The price of Helium is up in the air

[tdmp]

GUE's InDepth magazine just published an excellent article on the current helium situation worldwide with average prices, availability and future trends:

The price of Helium is up in the air

 

[greeniguana]

Man, that writing is difficult to read.....

 

[Kensei]

GUE's InDepth magazine just published an excellent article on the current helium situation worldwide with average prices, availability and future trends:

The price of Helium is up in the air

Thanks, it was an interesting read.... in spite of the high school level of writing and analysis.

 

[Wibble]

Seems well out of date. Prices are much higher than in that article in many places -- if helium is available at all.

OC trimix has had its day. All hail the rebreather!

 

[Mike1967]

Well I must be dumb AF because it seems well written to me lol

 

[tridacna]

Shop near me in NJ is now $4.50 per cuft if you can get it.

 

[Degenerate]

Few years ago when I got back into diving I had a hard time seeing anyone on here pay more than we did for helium.

Nowadays I'm having a hard time seeing anyone paying less than we do for helium, price has gone up a little bit here over the years but at the end of the day it's pretty much the same if you look hard enough.

 

[macado]

I was finally able to get a T bottle of helium from my local gas supplier. $364 Ouch. I was paying $251 last year. He told me not to expect another bottle for another 4-5 months although from GUE article it seems like supply will be slowly getting better.

I've started to become a little more stingy on trimix fills. No more wasting 15/55 on 120' dives.

 

[kelemvor]

OC trimix has had its day. All hail the rebreather!

I've been saying that for quite some time. Unfortunately, nobody wants to hear it.

 

[Wibble]

I've been saying that for quite some time. Unfortunately, nobody wants to hear it.

CCR people are very happy to talk about using helium whenever they feel like it.
A deepish and longish dive would use as much as 60 litres of helium -- call it 10p/12c, then it's a mere £6/$7.20 per dive.
Plus another 120 litres of oxygen -- about 1p/1c = £1.20/$1.50.
Plus the sodalime, about £5/$6.
Plus a pee-valve catheter, about £2/$2.
And the boat fee, £60/$70.
And the diesel to drive to the boat.
And lunch. And a nice day out.
All for £100/$120.

Alas the cost of a twinset fill for a 60m/200ft dive would be ££££++ / $$$$+++. Plus all the oxygen for the deco gasses.

The best bit is this: I'm gassing up for a 65m/220ft dive on Friday. The weather's a bit marginal (after a long spell of hot weather, sorry everyone, it's my fault for booking a dive...). The alternative dive site's about 50m/165ft. I won't be changing the diluent for that. Nor would I bother changing it if we went to a 30m/100ft site. For a few quid, it just doesn't matter.