Where to get hydro

[Mr. Manfrenjensenden]

I live in the Boston area. Does everyone get their hydros at dive shops, or are there fire extinguisher companies locally that will do them?

 

[divad]

[QUOTE="Mr. Manfrenjensenden, post: 8196091, member: 472850] Does everyone get their hydros at dive shops[/QUOTE]

[Almost] no dive shop (or fire extinguisher place) does hydros. Look for a hydro place. But....the end price may be the same, in which case, you may prefer to support your local dive shop. They have fills...

 

[Jonny Wishbone]

What divad means is that the dive shops are not who actually conduct the test, they send them out for this service and usually tac on 20 or 25 dollars to the total. After all, the dive shop still needs to do the VIP too. Im a bit North of Tampa in FL and my LDS charges 59 bucks for hydro, VIP and air fill.That is out the door tax included. I just had 4 steel tanks done.

 

[Tug]

There are a few shops locally that do hydros in house, they are United Divers and Mass Diving. Personally, I’ll gladly pay the surcharge for a dive shop to send them out. Boston Scuba can usually turn them over within two weeks and often quicker.

If you want to take them direct to the hydro shop, there is a good place in Quincy that does them. I believe it is Gotham Fire, but I’m not positive.

 

[ScubaGypsy]

If you find your way coming south to Rhode Island, Firex in Portsmouth does hydros and vips.

 

[mmerriman]

What divad means is that the dive shops are not who actually conduct the test, they send them out for this service and usually tac on 20 or 25 dollars to the total. After all, the dive shop still needs to do the VIP too. Im a bit North of Tampa in FL and my LDS charges 59 bucks for hydro, VIP and air fill.That is out the door tax included. I just had 4 steel tanks done.

thats actually not 100% true - while many dive shops send them out, some dive shops have a hydro testing facility. Mass Diving in Natick being one

 

[Mr. Manfrenjensenden]

Thanks all. I should have been more specific and asked, "Do people just drop off their tanks at dive shops for hydros..." Good to know that some locally do them in-house -- I thought everyone sent them out somewhere, which is why the turnaround is several weeks. I agree, Tug, that I'm inclined to pay the surcharge for convenience, unless I happen to be going to Quincy anyway.

 

[Mr. Manfrenjensenden]

If you find your way coming south to Rhode Island, Firex in Portsmouth does hydros and vips.

Generally no, but I could probably get points with the wife if I were the one who suggested a trip to the Newport mansions!

 

[Mr. Manfrenjensenden]

There are a few shops locally that do hydros in house, they are United Divers and Mass Diving. Personally, I’ll gladly pay the surcharge for a dive shop to send them out. Boston Scuba can usually turn them over within two weeks and often quicker.

If you want to take them direct to the hydro shop, there is a good place in Quincy that does them. I believe it is Gotham Fire, but I’m not positive.

Turns out it's Gorham Fire, Gorham Fire Appliance Co | Fire Extinguishers | Quincy, MA. $25 for the hydro, but they don't do visuals or fills.

 

[Tug]

Most hydro shops don’t do visuals and fills so you’d have to take it to a shop for that anyways. Locally, visuals are between $15 and $25 and fills range from $7 to $12ish which is why it often makes sense to take them to a shop for the whole process.

If you shoot me a PM with your location, I’m happy to make some recommendations. Based on your profile location, Boston Scuba and East Coast Divers are my recommendations. Based on my experience, Boston Scuba can usually turn around a hydro quicker (one of their employees lives right near the hydro shop so he picks them up/drops them off as needed).