Pay extra for doubles?

[Joeyk]

I was on a liveaboard last month. There was a guy
there who has a doubles set-up, one tank with nitrox, the other with air (I think).

Was just wondering if liveaboards, or any dive operation, generally charge extra for filling the extra tank.

 

[tstormdiver]

Were they independent doubles? Most doubles with an isolator manifold, have the same gas in each cylinder,as the isolator is frequently left open between the cylinders. Back to your topic,... It is not at all unusual to pay extra (usually double) for the fills,... after all it is 2 cylinders being filled whether they are connected by an isolator manifold or independent. What would be the difference between doubles or 2 completely separate cylinders? To compress & filter the air/ Nitrox & to pay the worker for filling costs $. In Cave Country FL, they charge by the cu ft used whether 1 or multiple cylinders, in areas where divers aren't charged that way it is usually double the single cylinder fill rate.

 

[macado]

You usually get charged per tank still or I've seen some shops charge different prices for filling doubles. I'm not sure how it would work on liveaboards though

 

[DiverLS]

I use doubles because I'm always in cave gear even in open water. I don't feel it's fair to not pay double to fill my tanks (32% Nitrox) because I get two or three dives out of my doubles.

 

[tstormdiver]

I use doubles because I'm always in cave gear even in open water. I don't feel it's fair to not pay double to fill my tanks (32% Nitrox) because I get two or three dives out of my doubles.

That doesn't make sense... It's not fair that you get 2- 3 dives out of a fill of a set of doubles, when someone with 2 singles will get 2 dives? You get the same amount or more dives off a fill. What's not fair?

 

[aquaregia]

I like buying gas by the cubic foot. My buddy has better air consumption than I do and two single HP100s. To match his air, I use twin 72s. I don't mind paying a little gas guzzler tax, but paying twice as much for 130cf in twin 72s as it would cost for a single HP130?

 

[LouieLouie]

I pay the same for doubles as for singles. However, I don't do multiple dives on them so the amount of air that is filled is pretty much the same. I dive doubles because I want sufficient reserves on deep dives and can easily dive to the NDL on a single. Diving to the NDL and still have enough air to bring me and my buddy safely to the surface in case of an emergency is a different matter.

 

[tstormdiver]

I like buying gas by the cubic foot. My buddy has better air consumption than I do and two single HP100s. To match his air, I use twin 72s. I don't mind paying a little gas guzzler tax, but paying twice as much for 130cf in twin 72s as it would cost for a single HP130?

Typically those operations that charge double to fill twins have a single fill rate charge,... say $7 a fill. So if you get a "cave fill" on yours, you are actually coming out even more ahead.

 

[kathydee]

Some shops charge by cubic foot.

Others will require that customers pay for two single fills (regardless if the pressure gauge reads 2,000psi).

My favorite shop is reasonable: if your tanks are close to 1/2 pressure, it's only necessary to pay for a single fill.

 

[Rhone Man]

I pay double to fill my doubles, although I argue that they only take up one slot on the compressor, and air is free.

I also pull full single price to refill my pony, for the same reasons that I gave why I shouldn't pay double for my doubles.