No LDS, Where to Get Tank Refilled?

[Rainer]

If you would tell us where you are really located (Ct., Cape, or Boston) then somebody can probably point you to a diveshop that is closer than 45 minutes away. Or to one that is between your location and where you commonly dive.

What does "I'm an affiliate of Scubatoys and LeisurePro" mean???

My questions exactly. His refusal to answer any of these is odd.

 

[jeraldjcook]

What does "I'm an affiliate of Scubatoys and LeisurePro" mean???

Anyone can become an affiliate for for LP but I wasn't aware ST did this as well. If you click either link in her signature line, it take you to the appropriate site, but if you look at the url bar it shows that you've been referred to the site. If you purchase something the affiliate gets a cut.

 

[FireDiver443]

I find it ironic that while folks will debate "Internet Scuba" vs LDS, folks suggest hitting your Fire Department up for an air fill instead of suggesting they become an active member. In communities served by volunteers, it strikes me as sort of the same thing.

I'm a career FF, but still respect the folks that train and respond on their own time above & beyond their gainful employment. Sure, your local department might have a compressor for filling SCBA bottles and may or may not have an air whip adapter. I'd submit to you though that the training you receive and knowledge you gain would make you much more qualified and confident if you were ever called upon to utilize your EFR skills during a dive emergency.

Just some food for thought.

 

[Web Monkey]

You shop owners (Al) need to take a chill.

There are two shops near me. If the closest one went out of business, it would be an hour drive round trip to get a fill, which would suck. If they both went under, the next shop is a 2 hour round trip.

A few messages back, someone mentioned that using online shops instead of local shops just means that your money goes to Exxon instead of a LDS. This is right on the money, and seems to be a little poetic justice. And I don't even own a shop.

Sure, I could buy my own compressor. I could even afford to pay for it. However the absolute last thing I want in my life is yet-another chunk of hardware that requires scheduled maintenance and has a big appetite for electricty

If getting fills ten minutes from my house from a compressor I don't need to maintain means that I pay $90 for a mask that I could have bought for $50 online, or $200 for a $150 wetsuit, I really don't care. It's a bargain because I can drop off a couple of tanks on the way to work, pick them up on the way home and not have to bother with anything. If they needed a VIP or hydro, they'll get that, and that's something else I don't have to bother with.

For a sport that regularly entails multi-thousand-dollar trips to the farthest corners of the Earth, I'm always astonsihed to see the lengths some people will go to save a buck, even if they know it will come back to bite them later.


Terry

 

[Web Monkey]

Probably so but if you read through the baloney responses you see that there are alternative sources for air if needed.

The "Where will you get your air fills?" threat just don't fly!

Sure there are other places, but generally not reliable, cheap or easy.

Fire Dept: Won't touch you with a 10' pole if it's a reasonable size city/town that has lawyers. There's just too much liability. Small town might, but also might not have the air quality or inspections you really should have. If you dive much, it's also easy to wear out your welcome. How happy would they be to see you twice a week from spring through winter?

A buddy with a compressor is also nice, but now you're paying for the compressor, maintenance and energy, and you're being a PITA to your buddy's wife and family.

An industrial gas supplier might be OK, but they're not always easy to find and might not have the right grade air. A medical gas supplier would be great, but they're in short supply and probably won't talk to you unless you're willing to pay a lot more than a couple of bucks for a fill.

Fills aren't impossible to find without an LDS, they just take more work and maybe more money.

Terry

 

[shotthebreeze]

Where are you in Boston? Or are you looking for a fill somewhere on the Cape? Tell use where you are and perhaps someone can point you to a diveshop that is closer than 45 minutes away. Or to one that is between your location and where you commonly dive.

What does "I'm an affiliate of Scubatoys and LeisurePro" mean???

I'm looking for a fill in CT and I know exactly where the dive shops are...45 minutes from my home, so finding one isn't the issue here. I simply asked if there are any other alternative places to get air fills for my convenience because my LDS is closing and somehow we get side tracked on why I have links in my signature. It's not my fault the place is shutting down, I've done plenty of business with them.

So from what I've gathered thus far, yes there are some alternatives, but I need to ask questions about the air quality and I need to be mindful of who I get them from.

 

[ReefHound]

If getting fills ten minutes from my house from a compressor I don't need to maintain means that I pay $90 for a mask that I could have bought for $50 online, or $200 for a $150 wetsuit, I really don't care. It's a bargain because I can drop off a couple of tanks on the way to work, pick them up on the way home and not have to bother with anything. If they needed a VIP or hydro, they'll get that, and that's something else I don't have to bother with.

For a sport that regularly entails multi-thousand-dollar trips to the farthest corners of the Earth, I'm always astonsihed to see the lengths some people will go to save a buck, even if they know it will come back to bite them later.

Terry

Thing is, it doesn't come back to bite only them. You can pay higher prices at your LDS and still see it close. Let's say you buy at the LDS and your neighbor buys online while you both get fills at the LDS. Then one day the LDS closes. Who is better off, you or your neighbor? Looks to me like you both have a harder time getting fills, only difference is he has spent less money than you on his gear.

 

[shotthebreeze]

My questions exactly. His refusal to answer any of these is odd.

Refusal to answer questions? Come on now. I'm not incapable of looking up dive shops in my area, regardless of where I live. The question was are there any alternative methods, so my location really shouldn't matter.

 

[Web Monkey]

Thing is, it doesn't come back to bite only them. You can pay higher prices at your LDS and still see it close. Let's say you buy at the LDS and your neighbor buys online while you both get fills at the LDS. Then one day the LDS closes. Who is better off, you or your neighbor? Looks to me like you both have a harder time getting fills, only difference is he has spent less money than you on his gear.

That's extremely close to a classic problem called the "Prisoner's Dilemma".

The absolute best ROI would be to let the other guy support the LDS, and you buy online. As long as there are enough LDS customers, you can still buy online and get local airfills, however once the LDS becomes unprofitable and goes under, nobody gets air fills.

Terry

 

[novicediver]

Since there are at least 10 dive shops within a hour's drive of me, I don't care if one goes under because he/she is unable to compete. I am going to vote with my wallet. Buying used, online, and any other discount I can find enables me to dive on a 400.00 investment as opposed to 1400.00. I don't pay thousands for trips, I pay for air fills and tank rentals and thats it. I do it on the cheap because I can and because I have to. I don't owe any given shop any loyalty any more than I owe safeway vs king soopers.