South Florida trip coming. No dive buddy, tips on that and schedule?

[uncfnp]

I think under most circumstances this would be the way to go. Here is where I am coming from though:

I am bringing 2x 120s and 2x 100s. Maybe this is crazy but I am new enough to the sport that I want to try and keep my kit as consistent as possible right now. When I was first learning I kept chnanging tanks, BCs, Wetsuits you name it and it was annoying. I recently did a dive where I really focused on dialing in my weight with those two tanks as well. So if I can keep them the same it's one less thing to worry about. I've been using both of these at home and I really like the way they feel. And my LDS does nitrox fills for $10 so I can bring down 4 filled tanks.

If you don’t mind the hassle of transporting and then getting fills, absolutely bring them. Its why you have them. We love our 80, 100 and 120 steels and take them to Florida when we drive down. Steels beat al80’s any day in my book.

Just a precaution, Force-e shops, including the one by BHB does partial pressure blending so the tanks must be O2 clean to get nitrox fills there.

 

[Manatee Diver]

Just a precaution, Force-e shops, including the one by BHB does partial pressure blending so the tanks must be O2 clean to get nitrox fills there.

About a month ago I got a nitrox fill at Force-E Pompano, they had banked EAN36, and partial pressure blended EAN32 using the banked gas as the starter.

 

[MaxE]

I agree that one should know how to dive al80s.

But the prices in the keys is quite expensive, upgrading to 100s is $5-10 a tank if they have them. Nitrox is $10 a tank, sometimes $15 if HP100s. And that is on top of the $5-10 each tank that is sometimes included in the dive price. So if you have the tanks, I say bring em.

I’m still not seeing the big savings. The OP is doing a multi day trip, and will need to have tanks filled. So we’re saying $15 for nitrox in the big tanks. The Boats are not discounting for his own tanks but will charge more for nitrox $10 for an 80 maybe $15 for a bigger tank. That seems like a wash to me in pure financial terms. When you consider not schleping tanks, not spending the time to get them filled (on his honeymoon) the scales tip. But that’s just me.

 

[Manatee Diver]

I’m still not seeing the big savings. The OP is doing a multi day trip, and will need to have tanks filled. So we’re saying $15 for nitrox in the big tanks. The Boats are not discounting for his own tanks but will charge more for nitrox $10 for an 80 maybe $15 for a bigger tank. That seems like a wash to me in pure financial terms. When you consider not schleping tanks, not spending the time to get them filled (oh his honeymoon) the scales tip. But that’s just me.

Horizon Divers isn't discounting which is why he didn't go with them, but Conch Republic does, bring your own tanks and it is $20 cheaper. So in addition to $10-20 each tank for upgraded mixes the base dive is $10 a tank cheaper. Personally I would have my tanks filled at Conch Republic, everyone charges about the same price for nitrox fills in the Keys, and you might save at best $1-2 taking it to Divers Discount for standard air fills (no nitrox at the Key Largo location).

Now personally I have enough tanks to spend the weekend in the Keys, so I get them cheaper fills on my fill cards, and bring them down.

 

[uncfnp]

I’m still not seeing the big savings. The OP is doing a multi day trip, and will need to have tanks filled. So we’re saying $15 for nitrox in the big tanks. The Boats are not discounting for his own tanks but will charge more for nitrox $10 for an 80 maybe $15 for a bigger tank. That seems like a wash to me in pure financial terms. When you consider not schleping tanks, not spending the time to get them filleon his honeymoon) the scales tip. But that’s just me.

If that were the only shop he was diving with I would agree but many dive ops outside the Keys, including WPB and Jupiter shops do not routinely include tanks in their standard price. And looking at the Horizon Divers website only air tanks are included. If he wants nitrox that is another 12 dollars.

At Force-e you can get a 10 or 25 nitrox fill card and unless changed does not cost more for high cf tanks. A 10 fill card brings the price per nitrox fill down to 9 dollars. When in town Eric and I share a 25 fill cards and until recent we visited enough to just carryover until the next trip

 

[uncfnp]

About a month ago I got a nitrox fill at Force-E Pompano, they had banked EAN36, and partial pressure blended EAN32 using the banked gas as the starter.

Good to know. Wonder if it is the same in WPB.

 

[SomeGuy509]

Haha oh man I really sparked something. Since I am bringing 4 tanks and only doing 4 dives over two days in Key Largo I am thinking I can just leave my tanks that need filling with CRD overnight after the first day and have them for the next day. Then I'll I have one full set for Key West, which is all I'll need. Since I am staying at Looe Key Reef resort I suspect I can get a fill there pretty easy too (if I need it)

And yeah, the big pay off is going to be when I am in Jupiter and West Palm. That's the main reason I am dragging them down. I am happy my Wife likes road trips.

I don't have anything against a particular dive op down there. CRD seemed highly recommended and they check all the right boxes for me so that's just how it worked out.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @SomeGuy509

This is really your honeymoon? What's your new, nondiving wife going to do? Sounds like you will be very busy diving.

I've been diving 48 years, been happily married for 39, compromise can be a good thing, and my wife dives

 

[SomeGuy509]

She knows she needs to tell me explicitly when she doesn't like what I am doing since I am too thick headed to pick up on it and so far she hasn't objected lol. I agree, though I think I am actually pretty happy with the schedule. I may add one more day after Christmas and call it good.

We are used to doing our own things a lot. 3 years of back and forth between Japan and the US get's you good at being independent.

Any other fun things to do on the Keys while we are down there?

 

[uncfnp]

She knows she needs to tell me explicitly when she doesn't like what I am doing since I am too thick headed to pick up on it and so far she hasn't objected lol. I agree, though I think I am actually pretty happy with the schedule. I may add one more day after Christmas and call it good.

We are used to doing our own things a lot. 3 years of back and forth between Japan and the US get's you good at being independent.

Any other fun things to do on the Keys while we are down there?

I don’t know where you will be at the time but no matter what she says I hope you have someting really big planned for Christmas Eve and it might need to include something that sparkles.

Has she shown any interest in learning? The Keys would be a great place to start or just do a DSD.