Quantity of Tank fills in the Caribbean

[river_sand_bar]

We are getting ready to set out on an adventure of a life time. We are going to sail the Caribbean for a year or so. Of course taking our dive gear with us.

I am wondering about the availability of tank fills on some of the more remote islands.

Has anyone ever done this before or will we have an issue finding air?

 

[under water]

An option..
Buy Max Air 35 scuba compressor MA-35-E1-110-SCUBA (3000psi) with reviews at scuba.com

 

[river_sand_bar]

Thanks Frank.... good idea, just not sure about the $3000... LOL.. other half might have something to say about that.

Might be cheaper to get some extra tanks.

 

[silvernotch]

Congrats on doing what every one of us stuck behind a computer every day wishes we could do

what lesser known islands are you planning on heading to?

 

[river_sand_bar]

The whole Exumas Island chain... all the way down to the Grenedens. Then Heading to Trinidad and hit finally Panama.... when we hit Panama, we will figure out if we wanna do the canal and head to the South Pacific or head back and finish the 9-5 jobs.

 

[DeputyDan]

Have friends/acquaintences that did this. When they got to Panama they like it so much they stayed - that was two years ago.

 

[river_sand_bar]

Yeah, we have been checking out the San Blas Islands... they look pretty incredible. Cant wait!

 

[fire_diver]

Thanks Frank.... good idea, just not sure about the $3000... LOL.. other half might have something to say about that.

Might be cheaper to get some extra tanks.

The cost of that compressor is tiny compared to the costs of what you are going to be doing. Look at the big picture instead of a one time purchase. The main islands will most likely have dive shops, but that leaves out hundreds and hundreds of dive spots away from the main ports. Many of those isolated spots will have reefs that aren't much disturbed by divers. If you have your own compressor, you can dive anywhere you want.

Now, if you are going to buy a compressor for your boat, be sure to get replacement parts and a manual bacause you probably wont find a factory rep out in the islands.

I am also jealous of your trip. I'm too busy putting kids through college right now. Have fun!

 

[diversteve]

You know that all the really good diving near Trinidad is actually off Tobago right?

 

[Fishspearit]

You'll have no problem getting air fills anywhere in the Caribbean. The exception is the out islands of the Bahamas, you won't find much south of Georgetown except on Long Island until you get to Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos.
The bigger problem is storing the tanks on a sailboat in a place where you can dig them out, haul them to a dive shop, and put them back. All depends on what class/size of sailboat you're going to be on. If you have a generator onboard, then the electric compressors make sense. Most of the people I knew who carried the little gas compressors found it to be too much of a pain to, again, haul that heavy infrequently used gas engine and compressor out of where you stored it and put it on deck to run.
So much of where you'll be going through the Bahamas is shallow you'll probably find that it's just easier to snorkel and freedive most of the time(we did), save the scuba for T&C and points south where you have better wall diving that you can reach with the dinghy.

Enjoy! It's never as easy and relaxing as people think it's going to be, but still the trip of a lifetime!

Foldspear -The only Holstered Polespear