Nitrox question

[snepdiver]

Sounds like a shameless ploy to extort a bit more money. Ask them where it says you have to in the agency course requirements and file a complaint with the agency if they can't.

Just out of curiosity, do they require you to have an analyzer for the class, or to buy one from them? Not that you should have to do either, but the latter would be particularly nefarious. Like any other piece of dive gear, analyzers are a matter of taste, and there are good ones and bad ones so you really don't want to buy one until you've used a few and gotten a feel for what you like. Which is one of the things one would normally expect to do during the course!

Of course they want you to buy it from them but I don not know if they care if you get it somewhere else. I am sure they would care, If the goal is to sell the analyzer.

I would like to have one of my own. But I had much rather spend my money on other gear right now. Since the consensus is that fill stations that provide nitrox also provide the analyzer I can wait.

 

[Rick Inman]

I would like to have one of my own. But I had much rather spend my money on other gear right now. Since the consensus is that fill stations that provide nitrox also provide the analyzer I can wait.

I went 4 years without one, no problem. Now that I have one, I wouldn't go without again. But if you ever do want to independently be able to analyze your mix, you can get an El Cheapo from Oxycheq for $100.0 - or pick up Vance's Oxygen Hackers Handbook - and put it together yourself on the cheap. The DIY models give the same readout as the $500.00 kind!

 

[MattJ]

I got my enriched air cert through PADI last year; the LDS provided an analyzer for the class.

 

[scubadobadoo]

My first impression is to think that there must be some confusion or communication issue as I just couldn't imagine a shop requiring one to buy an analyzer to take the nitrox course. If no confusion exists, then I agree with the rest. Go somewhere else.

 

[snepdiver]

Thanks Rick. I think I am going to order the Oxygen Hackers Handbook.

 

[PerroneFord]

I am registered to take a nitrox class next week. My question is, Is it commom practice for the LDS to REQUIRE you to purchase an oxygen analyzer in order to complete the cert? Is this just a way to up sell gear? Everywhere I have been that does nitrox fills requires you to test your gas right there after the fill with their tester. Do I need one of my own to be certified? Lots of questions, I know. I will stop my short rant.

I did not know what sub-forum to use for this question so if it needs to be moved so be it.

You do not need a tester to be certified. But buying one makes a LOT of sense if you will regularly be using nitrox. So buy a new one and show up for class with it. You don't have to buy it at the local shop. What kind of analyzers do they have there and what are the prices? They may actually have good deals on them.

I tend not to trust most shops' analyzers. And on one occasion, they asked to use MINE as it was clearly better than theirs.

 

[snepdiver]

You do not need a tester to be certified. But buying one makes a LOT of sense if you will regularly be using nitrox. So buy a new one and show up for class with it. You don't have to buy it at the local shop. What kind of analyzers do they have there and what are the prices? They may actually have good deals on them.

I tend not to trust most shops' analyzers. And on one occasion, they asked to use MINE as it was clearly better than theirs.

Thanks Perrone. I think they charge within 20 or 30 dollars of what Scuba Toys charges for the Oxycheck analyzer. Same one they sell. I would probably buy from them if I was not forced into it. Like I said earlier, I would like to get other gear first but I do think have my own in the future is a must. It is just not in the current scuba budget.

 

[Homunculus]

when i took Nitrox class las year (PADI), an instructor brought O2 analyzer to the class to show how it operates. He also made sure everyone used it to test various Nitrox mixes.

 

[diver 85]

Sounds like you've got a crafty LDS there...

E

Crafty or sleezy LDS........If I were the OP, I would dig a little deeper into this matter, but that's just me maybe.........

 

[PerroneFord]

It is just not in the current scuba budget.

I hear ya. So just let the LDS know that you appreciate it, but you'll have to postpone your course or look elsewhere because you can't afford an analyzer at the moment. Either they will let you take the class without the analyzer, or they'll stick to their guns and say, no analyzer, no class. Might be worth a call to the certifying agency to get their feeling on whether students should be turned away from class because buying an analyzer is deemed necessary. I'm sure they'd want to know an affilliate is turning students away for that reason.

-P