looking at buying a compressor

[Jason]

This may sound stupid but ho do you approach your local FD to ask if they do fills? Just call up or stop by a firehouse and start chatting?

basically, but they aren't going to offer, so don't go in swinging. Start talking to them, get to know the guys, etc etc. If they have a rescue dive team look at volunteering, make donations etc. They are highly unlikely to have a scuba fill adapter, so you'll have to have your own, but it's kind of a delicate subject to approach. knowing a guy helps, so try to figure out how to know a guy first

@sealark that was probably the gas motor as opposed to the compressor assuming the balancing weight was the right one and the fans weren't damaged. all the ones I've used have been quite stable, but they are powered by lawnmower motors so the gas motors aren't going to be quiet

We've taken our kids to the fire station a couple of times for tours. If you have kids (nieces, nephews, etc). Call and ask if you can bring your kids by to see the fire trucks. They're usually happy to do that. Then just kick up a conversation about air tanks. If the muni fire department doesn't work, try a local/rural volunteer department.

 

[frogman62]

Don/t be surprised that the city fire departments won't fill your scuba tanks. They are very careful to eliminate any possibility of liability issues. Volunteer fire departments are more apt to want volunteer help and usually are more apt to help individuals
Jim Shelden

 

[nadwidny]

I would second the recommendation to call Irwin Air. They are local to you which is a big factor if you need servicing in a hurry. I bought one of my compressors from them. Very knowledgeable.

As for wanting a small, cheaper, compressor and don't care if it runs all night...small compressors are not built for continuous duty like that.

Lastly, there is nothing like the freedom of having your own compressor.

 

[KentB]

I would second the recommendation to call Irwin Air. They are local to you which is a big factor if you need servicing in a hurry. I bought one of my compressors from them. Very knowledgeable.

As for wanting a small, cheaper, compressor and don't care if it runs all night...small compressors are not built for continuous duty like that.

Lastly, there is nothing like the freedom of having your own compressor.

Ive actually been contacted on here by a few people and have called Irwin air.
they are only about 30 min drive and there price was quite realistic.
alot of the guys who contacted me are 1000-2000 KM away in the US which with the exchange rate and shipping and possible import duties and then cad taxes it just isnt feasible.

I will probably wait until the end of summer to buy it as Im usually at the bike parks all summer long and dont dive too much.

when i talked about a small cheap compressor i just ment I dont care if it takes 45-60 min to fill a tank.
So far it seems like Irwin air is the way to go for me
thanks for all advice!!

 

[Brandon]

Don/t be surprised that the city fire departments won't fill your scuba tanks. They are very careful to eliminate any possibility of liability issues. Volunteer fire departments are more apt to want volunteer help and usually are more apt to help individuals
Jim Shelden

Speaking as a former fire/ems/dive team volunteer, this is the reality of the situation. The guys at the station may be fine with helping you out occasionally, but it won't survive a competent chain of command (or the City's risk manager) becoming aware of the situation. Even as an employee/volunteer, you'll still likely run into problems when using their compressor for recreational purposes. That's why it's a "delicate" situation - because you're asking someone to do something they really shouldn't be doing (for a number of reasons).

Ours eventually cut us off from fills (though we could still get away with it during a callout), and we had to buy our own compressor. We eventually formed a dive club, and all is well 10 years later.

Buying your own compressor isn't the end of the world. If you're diving actively enough to be considering it (~100 local dives a year), you can probably break even in 2-3 years. Faster if you're splitting it in a small group or if local fills are expensive/inconvenient.

-B

 

[KentB]

well I just picked this up yesterday from Irwin Air. also got an auto shut off
gonna wire it in tomorrow and shes ready to rock!

 

[Clark Fletcher]

I seriously thought about buying my own compressor as well. It would be pretty convenient.

However, I sat down and figured how much it would cost me in terms of my time at the applicable hourly rate to fill my own tanks. Turns out it would be less than half of what it would cost me to pay someone else to fill them. Now, I didn't figure in the cost of transporting them to the dive shop. But, I also didn't figure in the cost of buying or maintaining a compressor. I figured it was probably a wash. In the end, it made me realize I didn't want a compressor that badly.

 

[KentB]

I have it set up at my shop.
I'm usually there for atleast an hour every morning getting the guys going. So realistically it's 30 sec to hookup a tank and 30 sec to disconnect it.
I really enjoy night diving so getting tanks filled for night diving and then weekend diving is a real pain.
I def didn't "need" one but to fill 2 tanks cost me atleast 2 hours round trip plus the cost of gas and fills.
At $100-$150 an hour depending on what I was doing taking off early to make the dive shop in time for closing got real pricy, it will be paid off in no time.

 

[KentB]

It's much quieter than I than I anticipated as well!
I'll fill the first tank tomorrow morning!

 

[sealark]

Stick with Bauer Compressors with the 1000 PSI oil systems. plus get steel 2400 psi and fill to 3000. Another plus for owning compressor and tanks is no required hydro's and VIPs. also you can mix your own nitrox and save $$$. Been doing that for 35 Years.