Sport Chalet and Nitrox ????

[mccabejc]

Just got an email from Sport Chalet:

"NEW! PADI Enriched Air Nitrox is now being offered at Sport Chalet!

Yes, that's right; you can now enroll in a Nitrox class at your favorite Sport Chalet. The Rancho store has a couple courses already booked. This is a great course for the traveler who does Multi-Dive, Multi-Day Diving. This is a great course to increase your bottom time at moderate depths and for the mature diver (really, I'm not that old!) to reduce your exposure to Nitrogen absorption. Sign up now and be the first to go NITROX."

Anyone know if that means they'll be doing nitrox fills? That would be nice

 

[Archangel]

Jim,

I am currently doing DiveMaster through Sports Chalet. Yes, they are teaching the class, and NO they are NOT going to fill EANx anytime soon.

Everyone's LDS is safe for now,

Tevis

 

[scubacalifornia]

One of the guys at the Sports Chalet in my neighborhood says they will not be pumping Nitrox because pure O2 on the premises means a large increase in their insurance premiums. I don't believe that's an "official" statement, nor do I think they'll necessarily start offering Nitrox just because they're offering the course. Will be interesting to see where it goes.

Kevin

 

[sk8rpj]

You can do EANx fills without the use of pure 02. You can use a membrane systems which has many benefits over partial pressure blending. People need to learn that sport chalet has no clue what they are doing when it comes to scuba. Your LDS is always the best bet.

 

[Archangel]

Yup sk8, you are kinda preachin' to the choir on that one.

 

[gcbryan]

You can do EANx fills without the use of pure 02. You can use a membrane systems which has many benefits over partial pressure blending. People need to learn that sport chalet has no clue what they are doing when it comes to scuba. Your LDS is always the best bet.

You would still have to have pure o2 on the premises just not directly into the tank you are filling.

 

[Scot M]

People need to learn that sport chalet has no clue what they are doing when it comes to scuba. Your LDS is always the best bet.

Sport Chalet is my LDS.

 

[California Diver]

actually you dont need pure 02 to make nitrox. Membrane systems produce the nitrox WITHOUT the use of o2.

 

[Otter]

You would still have to have pure o2 on the premises just not directly into the tank you are filling.

Membrane systems 'filter' out some nitrogen leaving a higher % of O2 in the resulting mix. Membrane systems are also very expensive (think of the number of stores they would need to install them in) and touchy. Premix would be the easier and safer way for less experienced fillers to fill a tank. But there is the analysis and logging and it probably isn't worth it to them.

The only reason they are teaching Nitrox now is because PADI dropped the required (but still recommended) two dives. They aren't going to pump Nitrox and they weren't about to send their student to another LDS for Nitrox fills.

 

[radinator]

You would still have to have pure o2 on the premises just not directly into the tank you are filling.

A membrane system works by filtering out some of the N2 from air. There is no pure O2 anywhere in the system.