Discuss: gas analyzer before second Shearwater?

[DeepSeaExplorer]

It’s not necessary to have a Helium analyzer to dive mix. Most just analyze the O2 content. The actual HE % isn’t critical.

 

[CuzzA]

I wish it worked like that everywhere but it doesn’t. Where I live for work, there’s lots to be assumed is being cocked up.

Before I purchased my own twinset, I was renting. I went to pick up a normal air rental for the day from the only tec shop around and the compressor monkey pushed a Tx tank towards me with a hypoxic mix. I told him that was the wrong set and I was looking for my rental set with 21%. He then peeled the TX sticker off and then motioned for me to take the twinset as if everything was right as rain.

The analyzer moved to the top of my DGX wishlist.

I was taught to always personally analyze and mark my tanks. It sounds like you were taught the same and did the right thing. I would not take someone's word for what is in a tank.

 

[Stoo]

Similar here... I'd left a set of tanks for hydro with request to fill to 30% when I picked them up. When I got to the shop, I insisted on testing them over the objections of the obviously butt-hurt shop owner. Analysis showed them to be 70%. He argued that they were fine and the analyzer must be buggered. I suggested testing his O2 tank and sure enough, analyzer read 99.8%

They half drained and I got them the next day as well as an analyzer.

Ya really gotta know what you're breathing.

 

[abnfrog]

yes that has happened to me too stoo , half a dozen time ...I ask my students if they should trust me (on the nitrox course ) all said yes at the start after all agreed no ...they need to do it themselves ....with their own analyzer

 

[Stoo]

yes that has happened to me too stoo , half a dozen time ...I ask my students if they should trust me (on the nitrox course ) all said yes at the start after all agreed no ...they need to do it themselves ....with their own analyzer

I began to suggest years ago that every nitrox course, or as a minimum, advanced nitrox course, should be priced to include an analyzer. It would never happen, but it should.

 

[broncobowsher]

Analyzer is a must once you start blending/mixing stuff at home. Or doing your own partial pressure fills and having the shop top them off with air. But for the intro level of tech diving, I have no issue using what the shop has for testing. There is a progression in needing your own analyzer. You may start off with a basic O2 testing until you step up to trimix.

A second computer (IMHO) should be added right after AN/DP. Once you take the class, understand what is happening with how different gasses during a dive. After cutting tables for every dive and transition away from the old recreational computer that is pissed that you are doing tech dives and is now just a glorified bottom timer. Turn that into a second real computer. Now your cut tables are generically converted into plan "C" for when everything goes bad. Pull a plan out of your wet notes that covers a little deeper and longer than you are and use it to get the hell out.

If your start in technical diving includes Helium and doing some of your own fills, you better start with an analyzer. But for most people, a good second computer will be a better choice. This is assuming you have a decent shop that does fills that has an analyzer that is any good. If shop does a Nitrox fill and has to blow the dust off the O2 tester and put a fresh battery in it before you use it, you probably want your own analyzer first.

Personally I didn't own an analyzer until I got a booster pump and started doing gasses myself in the garage. I got the booster and analyzer the same day. That was when I NEEDED the analyzer. I was up to my 3rd Shearwater before I got an analyzer. And it was a full analyzer that does Helium as well.

The OP never mentioned what level of analyzer they were discussing. The basic O2 analyzer is pretty cheap. It is less than the cost to fill a set of doubles with a deep mix. But to spend $700 on a trimix analyzer and all you do is check it against the shops analyzer for a nitrox fill, a second computer is a better choice.

 

[Marie13]

Analyzer is a must once you start blending/mixing stuff at home. Or doing your own partial pressure fills and having the shop top them off with air. But for the intro level of tech diving, I have no issue using what the shop has for testing. There is a progression in needing your own analyzer. You may start off with a basic O2 testing until you step up to trimix.

A second computer (IMHO) should be added right after AN/DP. Once you take the class, understand what is happening with how different gasses during a dive. After cutting tables for every dive and transition away from the old recreational computer that is pissed that you are doing tech dives and is now just a glorified bottom timer. Turn that into a second real computer. Now your cut tables are generically converted into plan "C" for when everything goes bad. Pull a plan out of your wet notes that covers a little deeper and longer than you are and use it to get the hell out.

If your start in technical diving includes Helium and doing some of your own fills, you better start with an analyzer. But for most people, a good second computer will be a better choice. This is assuming you have a decent shop that does fills that has an analyzer that is any good. If shop does a Nitrox fill and has to blow the dust off the O2 tester and put a fresh battery in it before you use it, you probably want your own analyzer first.

Personally I didn't own an analyzer until I got a booster pump and started doing gasses myself in the garage. I got the booster and analyzer the same day. That was when I NEEDED the analyzer. I was up to my 3rd Shearwater before I got an analyzer. And it was a full analyzer that does Helium as well.

The OP never mentioned what level of analyzer they were discussing. The basic O2 analyzer is pretty cheap. It is less than the cost to fill a set of doubles with a deep mix. But to spend $700 on a trimix analyzer and all you do is check it against the shops analyzer for a nitrox fill, a second computer is a better choice.

None of my own fills. And yes, you analyze at the shop. They don’t let you take your tanks unless you analyze and label them.

 

[wedivebc]

I didn't buy a helium analyzer until I crossed over from ANDI to TDI instructor. The TDI standards require a trimix instructor to own one. ANDI's does not. The way I blend gas gets me within a point or two of desired mix if the O2 content is right the helium content will be too.
Both a second dive computer and a helium analyzer are luxury items and the order you buy them in are up to personal choice.

 

[decompression]

Not if you’re doing He. Lowest I’ve seen is nearly $700 for the new Divesoft Solo Trimix analyzer. I’m doing Helitrox.

ETA: I’ve had my Perdix for two years. Backup will be Geo 2.0 in gauge mode. I’d love a another Perdix but the trimix analyzer has a higher priority on my list. I have a good shop for fills, but who is to say I’ll be using that fill the same week? Might be a couple of weeks, depending on weather on the lake.

Agreed.....but the steps before He (adv nitrox, DP etc) where there is no He.....analyzer is a must. Even rec nitrox an analyzer is highly recommended.

 

[Kohanbash]

For entry level, an O2 analyzer is $100. That's less than a 10% topper on a couple Shearwaters. Add in that your going to need another 3 regs as well and it's almost nothing relatively. I was another 3 to 5k into dives and training fees before I needed the He analyzer so the additional $600 was once again not significant. I don't see any excuse to not have one.

Which O2 analyzer is $100?