Nitrox when others are on air

[OctopusLover]

Just for info, not doing partial pressure fills is rare in the UK.

Literally I know only a few shops that banks 32% and these shops will do partial pressure if you ask. All the shops I know do any mix you want, 28%, 30%.

The vast majority of U.K. divers will just ask the mix to have 1.4 on bottom. This is why I am saying this. If he has no other shop in his vicinity, then I guess it makes sense.

I haven't dived in the UK, though this thread has convinced me to contact a few local bsac clubs. That being said, I imagine that people diving in the UK with a dry suit are a very different customer base than the holiday diving destinations I've been to. Here it's rare enough to find Nitrox, nobody is bringing their own tanks so you're not really filling anything, you just ask for Nitrox on your guided dive and get given whatever they have in stock. The person blending their tanks might only come every few days so they can even run out...

 

[BlueTrin]

I haven't dived in the UK, though this thread has convinced me to contact a few local bsac clubs. That being said, I imagine that people diving in the UK with a dry suit are a very different customer base than the holiday diving destinations I've been to. Here it's rare enough to find Nitrox, nobody is bringing their own tanks so you're not really filling anything, you just ask for Nitrox on your guided dive and get given whatever they have in stock. The person blending their tanks might only come every few days so they can even run out...

Yea this is why I gave the context of my reply. I totally understand that if you don’t own your equipment, you may get less options for choosing your mix.

Most U.K. divers own their equipment: it is possible to find a club that will have equipment to rent (usually for a tiny fee) but the logistics make it often easier to own if you dive regularly. You won’t find many places that rent equipment around the dive sites and there won’t be too much choice either.

I suggest that ideally you try to find a club (or a local PADI shop) that could let you use their equipment until you decide if you like U.K. diving before you buy too much stuff that you are unsure to keep/use.

In case you don’t like the driving to the coast and the amount of prep, you won’t incur too much costs if you didn’t buy too much.

If you really want to buy, there is a Facebook group where you can find equipment second hand, obviously be careful and use only PayPal without the friends and family option:

https://m.facebook.com/groups/ukScubaStuffForSale/

https://m.facebook.com/groups/scubadivingequipmentuk/

If you feel confident and take in account the cost of servicing, you can find bargains …

 

[BlueTrin]

If you want to rent at the dive site, there is divers down in swanage, I think they should maybe be able to do a full kit hire:

Diving kit hire in Swanage from Divers Down

May be easier to find a local shop and call them to see if they rent semi-drys (or a drysuit if you want to go that route)

 

[L13]

I haven't dived in the UK ... Here it's rare enough to find Nitrox, nobody is bringing their own tanks ...

But your profile says you are in London?

 

[L13]

Personally I think even 0.1% is too high, yet I feel reasonable sure the actual risk of what I did here is below that threshold. This chart is saying a 1 minute exposure has a 2% chance of symptoms at PPO2 2.5, that's almost twice the pressure I was at. Hell, the first convulsion in this chart is after almost an hour at 1.75?

Of course there is still some risk, I'm sure even 1.4 has some theoretical risk, but as a general rule I'm happy to take risks that are clearly below the threshold where the first recorded accidents are on a well studied topic. This discussion is reminiscing of arguments I've had countless times about taking recreational drugs, I'm happy to do it but only light/moderate doses, after doing extensive research and using test kits on anything I take. Most people either don't take drugs dogmatically or take whatever they are sold at a rave, I agree with neither side and don't expect to get their blessing

Like I said, I have done the same thing on my dives.

It was just that you were sounding more like the people who "take whatever they are sold at a rave," for a little while there. Now you are sounding a little more thoughtful.

 

[tursiops]

I'm sure I read in some thread in scubaboard

Are you willing to bet your life based on a post on SB?

 

[NorCalDM]

Are you willing to bet your life based on a post on SB?

I wouldn't bet coffee on it!

 

[OctopusLover]

But your profile says you are in London?

I live there, but have only ever dived abroad

 

[fred32176]

I live in the UK, diving here isn't really a thing, so my diving for the foreseeable future is as part of a holiday. In that context, I'm showing up to a dive centre and joining their boat for 2-3 days while I'm the area and that's it. I don't know anyone I'll dive with.

I had assumed this is how most people dived most of the time?

In any case better surface intervals are also pointless if I'm stuck waiting for a group, and I'm only diving twice a day on their boat so increased safety over the day is also not a concern. I mainly got the Nitrox certification to be able to enjoy dives at 30 meters for longer, and now wondering if that's ever actually going to happen

I usually dive with people I know. I have a dive buddy and also go on group dives where I know many of the people in the group and I know what to expect. The only time I get an insta-buddy is when I am with my wife (she snorkels but doesn't dive) and end up on a dive/snorkel cattle boat.

 

[L13]

I live there, but have only ever dived abroad

the "...here..." was what made it confusing.