Why should I support my LDS?

[Deep South Divers]

That's actually the easy part. Banked 32%, partial-pressure TMx fills, argon, 100% 02 boosted to 3000psi...not so easy to get from the firehouse.

:cool2:

Wild! Why would they be banking 32%? Unless, of course, they have a dive team...

The argon would be an unusual one, too... Although theoretically, I suppose that the stuff could be used for insulation whether from heat or cold, topside or submerged. I've just never seen that in a fire house before.

TMx fills... You mean partial pressure blending - EANx fills?

If these guys are that well-equipped for diving, don't they have a SCBA/SCUBA adapter for you?

Sounds like someone there knows what he's doing... Boosting 100% O2 isn't for the meek.

 

[JKPAO]

I think RJP is being funny again! funny like ha ha
See you topside! John

 

[Deep South Divers]

Oh... Duh. Sorry, blonde moment. I reread his post from a different viewpoint and got a totally different meaning. Funny how things can be read in different ways on the internet.

RJP, it's actually really easy to get a lot of the gas that you're looking for.

Oxygen is available at a surprisingly low cost - usually about $50 per month or so for two or three big DOT bottles, plus their fills, usually in the realm of about $20 per.

Argon and helium are the same way. At a very similar expense.

Banking 32% - what I will be banking - is also surprisingly easy. There's a variety of methods, but the way I will do it is with a "stick" - that is, I'll mix it BEFORE it goes into the compressor, using the aforementioned O2 bottles. My mixing station should cost about $150 to make, plus another $100 or so for the sensor.

Partial pressure blending is actually a simpler method, but requires very clean scuba cylinders, which I'm not comfortable with when it comes to other people's bottles. It may, however, be your "ticket" if you're only doing your own fills.

Regardless, it's pretty easy to do, and less expensive that you might think. Like a lot of things, mixing is something that looks a lot harder in the beginning than it does when you're ready to cross that bridge. When you get there and are ready to mix, things get a little more obvious.

 

[Thalassamania]

So, if you're the 'last man standing', and all the other divers have been thrown under the bus, are the dive boats/resorts gonna keep their doors open and be there for ya?

Or will the gear manufacturers hang around, standing ready to supply the world's last 'self-sufficient' diver when he/she wants new toyz or to replace old/broken toyz ?

This sport needs a critical mass of divers/$ to keep all the infrastructure we take for granted alive.

There is a critical mass of divers needed if there are to be equipment manufacturers, but the time is long past that there is a requirement for distributors or shops and I'm sure that there are enough of us around who have little or no use for either dive boats or resorts to keep the manufacturers going, especially since they could significantly raise their profits (200 to 300 percent!) if they went to a direct sales model, which drastically reduces the critical mass of divers needed.

 

[Web Monkey]

Or will the gear manufacturers hang around, standing ready to supply the world's last 'self-sufficient' diver when he/she wants new toyz or to replace old/broken toyz ?

This sport needs a critical mass of divers/$ to keep all the infrastructure we take for granted alive.

"The sport" did just fine in the 50's and 60's when there were nowhere near the current number of divers. Barring the collapse of the modern industrial world, someone, somewhere will continue to make all the items required to dive.

Same with boats. You might not have your pick of dozens of dive ops, but wherever you go, there will be a fisherman who's more than happy to take your money in exchange for a ride on his boat.

Terry

 

[RJP]

Regardless, it's pretty easy to do, and less expensive that you might think. Like a lot of things, mixing is something that looks a lot harder in the beginning than it does when you're ready to cross that bridge. When you get there and are ready to mix, things get a little more obvious.

Was a lot easier after I became a tec blender...

 

[RJP]

I think RJP is being funny again! funny like ha ha
See you topside! John

Funny how? Like a clown? I amuse you?

 

[redacted]

Funny how? Like a clown? I amuse you?



I didn't know the Peanuts gang was from Jersey!!!!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

That's awesome that YOU'D have other options, not sure I'm good with throwin' the VAST majority of other, less blessed, divers under the bus though...

Yes, it is nice having options ... but who's throwing anybody under the bus? As the VAST majority of the post you quoted said (and you chose to ignore) ... I support my local dive shop.

Do you?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[irishsquid]

It's great to know that I'm not alone in my thought process.

Sorry for the long post - yeah, I type really fast ...Lol... Sorry 'bout that. I'll try to keep 'em shorter.

No problem, good post and better stated and detailed than mine. I just couldn't believe that during my little post, you could chug out such a piece and I ended up so far behind. I'm a finger poker typist!

Good post folks! But let me clarify certain things.
...Now that we have understood the important of the million dollar smile, lets buy a mask for 85 dollars instead of 25 dollars and don't feel bad about the 60 dollars extra that you put in the pocket of the LDS! He pays taxes so you are being a good citizen. LDS is happy! God is happy! Pope is happy and you should be too because you got that million dollar smile in return for 60 dollars and also got to meet other over-paying customers.

If you could figure out how to sell a mask worth $25 at retail for $65, you would probably be able to smile like this too.

You got that right. Heck, I'll save the $60, pay toward a million dollar smile for myself from the local dentist, look in a mirror on my way to dive. Also, think of the 12 air fills I can get on my vacation I booked for $150 less than what that type of LDS would charge.