O2 First Aid Kit

[kb2ehj]

I went the less expensive route and put my kit together piece meal
from medical supply houses. I'm looking at getting the REMO kit to
supplement my limited O2 supply on a M6 tank. I used a gun case after
getting a quote from the LDS for $180.00 dollars for a pelican case.
O.K. Go ahead and say it, "CHEAPSKATE!"

Get yourself a bigger tank. A D or Jumbo D will cost you about the same as a REMO unit and two things (1) once you open a REMO its activated you can not turn it off (2) The REMO does have a short shelf live if I remember correctly.

REMO's were designed to suppliment the D and Jumbo D's for people that were hours away from medical help not 30 minutes (30 minutes only said as an example)

I'm basing my costs from medical supply houses not through DAN's catalog.

 

[Land Locked]

Get yourself a bigger tank. A D or Jumbo D will cost you about the same as a REMO unit and two things (1) once you open a REMO its activated you can not turn it off (2) The REMO does have a short shelf live if I remember correctly.

REMO's were designed to suppliment the D and Jumbo D's for people that were hours away from medical help not 30 minutes (30 minutes only said as an example)

I'm basing my costs from medical supply houses not through DAN's catalog.

Thanks for the advice, I'll balance the cost both ways before I make my choice.
Remember, I'm CHEAP, and I'm replacing an old scuba regulator this winter also.
That reminds me, I've not heard from Larry over at scubatoys on my trade in....

 

[matt_unique]

I have the same DAN rig. I never dive without it. The real challenge will be getting the fill. That may take some effort depending upon your area. I worked out a deal with a local medical 02 supplier. I had to meet with a manager and show the equipment and DAN 02 certification to convince him. Everyone I spoke to prior said no way without a doctors prescription (Mass).

Of course.....you may want to look into the price of an Advanced Nitrox course (assuming you have a Nitrox cert). If you have 02 clean tanks and regs at home you will have everything you need. It would be interesting to compare the cost of Adv. Nitrox and gear vs. the DAN 02 kit.....

--Matt

 

[mccabejc]

Were are you getting your weight numbers from? I'm not trying to get anything started but here are the numbers I have on tanks:

I'm getting my weights from the DAN website, in the product catalog for the two units. I'm sure they're including their entire kit in the weights, which means a bigger carrying case, etc.

 

[ba_hiker]

I have the same DAN rig. I never dive without it. The real challenge will be getting the fill. That may take some effort depending upon your area. I worked out a deal with a local medical 02 supplier. I had to meet with a manager and show the equipment and DAN 02 certification to convince him. Everyone I spoke to prior said no way without a doctors prescription (Mass).
--Matt

Just had a discussion regarding this with the captain of a dive boat in monterey. Apperantly in california, the state govemt is enforcing a state law that says medical breathing oxygen is a perscription item. They can not purchase medical O2 for nitrox right now.

The FDA has a position (undergoing review for several years) that oxygen, in a bottle labled "Emergency breathing oxygen, for use in an emergency only" can be provided as a first aid supply. But not in california (and perhaps other states).

Welding oxygen is unregulated. Now the california state gvmt is saying that providing welding oxygen is inapproprate (and illegal) for human consumption. On the other hand "avaitors breathing oxygen" is unregulated, and widely available, but uses a different valve than medical oxygen. It is a bit (about 15%) more expensive than medical O2. Adapters or transfill whips are an option, but avaition regulators are inapproprate for medical use (to low a flow rate)

The silly thing is all three come from the same process at Airco. Only the package varies...

 

[tlawler]

Get yourself a copy of Vance Harlow's "The Oxygen Hackers Companion" and read the section on medical O2. He has some really good advice on how to put together an emergency O2 kit on a shoestring budget. http://www.airspeedpress.com/newoxyhacker.html

 

[mccabejc]

By the way, DAN has a writeup on filling O2 cylinders, and also a list of "dive friendly" vendors (by state) who refill O2 cylinders (bottom of page):

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/training/oxygen/oxygenfills.asp

Luckily there are a couple of places very close to me here in Southern California that will fill O2 for divers.

 

[Aquanaut4ata]

OMS offers a reg set up with a face shield in place of a mouthpiece for a couple hundred bucks....couple that with an O2 clean al63, you got a couple of hours of o2, and the ability to use it as a deco bottle if need arises.