Should I buy a nitrox (O2) analyzer?

[Diverlady13]

And what type of mixes you are testing, the higher the oxygen content the faster you use the cell or so they tell me.. I'm about 2 years on mine, and the sensor is getting close to needing a replacement. Once it gets below 95% on my oxygen bottle, with my other tester confirming that it is pure oxygen, I'm going to replace it. But I am using it weekly testing pure oxygen among my other bottles. If you keep it in a sealed container between dive trips you will probably get 3 years easily.

Thank you. I did not know that the lifespan depended on the mix.

 

[Diverlady13]

Just regarding the Belize Aggressors, they will have a couple of O2 analyzers on board, and you'll document your gas analysis in a log.

I haven't seen them have a CO analyzer though...

Great! I was hoping they'd have more than one, just to make that process a bit faster. So far most of the boats we've been on did have logs. IIRC, that wasn't the case in Mexico, but at least they did have analyzers. Mostly we dove cenotes there, so only two quick boat rides.

 

[Ayisha]

Great! I was hoping they'd have more than one, just to make that process a bit faster. So far most of the boats we've been on did have logs. IIRC, that wasn't the case in Mexico, but at least they did have analyzers. Mostly we dove cenotes there, so only two quick boat rides.

Yeah, on many day boats around the world, they often don't have an analyzer on the boat, but do where the compressor is.

Our Belize Aggressor III had 2 or 3 O2 analyzers. As soon as you finish a dive, you undo the first stage. As soon as all the divers are back, they fill all the tanks behind each divers seat, and you have from then until the next dive to analyze. Some analyze right away, some later, and it's usually pretty smooth.

Have fun!

 

[Scraps]

I work on day boats. The O2 analyzer is by the fill station about 40 yards from where we embark.

It’s disappointing how many customers don’t want to be bothered to find out what they’re about to breathe. Few will make the trek back to the fill station to verify,

However, when I put an analyzer in their hands on the boat, most will play along and do the right thing.

For this reason, I keep my own personal analyzer in my bag.

Good for you, DiverLady13, for wanting to do it right. Don’t let slackness by others erode your discipline.

 

[KenGordon]

I hope this is posted in the correct place, but if not please do move this thread.

Wondering if I should be purchasing an analyzer for my husband (dive buddy) and myself or if it's unnecessary and we should just be using the shop's or boat's analyzer.

For background, we each have 35 dives...got certified late in 2019, took one more trip, and then the world shut down. Now that things are open, we're back to traveling (about every 6-8 weeks) and we're diving quite a bit. We've had 3 dive trips since November (bad weather limited our diving unfortunately) and are leaving in a week to board the Belize Aggressor IV. We have another trip scheduled to Mexico in June and will likely travel to dive again in July and maybe August. If we were just occasional vacation divers I wouldn't bother, but is it worth buying it and then carrying it along (more hand luggage) since we do travel frequently?

Money isn't the issue. I just don't have a feel yet for if there is a great benefit to having our own or if it's just a hassle to have one more thing to carry on the plane.

Opinions?

If money is not an issue and you are diving more than once in a blue moon buy one.

it is nice to have your own analyser, you know how old the cell is and get a feel for whether it is working. I have twice met broken analysers on holiday. The worst case was one that read 28% instead of 32%. I believed it as the Nitrox was made with a membrane compressor and that is typical. In fact it was the boat analyser that was wrong. When this was pointed out they found another for the following day. A completely broken analyser is not so bad.

 

[jadairiii]

Best to have your own, if only to verify the shop's/boat's analyzer. I've been to very reputable shops and had their analyzer fail while using them. Glad I had my own.

And if you are not the person putting your tanks on a boat, then you need to check the tanks again before you use them.

I've had a few over the years, and this one is pretty bullet proof, sensor is not too expensive either

OxyCheq Expedition O2 Analyzer

 

[Diverlady13]

Yeah, on many day boats around the world, they often don't have an analyzer on the boat, but do where the compressor is.

Our Belize Aggressor III had 2 or 3 O2 analyzers. As soon as you finish a dive, you undo the first stage. As soon as all the divers are back, they fill all the tanks behind each divers seat, and you have from then until the next dive to analyze. Some analyze right away, some later, and it's usually pretty smooth.

Have fun!

Good to know! I had a feeling it would be more laid back on the Aggressor since there is time between dives. In December we dove in south Florida and it was extremely rushed. One trip the dive sites were 3 minutes apart and on another day the boat didn't even move...we just dove in different directions. Fortunately I had analyzed both of my tanks while still at the dock because that crew really rushed us into the water. It only takes me a minute to switch my gear over, but the boat was so full and seats were so close together that people had to take turns gearing up.

 

[Diverlady13]

Don’t let slackness by others erode your discipline.

I definitely won't! It surprises me that people wouldn't want to analyze their tanks. I really don't think of it as a bother...just another step in getting set up to dive. That said, I'm kind of a technical person and like gadgets.

 

[Diverlady13]

If money is not an issue and you are diving more than once in a blue moon buy one.

it is nice to have your own analyser, you know how old the cell is and get a feel for whether it is working. I have twice met broken analysers on holiday. The worst case was one that read 28% instead of 32%. I believed it as the Nitrox was made with a membrane compressor and that is typical. In fact it was the boat analyser that was wrong. When this was pointed out they found another for the following day. A completely broken analyser is not so bad.

Thanks! I hadn't even thought about the dive op's analyzer not being accurate. I may pick one up for our trip to Mexico in June.

 

[Diverlady13]

Best to have your own, if only to verify the shop's/boat's analyzer. I've been to very reputable shops and had their analyzer fail while using them. Glad I had my own.

And if you are not the person putting your tanks on a boat, then you need to check the tanks again before you use them.

I've had a few over the years, and this one is pretty bullet proof, sensor is not too expensive either

OxyCheq Expedition O2 Analyzer

Thanks for that link. I hadn't seen that brand before.