Nitrox - warning for beginner divers

[boulderjohn]

Well, I went to my local shop Maximum Scuba on Richmond in Houston. They told me that they need to let all the nitrox out. When this will happen it will be empty. All empty tanks need a visual. Thus, they will fill with air only if I will shell out for a visual.

BTW: The tank is new, visual was made 2 weeks ago.

Sadly, everyone telling you to get a new shop is right. Not only do they not need to get all the nitrox out, they don't need to do a visual when they do. The reason you were told above that you are being "hosed" is that it is extremely hard to believe that people who make their living in part from filling tanks could be so terribly ignorant, so the assumption is that they are lying to you. You don't want to patronize a business that is lying to you. On the other hand, if they aren't lying to you, then they are terribly ignorant. You don't want to patronize a shop where they are terribly ignorant, either.

 

[klinc]

$5 air fills, $10 nitrox fills is what I am paying in central FL

$3 and $7 here... Have two tanks setup for air for shallow springs and 4 setup for nitrox when out in the ocean. Could do all six nitrox and probably will on the next visual. Cost for air/nitrox fills is negligible here.

 

[macado]

Well, I went to my local shop Maximum Scuba on Richmond in Houston. They told me that they need to let all the nitrox out. When this will happen it will be empty. All empty tanks need a visual. Thus, they will fill with air only if I will shell out for a visual.

BTW: The tank is new, visual was made 2 weeks ago.

Wow. I know this has already been stated a million times but either they're trying to scam money out of you or the person you spoke to is woefully ignorant.

Your tank does not need a new visual. They can easily top your tank off with air and you'll end up with a less nitrogen enriched mix.

I really hope it was just a shop employee who misspoke and didn't understand because otherwise that is highway robbery.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

less nitrogen enriched mix.

I know it's a typo, but that thar is funny!!!

 

[kotik]

I really hope it was just a shop employee who misspoke and didn't understand because otherwise that is highway robbery.

I've been hoping that someone from the store in question might step in here and present their own side of the story. I'd be interested in hearing it.

Everyone might bear in mind that there are three sides to every story, and things can have a way of being misunderstood between what one person says and what another person hears. I don't know the OP and don't mean any offense if the exchange did go exactly as related, but I will point out that Texasguy appeared on the board 9 days ago and has managed close to 60 posts in that time, a number of which have a negative tone or are based on some off-the-wall premise. Here's his latest work, maybe an innocent joke, but hard to tell-- the mods did find it necessary to move it to a different forum. Please remember that the current thread itself started as a sweeping statement to new divers that Nitrox certification is useless since he's found that he can't get it at many local shops so that he can "practice" it. This is in a locality where nothing gets much deeper than 30 feet.

I tend to take anything I hear with a grain of salt, doubly so if I hear it on the internet. I don't know this shop very well, but I do know them a little, at least enough to say they aren't the worst in town. The OP is an unknown quantity to me, and to everyone else on the board as far as I gather. I don't have any idea what really did or didn't happen, just advising to go slow condemning a shop without a better confidence level in the data.

 

[Phreatic Fanatic]

Texasguy,

There seems to be some miscommunication and/or a misunderstanding; I mean no offense and I am not assigning blame. I can assure you that what you posted concerning the situation with your cylinder at Maximum Scuba is not their policy. My advice to you is to contact Maximum Scuba and speak to the owner.

 

[Texasguy]

No need. I got air at Mammoth Lake.

I can assure you, there was no miscommunication with the store. I have explained that I have a nitrox tank, I need to convert it to air because I cannot find affordable nitrox fills. The girl I spoke with called up their other store to check if the tank needed cleaning, same as if you were going from air to nitrox. She got the answer on the phone that there should be no cleaning in this case. She told me that she will put the air in. I went to the car and got my tank. When I returned in a few mins she asked when do I need it because there will be a visual fee of $15 and they maybe too busy to do it right a way. I asked why. She said that she will have to let all nitrox out, when she will the tank will be empty. All empty tanks need a visual. I told that the tank was just VIS this month, she said that the oxygen in my tank will screw somehow their own system, she will have to empty the tank and empty tanks must have a visual. I left the store.

Apparently there was some kind of a discussion when I left the store to get my tank...

And, Kotik, thanks for separating me from the crowd. Cheers.

 

[nimoh]

No need. I got air at Mammoth Lake.

good choice, they need to be more careful about miscommunications and wasting your time, since it costs them sales.

 

[boulderjohn]

No need. I got air at Mammoth Lake.

I can assure you, there was no miscommunication with the store. I have explained that I have a nitrox tank, I need to convert it to air because I cannot find affordable nitrox fills. The girl I spoke with called up their other store to check if the tank needed cleaning, same as if you were going from air to nitrox. She got the answer on the phone that there should be no cleaning in this case. She told me that she will put the air in. I went to the car and got my tank. When I returned in a few mins she asked when do I need it because there will be a visual fee of $15 and they maybe too busy to do it right a way. I asked why. She said that she will have to let all nitrox out, when she will the tank will be empty. All empty tanks need a visual. I told that the tank was just VIS this month, she said that the oxygen in my tank will screw somehow their own system, she will have to empty the tank and empty tanks must have a visual. I left the store.

Apparently there was some kind of a discussion when I left the store to get my tank...

And, Kotik, thanks for separating me from the crowd. Cheers.

It sounds to me as if you ran into a total ditz who knows nothing about things. Try to find someone who does know something about this.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

In fairness to the OP, he titled his thread as a warning to beginner divers, who would see no benefit (in terms of increased bottom time) if using nitrox.

... and in a sense, he's right ... beginner divers are more limited by air supply than by NDL, and therefore nitrox is of limited benefit.

The beginner diver should give some thought to (a) why they would want to dive nitrox, and (b) what better uses are out there for their available scuba funds.

Only after gaining some experience, and perhaps either living in a place where one can benefit from diving nitrox ... or a vacation where one wants to do multiple dives over multiple days ... will the benefits of nitrox become apparent.

That said, sweeping generalities that proclaim a particular class as "useless" are rarely helpful ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)