Oxygen availability and coronavirus

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Seaweed Doc

MSDT
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
1,276
Reaction score
1,182
Location
Seattle, Washington State, USA
# of dives
1000 - 2499
I just "heard" a rumor that oxygen supplies are being restricted to medical use only in my area due to the need at hospitals. The rumor was modified to indicate our LDS will fill nitrox until their supply on hand runs out, but won't fill pure oxygen bottles.

I'm curious if this is widespread.

Thoughts and caveats:

1. There have been good discussions in another thread about whether people should be diving at all, and tech diving in particular. Let's not rehash them here. Please? I'm really just curious if others have seen this phenomenon.

2. This is very much a rumor. I haven't found any official source indicating that this is mandated. I'll be checking in with folks at work (we use oxygen in the labs for various purposes other than diving) to see if we're restricted as well.

3. If this is not the right place to raise the question, mods please move!
 
ABO works quite fine as a breathing grade.
 
In Illinois all non essential stores are closed which includes dive shops so that just leaves the trades and medical as the two biggest oxygen consumers. I wonder if they'll shut down supplies to the trades.
 
Oxygen is made from cooling air. There will be no shortage.
 
I have close to 500 ABO cylinders under my control. Owned by the Navy, but I use them for diving gas all the time.

Again, access to oxygen even of breathing quality is not a problem at any time in the foreseeable future.
 
Medical O2 isn't that big of a user. Lots of industrial stuff runs enough that they don't even bottle it. Get in in liquid form. With industry shut down there is probably a surplus of O2 not a shortage. Now finding a retailer for it that is open might be a different story.
 
I just "heard" a rumor that oxygen supplies are being restricted to medical use only in my area due to the need at hospitals. The rumor was modified to indicate our LDS will fill nitrox until their supply on hand runs out, but won't fill pure oxygen bottles.

I'm curious if this is widespread.

Thoughts and caveats:

1. There have been good discussions in another thread about whether people should be diving at all, and tech diving in particular. Let's not rehash them here. Please? I'm really just curious if others have seen this phenomenon.

2. This is very much a rumor. I haven't found any official source indicating that this is mandated. I'll be checking in with folks at work (we use oxygen in the labs for various purposes other than diving) to see if we're restricted as well.

3. If this is not the right place to raise the question, mods please move!
This is just more dive shop arm waving.

The only way there will be a shortage of O2 is if the Airgas plant staff all get sick. Its produced in vast quantities and hospitals dont even use the gaseous form, they buy it by the tanker truck full of liquid O2
 
This is just more dive shop arm waving.

The only way there will be a shortage of O2 is if the Airgas plant staff all get sick. Its produced in vast quantities and hospitals dont even use the gaseous form, they buy it by the tanker truck full of liquid O2

FWIW, I confirmed the rumor. The dive shop manager told me they can't get oxygen because it's being reserved for medical use. They have enough on hand to supply nitrox to divers, but won't fill oxygen cylinders or do trimix and such.

I'm curious what you mean about dive shop arm-waving? If they can't get oxygen, they can't get oxygen. I'm not sure suppliers would lie to them about it, and I'm not sure why the shop wouldn't want to sell oxygen if they had it.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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