what is everyone doing about the Helium shortage?

[waterpirate]

I hoarde up enough for the season at the first wisper of the shortage. My supplier says that by Christmas things should be normal again.
Eric

 

[wreckedinnanaimo]

I use about 6cuft worth of 10/50 for a typical deep dive

wow ! i own a meg ! but i have never seen a rebreather like that before ! what is that ? it looks really small!

 

[wedivebc]

wow ! i own a meg ! but i have never seen a rebreather like that before ! what is that ? it looks really small!

Smartass!

 

[Scott L]

What shortage? I called Silent World Dive Center last week in order to inquire about availability and price vs. last year. Chris Brown indicated it is the same price now as last summer...

 

[PfcAJ]

I pay a little more now that I did a year ago, but its not much.

 

[syntaxerrorsix]

We are paying 65-95¢ a cuft. I was paying 45-60¢ a cuft this time last year.

I haven't done much past 150' in some time so it really hasn't been a big deal for me. I've got a couple of AL80's topped up with 18/45 from last year's prices so I suppose I'll manage for awhile.

 

[electrix]

I was picking up some nitrogen at a big welding supply in Dallas that I have been using for years I asked them about helium last week he said they were having a hard time getting it and that it was going to get much worse for demand and price. I asked him about balloons he said that was dirty helium and only about 80% helium

 

[mathauck0814]

I bought a rebreather when gas started to be hard to come by.

 

[scubamarketing]

Money talks. If you talk to a gas supplier and offer to pay higher than market rates, they'll probably find some for you.

The problem is that you've been used to an artificially low price and and artificially high supply, courtesy of the US government dumping it's helium reserves.

It will never be this cheap again, so you may end up changing the kind of dives you do or get used to paying a lot more.

flots.

Not exactly what's going on. Congress deregulated/privatized helium production and private enterprise hasn't jumped into production. Here's a good read on it: Helium Shortage - Why Is There a Helium Shortage? - Popular Mechanics

 

[flots am]

Not exactly what's going on. Congress deregulated/privatized helium production and private enterprise hasn't jumped into production. Here's a good read on it: Helium Shortage - Why Is There a Helium Shortage? - Popular Mechanics

The severe drop in helium reserves and its effects on the United States - by William Browning - Helium

"In 2011, helium prices were $2.70 per cubic meter as sold by the government. The estimated price range for the entire industry was $5.77 per cubic meter."

flots