Tough Year for Some

[pufferfish]

hey puffer,
what up with you, your grumpy dude,

Not as grumpy it seems as the chorus of bad PR you have generated from the folks above. Funny way to run a business and I guess you have never heard of the 'moccasin telegraph' otherwise known as word of mouth which goes a long way in the GTA with this board.

Grumpy no, I was just looking for a simple answer to a legitimate question about whether your shop had oxygen compatible air which I now assume you don't. I will be sure to tell ten people here in the GTA of that fact.

When you do have OCA please feel free to let us know.

Have a nice day.

 

[Sean326]

I want to start a pool as to how many dive shops go under this winter. With the introduction of e-shopping who really needs a dive shop anyway. I sure you idiots that buy your gear on-line will figure out how to buy fills on-line as well, or hey maybe you can buy your own compressor with the money you saved, don't worry about service just throw it away when it caps out, after all you just bought the stuff for next to nothing from someone somewhere.Just a thought

I love my LDS, the guy is nice, knowledgeable hard working retailer. I like the convenience of being able to stop in and get the odd dive saving item and looking at the gear. However....

I can't justify sometimes paying twice the amount just so he can stay in business.

Example: I decided to move up to a Zeagle Ranger LTD. My LDS said he could get it for about $795.00 (he is a stocking Zeagle dealer but did not have one in stock)

LP had it for $465.00, I printed out the LP page brought it in and told my LDS that I would even pay him $50.00 over LP, he refused.

In short except for tanks (my LDS offers $1.00 fills for life on tanks bought from him) I haven't found much that LP doesn't sell way cheaper. as a result I've spent thousands with LP and only hundreds with my LDS.

I have always gotten great factory packaged stuff from LP, on the occasion when their was a problem with the item (mostly size) their customer service has been great. twice I've gotten the replacement item before I even mailed the old one back.

It seems that most of the guys on this board that trash LP have an agenda.

 

[Sean326]

or hey maybe you can buy your own compressor with the money you saved, Just a thought

I honestly think I could, LP sells both a gas or electric powered compressor for only $2,600.00 and I'll bet I've saved almost that much over the years.

for example:

My LDS wanted to sell me a Ranger LTD for $795.00 LP $465.00
New Dive light $89.00 LP $ 49.00
SC Jet fins $200.00+ LP $ 129.00+-
dry suit $1,600.00 LP $595.00
Integrated inflater reg. $ 300.00+ LP $165.00

The numbers really add up eventually.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I don't think I'd buy a compressor from LP.

Unless you really know compressors it's a good idea to buy one from some one who knows something about them and can support it.

What kind of compressors do they sell?

 

[Sean326]

I don't think I'd buy a compressor from LP.
Unless you really know compressors it's a good idea to buy one from some one who knows something about them and can support it.
What kind of compressors do they sell?

From LP web page, this is actually the same make as my LDS takes on trips.
(the LDS has a bigger model but same make)


Description
The Max-Air 35 is the most reliable, compact and portable compressor available today. Ideal for location dives or pleasure boats where portability, space and weight are considerations. Economical to run and easy to maintain, the Max-Air 35 will give years of high quality breathing air in locations where dive centers or air stations are unaccessible.

 

[Genesis]

From LP web page, this is actually the same make as my LDS takes on trips.
(the LDS has a bigger model but same make)


Description
The Max-Air 35 is the most reliable, compact and portable compressor available today. Ideal for location dives or pleasure boats where portability, space and weight are considerations. Economical to run and easy to maintain, the Max-Air 35 will give years of high quality breathing air in locations where dive centers or air stations are unaccessible.

The Max-Air 35 is grossly inferior to the Alkin W31, and costs about the same.

If you want a small electric or gas powered compressor, that's the one I'd buy (and did); its quiet, low-RPM, will run for hours at a crack without overheating (important since its slow!) and is still portable (well, as portable as something that weighs 70lbs on a steel frame can be)

If you want to know where to get the Alkin let me know - I have no financial interest the US distributor, but do know him and he's a good guy.

 

[Sean326]

If you want a small electric or gas powered compressor, that's the one I'd buy

I'm not quite ready to buy my own compressor yet, but it could make sense in the near future.

The above posts from me were simply a response to the dive shop owner who suggested we may need to buy our own compressors when LP drove the LDS out of business.

I guess I've probably spent over the years between $5,000.00 to $7,000.00 on my gear and I'll bet I saved the cost of a small compressor just by shopping around for the best price on gear.

Thats all I was trying to say.

 

[Sean326]

The Max-Air 35 is grossly inferior to the Alkin W31, and costs about the same.If you want a small electric or gas powered compressor, that's the one I'd buy (and did); its quiet, low-RPM, will run for hours at a crack without overheating (important since its slow!) and is still portable (well, as portable as something that weighs 70lbs on a steel frame can be)If you want to know where to get the Alkin let me know - I have no financial interest the US distributor, but do know him and he's a good guy.

Well that all sounds good but per the companies web site the alkin is only 3,260 psi the max air is rated at 4,800 psi....

I dive HP 120s so I guess I would need the higher pressure to get the full benefit from the tanks...

The more I think about it the more it makes sense to buy a comp.
Besides If I rig a nail gun adapter for it it's a business expense for my Real Estate company right ???

 

[Genesis]

Well that all sounds good but per the companies web site the alkin is only 3,260 psi the max air is rated at 4,800 psi....

I dive HP 120s so I guess I would need the higher pressure to get the full benefit from the tanks...

The more I think about it the more it makes sense to buy a comp.
Besides If I rig a nail gun adapter for it it's a business expense for my Real Estate company right ???

Nope - you're wrong on the Alkin. There are two versions, and the only difference between them is where the final pop-off pressure is set.

The one I have pops off at 4500psi, and goes all the way there without effort. You have to ASK for that relief valve in the unit; if you leave an AL or LP steel tank on one of these you could conceiveably get a "boom"....

I fill HPs with it all the time.

 

[Sean326]

It's always good to avoid Booms