Global shortage of helium?

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The only time I use helium is in a welding mix for mig welding stainless.
It’s argon CO2 and helium that they call trimix. I wonder what the price will do on that? It never was that cheap.
Other than that I’m not certified or have any training to use trimix for diving.
I personally would be OK taking air down to an O2 pp of 1.6
I’d have to work up to it though.
 
Looks like it may become unavailable at any price to divers in some areas. Do GUE now change the rules?
 
Best of luck with that.
Well it’s either that or get your wallet out, and that might not even work. What’s it worth for some just to do a recreational dive to 130’ but that last 30’ requires a mix of normoxic trimix to stay compliant to the rule?
Will we see rules bent and people moving on to another solution like every other agency, as in- just use air or nitrox. Some people get so weird with their rules, I don’t see the big deal.
 
If I couldn't get helium in my mix I'd probably still be diving on the B17G at 75M off the island of Vis but I think that would be my limit.
One on my wish list.....but wayyyy to deep for me on air. Deepest to day is Vassilios at 51.
 
Looks like it may become unavailable at any price to divers in some areas. Do GUE now change the rules?
Where would that be? You can get helium in Truk which is about as far from a supplier as is possible on the planet.

BTW I have been hearing helium is "unavailable at any price in XYZ place" for over a decade now. With enough money, local contacts and persistence its always available in the end.
 
Where would that be? You can get helium in Truk which is about as far from a supplier as is possible on the planet.

BTW I have been hearing helium is "unavailable at any price in XYZ place" for over a decade now. With enough money, local contacts and persistence its always available in the end.

Hard work and money solves problems? That can't be....
 
Just curious, how much are you paying for helium in the US?
My 12L 232 bar doubles hold about 5,56k liters of air, or about 196cuft.
If I were to fill them with 21/35 to 232 bar the helium alone would be about the equivalent of 120usd.
If I were to fill them with 18/45 the helium would be the equivalent of 156usd.
About 1,76usd per cuft, that's crazy expensive for one dive when you factor in the other costs as well.

I just found some industrial grade (Not USP NF) $1 per cubic ft before tax.
 
Naive question, could it be possible to use Argon in Trimix instead of Helium?
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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