O2 fills?

[northernone]

My first thought is "Why?" but more so: "Why do you want a oxygen tank for shallow shore diving?" I guess you know that you cannot dive in the park alone, nor can you dive around any piers or some other places, and diving from shore up north might get you swept away. Do you carry a PLB?


Removing the valve, then allowing any TSA agent to inspect it. I'd be afraid to pump pure oxygen in that tank after that. The TSA rules actually say the tank has to be open, but I have always got away with covering the hole with 2" wide electric tape on my pony, both ends folded back for easy inspection and replacement. I wrote "Air only" in large letters on it when I first got it over a decade ago to avoid the risk of anyone partial pressure filling it.


Meridiano? That's the main fill station on the island. See Llenado de tanques de buceo or Google Translate but I always let my dive Op handle my pony fills.


I don't think they would want to fill it unless they certified it O2 clean, but they might. If we read about an explosion there, we'll see if you are around.

Kakoom or washing up in Cuba both would ideally be avoided.

The mystery of where the majority of the tanks are filled is finally answered!

Thanks for the idea about handling the TSA guidelines. I'll try it if I do end up bringing my own cylinder.

No PLB as of yet but I do see their value especially with the open ocean ready to carry one away, maybe they will become standard kit in the near future.

Thanks for the heads up regarding the north side of the island. Haven't strayed that far yet dive I haven't run across someone who knows it well to introduce me. Same goes for the east side though I read of some good diving and I've spent a few days freediving it years ago. Come to think of it, considerably safer with tanks...

I enjoy the tranquility and quiet shore diving gives me. I haven't come across an op or insta buddy that's happy with my spending 115+ minute dives while barely moving doing photography. Did a hundred hours or so hours last February and plan for another this year. It's my one chance at warm water and some visibility do I don't tire of the easy sites quickly.

I got into the habit of having o2 on hand early on and since I don't have a dive boat handy to carry it, I sling it with me. Perhaps an unnecessary precaution with a local chamber handy in coz and I omitted it my previous visit.

Maybe I will just buy a deco bottle in tulum and resell it when I leave.

If we cross bubbles say hi.

Cameron

 

[DandyDon]

The mystery of where the majority of the tanks are filled is finally answered!

Hardly a mystery, but ok - now you know. Many ops now have their own compressors, and I think there is another station on the island that fills for some, but it's the main one.

I enjoy the tranquility and quiet shore diving gives me. I haven't come across an op or insta buddy that's happy with my spending 115+ minute dives while barely moving doing photography. Did a hundred hours or so hours last February and plan for another this year. It's my one chance at warm water and some visibility do I don't tire of the easy sites quickly.

I got into the habit of having o2 on hand early on and since I don't have a dive boat handy to carry it, I sling it with me. Perhaps an unnecessary precaution with a local chamber handy in coz and I omitted it my previous visit.

Okee dokee, if that's what you enjoy. Thanks for satisfying my curiosity. I suppose an oxygen bottle could be very nice to have if a need arises, but for shallow shore dives - I cannot imagine a need. Yes, there are chambers on the island and you are never far from one. I trust you have DAN dive insurance as your Canadian coverage doesn't extend to Mexico - or even US waters. Really, with your style of diving, I can't see a need for a chamber - but there are other diving risks, and maybe you go deeper than I am guessing.

 

[northernone]

DAN has it's dues, never been bent nor intend a chamber ride ever but glad to be covered.

The danger if my profile is I end up with 400 minutes bottom time some days, even at 30ft that sneaks up over multiple days. I dove 5 days on with 1 day off. Adding a couple deeper dives in and I'm not as conservative as I like.

Since I'm off the o2 topic, anywhere you're particularly fond of I might check out? And of course why. I recall from another thread you've been diving cozumel a while. Last winter was my first dive trip there. Came for cave diving on the mainland and thought I'd do an afternoon in the salt water. Loved it and changed my travel plans.

Dive safe!
Cameron

 

[DandyDon]

anywhere you're particularly fond of I might check out?

