Where to find helium/trimix in Pattaya??

[Vie]

My friends and I are trying to organize a GUE Tech 1 class in Pattaya/Samaesan for Feb./Mar. 2007. My friends, one a PADI Course Director and the other a NAUI instructor, contacted two dive shops, Mermaid's Dive Center and Aquanauts Dive Centre, about the possibility of them providing us with helium/gas blending.

Anyway, they were informed that both shops have an agreement with each other whereby they will not provide helium/Trimix to anyone not taking a course/renting tanks/renting boats with either shop - "for our own safety."

Anyway, since we have no current interest in taking a DSAT, ANDI, IANTD, TDI or PSAI course (no disrespect meant to those agencies), it seems that we will not have access to helium in Pattaya, ever.

Until my group can set up our own gas blending facility in Bangkok, does anyone know where we might be able to find helium/TriOx/Trimix in Pattaya (or neighbouring areas)?

 

[save-money-diving]

whats their rationale behind that??

you would have thought that they would be happy to make a profit on the helium?

why dont you ask them how much it is to rent a j bottle

 

[Vie]

whats their rationale behind that??

you would have thought that they would be happy to make a profit on the helium?

No idea. It makes zero business sense. I guess they felt that we couldn't possibly make a safe trimix dive without their expert supervision. It's funny, I got a 21/35 (and EAN50) fill in Ao Nang/Krabi from One Stop Dive Centre and enjoyed a nice dive in the 40-50m range at Hin Muang on Sunday (26 Nov. 2006)... Guess diving in Pattaya is different.

why dont you ask them how much it is to rent a j bottle

Perhaps as a last resort I should - lol.

 

[goodeatsfan]

maybe it's just so that you have to use their services? anyway, Vie, good luck on your hunt for Helium, at worst, the session in Singapore isn't that far away?

 

[h90]

tried to rent there 2 tanks with normal air because a friend has a boat.
No chance, just a plain "we don't give tanks for rent"

 

[Vie]

I've rented tanks from Mermaid's before - they were steel doubles, not particualrly well maintained and entirely unsuited to the kind of diving that I do, but it was a last minute emergency so I had no choice.

Anyway, as a result of this thread and a similar one on TDS, I've had two serious offers of help from two very kind fellow divers in Pattaya. Nothing definite yet, but hopefully we can proceed with the class in Febraury.

 

[goodeatsfan]

that's pretty good news. Good luck on finding what you need Vie!

 

[smartecosse]

tried to rent there 2 tanks with normal air because a friend has a boat.
No chance, just a plain "we don't give tanks for rent"

for future ref afaik if it is a PADI shop the standards stipulate that they MUST have equip for rent inc tanks to certified divers.........

 

[stevenl]

a PADI shop the standards stipulate that they MUST have equip for rent inc tanks to certified divers

It makes IMO a lot of sense that a DC would rent out equipment, but it is no requirement. The closest come this from the Instructor Manual:

Other services offered to the public by a PADI Dive Center include recreational scuba equipment rental and repair, compressed air, recreational scuba diving or snorkeling activities, and travel opportunities.

This does not say it is a requirement to rent out equipment, nor is it e.g. to repair or sell divetravel.

 

[h90]

for future ref afaik if it is a PADI shop the standards stipulate that they MUST have equip for rent inc tanks to certified divers.........

Do you have that in a writen form somewhere? In Pattaya all refused (well not sure if I asked all) to give a tank for rent. Only paradise (or something like that) gave me one, but they changed mangment or owner.
All other just answered in a plain "no we don't give tanks for rent" Noone asked for anything just "NO".
(I am not looking anyway special or smell or something like that, I look pretty normal).

I don't think they really must, you can't force them. If PADI tells they must, than can simply see yes and ask for 100 US$/day thats the same as saying no.

But Pattaya is Pattaya thats not normal...