due diligence in this area is a great value to others who may not have the desire to pursue this. Me included. I thank you, you may have helped saved my life.

 

[DandyDon]

Thanks Don for this most excellent post! There is no way that I could have stated it better!

There he is, the man that kept the ball rolling. Thanks for posting.