Nitrox users-- do you own an O2 analyzer/meter?

As a new nitrox diver, one of the questions I've got is how valuable having your own oxygen meter is. Is it important or even useful to have one for live aboards, local diving, and other vacations? Seems like a lot of money that could be spent other places

TIA!

Why spend the $200+? The LDS you're getting fills from has one. The liveaboard that has nitrox fills has one. When you pick up the tanks, you analyze it there, and you fill out the label, so even if you don't use if for a few days, all the info is there. Unless you plan on mixing your own nitrox (a little too much beyond what I can afford), buy something else you can use.

i analyze every time right before i hook my regs up to my tank.

My LDS brings one to every trip.

FloppyFoot:

As a new nitrox diver, one of the questions I've got is how valuable having your own oxygen meter is. Is it important or even useful to have one for live aboards, local diving, and other vacations? Seems like a lot of money that could be spent other places

TIA!

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As a new nitrox diver, just finished the classroom and test portion - yuck!, I wondered about that. Seems like an expensive and unnecessary piece of gear. Since diving is so gear intensive, I'm not looking to add more gear to my divebag, especailly one that would duplicate what is offered for free. I'm doing my two nitrox cert dives in Coz next month.

So far, I've only used Nitrox on 4 dives. Each time the nitrox is analyzed a few minutes before setting up my gear. So, I have just used the shop's analyzer.

Laurens

FloppyFoot:

As a new nitrox diver, one of the questions I've got is how valuable having your own oxygen meter is. Is it important or even useful to have one for live aboards, local diving, and other vacations? Seems like a lot of money that could be spent other places

TIA!

Click to expand...

I own an analyzer and I have been in situations where mine was the only one available to a group of divers. All of the other divers assumed that the boat would have one and when it did not I used mine, and let the other divers on the boat use it as well. If I had not had mine we all would have been in a less than ideal position.

I built mine from a kit at RC Dive Technology kits are available from other sources as well. If you want to purchase a complete (not from a kit that you assemble) analyzer RC Dive Technology also makes those too. Another source for an analyzer is Tech Diving Limited they have one reasonably priced right now.

Remember, if you are diving and using NITROX only you are responsible for the mix, YOU must know with a reasonable amount of certainty what gas you are breathing.

Enjoy,

Mark Vlahos

Mark Vlahos:

I own an analyzer and I have been in situations where mine was the only one available to a group of divers. All of the other divers assumed that the boat would have one and when it did not I used mine, and let the other divers on the boat use it as well. If I had not had mine we all would have been in a less than ideal position.

I built mine from a kit at RC Dive Technology kits are available from other sources as well. If you want to purchase a complete (not from a kit that you assemble) analyzer RC Dive Technology also makes those too. Another source for an analyzer is Tech Diving Limited they have one reasonably priced right now.

Remember, if you are diving and using NITROX only you are responsible for the mix, YOU must know with a reasonable amount of certainty what gas you are breathing.

Enjoy,

Mark Vlahos

Click to expand...

What would all the divers on that boat, you too, have done if you had not had a meter? We are told in class to NEVER trust what's on the lable. How could that dive op charge for nitrox and not have an analyzer? That is a real safety issue.

If you went to the expense of getting Nitrox certified and are spending another $5.00 per tank or so for Nitrox, the cost of an analyzer over time is really quite low.

With your own analyzer you always know it is properly calibrated and that the testing was properly done. You are also able to do a final check right before the dive. In my opinon having your own analyser is cheap insurance and and an inexpensive way to get a little more safety and piece of mind. Oxtox is not something you want to mess if the mix is too hot, nor is DCS if you dive to the NDL with a mix that is colder than you thought.

If you go the do it yourself kit route, the cost is also low at around $100 to $130 depending on what accessories you add. Scuba diving is equipment intensive and there are items that many divers own that they really do not need, but for a nitrox diver, an O2 analyser is not one of them.

Another source for an analyzer kit is:

http://www.oxycheq.com/el_cheapo_II.html

I built one of the Oxycheq EC II analysers and noticed it was nearly identical to the one on the RC dive technology site. They use the same case and panel meter. While the ECII is $10.00 more expensive than the RC Dive Technology kit, it is slightly less labor intensive in that it comes with a potentiometer that does not need to have the shaft cut. It also comes with clear instructions, is well packed and organized and the customer service is super if you have any problems or questions.

With either kit, you are going to get a very functional analyzer for about $100 and 2-3 hours labor (with at least half the time spent measuring and cutting the case - the soldering is pretty basic and minimal).

I have been on dive vacations where the shop analyzer gave wildly different readings on the same tank. We dove air. I have my own analyzer now and it also comes in handy if my doubles get topped off with air after a nitrox dive. Like you were told in class, if you aren't sure whats in it don't dive with it!