ScubaJimbo
Skin Diver
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2019 9:22 pm
First Name: Jim
Location: Greenville SC

Local Dive Shop

Fri Sep 06, 2019 7:29 pm

Thought their heads would explode when I came in for air to dive my Voit MR12 and ScubaPro MK7 in the pool.
“WHY do you want a 2250 tank?”
I know these guys personally and they are great guys. But the owner thinks I am mad for wanting to dive the MK7.
I’m an older guy and REALLY don’t want to drown, so I rebuild like I’m packing my own parachute.
Interested in your thoughts.

Jim

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Vancetp
Master Diver
Posts: 401
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2016 7:26 pm
First Name: Phillip
Location: Belmont CA

Re: Local Dive Shop

Fri Sep 06, 2019 7:52 pm

You have to find a shop where the people are more than 30 yo. My LDS has been running continuously since the mid '50s. I was just there today and got my 1955 (but hydroed 2017) Rene 72 tank filled w/o question. He even helped me put on a different 1/2" pipe thread valve (and supplied the teflon tape). I'm very lucky. I guess.

swimjim
Master Diver
Posts: 1694
Joined: Thu Mar 23, 2006 12:28 am
First Name: Jim
Location: Belgium WI

Re: Local Dive Shop

Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:55 pm

Many of us have ditched the dive shop altogether and do our own inspections and fill our own tanks. On the surface that may sound really expensive. But how much does freedom cost???? Seriously. I'm done with dive shops that make it up as they go along. I have invested in a compressor and have taken the PSI vip class. The only thing I have to sweat is the hydro every five years.

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rhwestfall
Master Diver
Posts: 631
Joined: Thu Jan 16, 2014 2:34 pm
First Name: Robert
Location: "La Grande Ile"

Re: Local Dive Shop

Fri Sep 06, 2019 9:11 pm

yep! Me too. My only pain is 28 hydros over each 5 year period...
Bob

No Longer Awaiting my Kraken.....

mdw
Diver
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2018 2:09 pm
First Name: Mark
Location: Nazareth PA

Re: Local Dive Shop

Fri Sep 27, 2019 11:44 am

Hydros should be the least of your worries. Just take your tanks to your local fire extinguisher company or welding gas supply store. Both will either have their own in-house hydro tester or a relationship with another company who does all their hydros at a bulk rate. I do all my own visual inspections (PSI/PCI recertification pays for itself if you have even 6 or 7 tanks), O2 cleaning, & valve rebuilds, and take about 20% of my tanks to the local fire suppression vendor each year for hydro at $20 a tank. Maintaining all 30 or so of my tanks only costs about $140 per year (< $5/tank/yr). I have also recently purchased a nice used compressor for $1600, plus about $200 for a supply of new filters and other consumables. This will allow me to fill my own tanks with air for next to nothing after initially amortizing out the initial cost of the compressor. I figure the first 200 or so fills should cover it, at the $8 per fill the LDSs around here would charge me. I'll still go to them for Nitrox, at least until I build myself a blending stick and buy a cylinder of O2.

That said (and to address the original topic), I have about 8 tanks that are 2250 with original hydro dates in the 1970s, and nobody has ever hassled me about why I would want 40 year old tanks rated to a low pressure. For the same price, I'll take 8 steel 72s over maybe 1 HP 120 every time.

BigSwell
Master Diver
Posts: 128
Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2019 6:57 pm
First Name: Kevin
Location: Kalifornia

Re: Local Dive Shop

Fri Sep 27, 2019 3:48 pm

Simple explanation; he wants to sell you new gear... don't buy his logic :evil:

SnarkIII
Lung Diver
Posts: 67
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2016 11:23 pm
First Name: Skip
Location: Lawrence MA

Re: Local Dive Shop

Fri Sep 27, 2019 6:47 pm

I recently found a LDS who is vintage friendly. The first time I went in I ended up spending 2 hours talking with him about my double hose regs. I was shocked when he told me he stocks hoses for them. He even adjusted one of my Sherwood Shadow+ seconds so it wouldn't free flow on my Snark 3. :D

h2operations
Master Diver
Posts: 107
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:40 pm
First Name: Paul
Location: Coronado CA

Re: Local Dive Shop

Fri Sep 27, 2019 8:36 pm

Please do not not keep this Gem all to your self. Someone like that should be given business next time I am thru the area.

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