No worries 
Nitrox Fills in Key Largo area
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MsParamedic:
Can I ask why you felt the need to drag Cay Clubs into this?? Cay Clubs is NOT the evil empire or anything sinister like that.
She was using it as an example of one who has, I assume, larger volume buying power. It's a pain that a lot of small businesses feel, most of whom use Wal-mart as the example.deepstops:
CBulla:She was using it as an example of one who has, I assume, larger volume buying power. It's a pain that a lot of small businesses feel, most of whom use Wal-mart as the example.
With a boat in Key Largo, a boat in Tav, and a third in Marathon and catering mainly to recreational level divers and out of town divers, I'm doubting Cay Clubs is buying that much more O2 than a shop catering to technical divers.
deepstops:
Don't look at me for numbers, I'm just saying she was using it as an example and having been on the small business side of life, I understood the example of a percievingly larger business having more leeway buying power. The only who really knows those numbers are the ones doing the fills and the accountants for Cay, everything else is just speculation.
What I do know is that Key Largo is inexplicably more expensive than Sanibel.
Gabrielle
Guest
Recently a lot of Independant Schools whom have had to pay higher prices for books and technology due to their size than the large public school systems, have grouped together to create more purchasing power. I am now seeing prices closer to what public school's pay for technology.
I just think that it could be in the best interest in the smaller shops to band together to get better prices. Of course you could already be doing this for all I know.
I just think that it could be in the best interest in the smaller shops to band together to get better prices. Of course you could already be doing this for all I know.
CBulla:Wow.. got defensive and completely misread that... I was saying you all put up with a lot of crap!
Something that I was thinking about last night after I closed shop and went to sleep here - do all the shops, say in the upper keys, rely upon their own resources and buy stuff once as they need it or do they work together and buy O2 or other stuff in bulk (just an example) so the truck that drives the bank tanks down only makes 1 trip in a week. I know, I know.. everyone is doing their own thing, but there are benefits to creating some things together as a group vs. a bunch of chickens in the barn yard with 1 rooster serving at his own whim.
I mean honestly, Sanibel which is across the bridge from where I live is like Key Largo with prices. I live in a tourst area and understand. I also would rather drive 20 miles to Homestead or what not than pay 3x the fill price. For what I'd blow in a day to dive Key Largo with my wife, I'd spend in a week diving Lauderdale by the Sea. KL diving is fun and honestly, the only real affordable way for me to do it without blowing what we have saved is to actually bring our own boat down.
I guess I'm jaded since I live in another area thats touristy and have seen prices of housing, etc., go up to crazy stupid prices while pay didn't change. And for some dumb reason our gas is higher than yours is down there.
I get asked these types of questions frequently about gas fills and also cost of diving. Here's my two penneth about cost of charters - I have noticed that a lot of Ft lauderdale and further north charters are small owner operated boats (often uninspected 6 packs) with fewer overheads associated with buying / leasing car lots for customer parking, rest room facilities, prime retail space to better service customers with equipment, fills, servicing, repair etc, etc. This enables them to charge $40 -$50 instead of $65 - $75 per trip. The reality is however, that the single boat operator in Pompano really needs to be charging $70 upwards and dive resorts more than $80 to make sensible revenues, especially now that we have more unpredictable weather. I charge $225 for a 5 trip package (10 dives), which is awesome value for money. Single trips are $65 including tanks or $55 if you bring your own.
Regarding fills - for recreational Nitrox mixes and air, the gas price is marginal. Its more to do with labor and the cost of running compressors, hydroing & VIP's on the tanks, not to mention the personal risk involved in filling customers tanks in the shop. Interesting comments from many people on this thread about the apparent stupidity of people filling tanks at some shops, it seems incredible to me, but please understand these individuals are risking their lives filling your tank and we all reserve the right to refuse to fill for whatever reason. However, If your shop does trimix and actively teaches and runs tech diving classes/trips you shouldnt have any problems filling your tanks, so look out for these type of stores! For example, I will accept any current hydro intact tank for an 02 fill if you can prove it was cleaned in the past year, regardless of markings. I am more interested in any potential gouges/corrosion/ cracks etc as that is what will really blow my legs off.
Gabrielle:
Excellent idea, and yes it happens in KL to a degree. The PADI system is a good example, where many shops buy from the bigger shops to get better pricing. My point would be that in Florida, the diving is too cheap. You are paying less than you should be for your diving in this area, so unfortunately costs are going to go up, and not down as a result of cooperative buying from the dive shops. Some industry experts believe that Florida has such an old, highly competetive & established dive market that is so easily accessible to its residents (many of whom own boats) that it has suffered long term price pressure not seen elsewhere.
Deep--
The only reason I mention Cay Clubs is because they are not a single shop/store front, but have numerous locations in the Keys--therefore giving them some buying power due to quantity. I did not intend to accuse them of being evil ....just not a single/stand alone shop like many of the shops in Key Largo.
I have friends that work for Cay Clubs--in fact, I worked for them at one time also!
Please accept my apology--I meant only to use them as a reference as a shop with numerous sites vs a shop with a single store front
The only reason I mention Cay Clubs is because they are not a single shop/store front, but have numerous locations in the Keys--therefore giving them some buying power due to quantity. I did not intend to accuse them of being evil ....just not a single/stand alone shop like many of the shops in Key Largo.
I have friends that work for Cay Clubs--in fact, I worked for them at one time also!
Please accept my apology--I meant only to use them as a reference as a shop with numerous sites vs a shop with a single store front
I can understand policies grounded in reason and most certainly anything having to do with a healthy respect for dealing with concentrations above 40% O2 under pressure.
Policies which are arbitrary and inconsistent with established industry norms will do nothing but frustrate an educated customer and drive their business elsewhere.
Policies which are arbitrary and inconsistent with established industry norms will do nothing but frustrate an educated customer and drive their business elsewhere.
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