Oh, no - I'm not picky on sites, but then I don't do shallow shore dives like you like. I hope you drag a dive flag buoy or similar on a reel, but there is still the danger of a jet skier using it for turns. I just do not see the need for an oxygen bottle, not nearly as much as a fast route to medical facilities if something goes wrong.

Have a fun trip.

 

[ggunn]

Oh, no - I'm not picky on sites, but then I don't do shallow shore dives like you like. I hope you drag a dive flag buoy or similar on a reel, but there is still the danger of a jet skier using it for turns. I just do not see the need for an oxygen bottle, not nearly as much as a fast route to medical facilities if something goes wrong.

Have a fun trip.

It's possible to do some deep diving from some points on shore if you swim out far enough. I have done it, though I probably won't again; it's not that it was that scary, just that it was a lot more work to see the same sort of things that a boat could have got me to a lot easier.

 

[macado]

I've dealt with the same issue that you have numerous times when bringing my rebreather and bottles on the island.

For "O2 clean".. I take the valves off my bottles and put a cap on them (the ones that typically come when you buy a cylinder). If TSA needs to inspect them, the cap can easily come off. I keep my valves sealed in a plastic bag. It's what I like to call "o2 clean enough." Nobody has bothered me and I O2 clean my own cylinders. When i get home I re-inspect and re-clean, if necessary.

Meridiano will fill O2 but they only fill to ~140 bar (2000-2100psi). If that is enough for you then it's probably your best and cheapest option. You can do walk-in if your spanish if good enough or alternatively ask your dive operator to do it since they already have an account with them. They will be more accommodating if your dive operator is getting the bottle filled. They are not always a fan of same day service especially if they are busy. It's something you may want to drop off the night before.

For what it's worth, Meridiano has accepted my O2 clean PSI/PCI stickers.

Another option is renting a stage bottle from Meridiano with a custom mix. They often have some already mixed. Just bring your own stage kit. They may/probably will ask for a 500 peso deposit or something if you are not from a dive shop.


As other mentioned, Don at Deep Exposure has O2 with full booster setup but he isn't keen on filling bottles if you're not diving with his operation. He has done it for me 3 times now but always begrudgingly by letting me know he is doing me a favor. He is a nice guy but I honestly don't like getting the "guilt treatment" when I go into Deep Exposure for O2 fills. I've already developed other relationships with different dive operators so it's difficult for me to use his shop exclusively. I also do a bit of shore diving on the island.

 

[northernone]

I've dealt with the same issue that you have numerous times when bringing my rebreather and bottles on the island.

For "O2 clean".. I take the valves off my bottles and put a cap on them (the ones that typically come when you buy a cylinder). If TSA needs to inspect them, the cap can easily come off. I keep my valves sealed in a plastic bag. It's what I like to call "o2 clean enough." Nobody has bothered me and I O2 clean my own cylinders. When i get home I re-inspect and re-clean, if necessary.

Meridiano will fill O2 but they only fill to ~140 bar (2000-2100psi). If that is enough for you then it's probably your best and cheapest option. You can do walk-in if your spanish if good enough or alternatively ask your dive operator to do it since they already have an account with them. They will be more accommodating if your dive operator is getting the bottle filled. They are not always a fan of same day service especially if they are busy. It's something you may want to drop off the night before.

For what it's worth, Meridiano has accepted my O2 clean PSI/PCI stickers.

Another option is renting a stage bottle from Meridiano with a custom mix. They often have some already mixed. Just bring your own stage kit. They may/probably will ask for a 500 peso deposit or something if you are not from a dive shop.


As other mentioned, Don at Deep Exposure has O2 with full booster setup but he isn't keen on filling bottles if you're not diving with his operation. He has done it for me 3 times now but always begrudgingly by letting me know he is doing me a favor. He is a nice guy but I honestly don't like getting the "guilt treatment" when I go into Deep Exposure for O2 fills. I've already developed other relationships with different dive operators so it's difficult for me to use his shop exclusively. I also do a bit of shore diving on the island.

Thank you! Those are all exactly the things I hoped to work out. I appreciate you letting me in on what works and sure should help me get underwater with a lot less running around and confusion.

Regards,
Cameron