RonFrank
Contributor
This is a model that "Our Best" hardware uses. One problem is the someone has to have the resources and connections to form the co-opt. Interesting idea...
The LDS of the future
- Thread starter jaycanwk
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This is a model that "Our Best" hardware uses. One problem is the someone has to have the resources and connections to form the co-opt. Interesting idea...
Sure.
All you need to do is get a suitable O2 tank, say 300 cubic feet. I am not sure what that rental will set you back. You will also want to have a fill whip. If you get a basic analog one with an O2 adaptor attachment, you can get one for under $400. A digital fill whip kit is around $800.
When you figure the cost of the O2 tank, remember that you will only be able to use about half of the gas in it with just a fill whip at your disposal. That is because you can only fill your scuba tank up to the PSI left in the O2 tank. You can either return the half full tank and get a new one, or you can get several of them and use them in a series, taking the most empty one first and then working your way up to the fullest. You can also purchase a Haskell booster so that you can use the whole thing. Of course, at about $3,000 for the portable model, you will want to be mixing a lot of nitrox to make that worth while.
Remember that you must top off the fill with Grade E air, so you will want to make sure that your compressor has that kind of ultra high quality filter. (Remember, fire departments do not need Grade E air for their purposes.)
So, you are right. A nitrox diver can get fills without needing a shop to do it.
evolve or die!
And here again is the opportunity for a small group of divers to co-op and buy the blending station. 10-25 divers throw in $1-2k/each and buy the compressors, blending sticks, storage bank, boosters and whips and then continue to pay ~$3-4/fill (with that money going to the upkeep and maintenance of the station) and you have a club-supported fill station.
For the cost of a canister light you can have access to all the custom blends you'll ever need for as long as you can keep your group of friends interested and diving together.
It sounds so very easy.
This past year one of the few shops in the area that did helium and nitrox fills went out of business, and one of the others stopped doing it because it was losing money on it. (Remember this point: a shop that was doing these fills for a fairly large number of people and charging for that service was losing money doing it.) One diver purchased the compressor from the shop that went out of business and is trying to form a coop that covers the entire northern front range area of Colorado, including the Denver area. The biggest problem right now is finding a place to put the compressor and other gear so that members of the coop have access to it all. That is not easy. Anyway, we have been working on it for a while without success. I'll let you know if it happens.
I see the LDS of the future possibly providing the best of both worlds. Partnered up with a large online supplier offering competitive pricing and a wide selection along with good service. I personally refuse to buy a device that I am going to depend on for my life online. Regs, valves, gauges, etc. are bought locally, thus they are checked beforehand. Wetsuits, gloves, boots, fins and such, it is by best price and shipping. I do most of my diving close to home and if there is an issue it is more than likely going to be resolved quickly without having to ship it to some online vendor. Another point is location. I get my fills locally and not online. My online experiences have had mixed results and problems that do not seem to be relevant to size of vendor. The other problem with only online is the BS from "Customer Service" when you do have a problem. I personally own and run two businesses and have found that pricing most of the time does not count as much as the personal service and quality I provide. But hey that's just my opinion.
It's big names like scuba pro and aqua lung that set the stage for how dive shops function period... Go apply for a dealer account with any big name brand and see if they don't hand you the business model you must use if you want to sell their stuff... It's freaking BS! Don't be fooled for one second, they run the show.
Yep, be a "Premier" or "Platinum" Dealer carry the whole line, have the yoke around your neck, and do as you are told.
Fewer and fewer stores are doing this.
Times are changing. More folks will not conform to the "party line" so we are seeing new people and sales models unfold.
Diving is such a great adventure that it will always be evolving. Soaring weightless in kelp beds, clear water, lakes and quarries.
We are all fortunate to be part of the very few who will ever experience this. I hope, in the next generation, many more will see
this water planet themselves.
We are lucky indeed to experience diving.
Fewer and fewer stores are doing this.
Times are changing. More folks will not conform to the "party line" so we are seeing new people and sales models unfold.
Diving is such a great adventure that it will always be evolving. Soaring weightless in kelp beds, clear water, lakes and quarries.
We are all fortunate to be part of the very few who will ever experience this. I hope, in the next generation, many more will see
this water planet themselves.
We are lucky indeed to experience diving.
evolve or die!
Id say your website has evolved into a solid blue page... What's up with that? Have you died and your website reflecting your view from Davy jones locker. Lmao!
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