Nitrox fills

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What dive opportunities can be found around Ft Worth that EAN 32 is not an acceptable gas?

 

[pepperbelly]

Awap there is nothing around Ft. Worth where it would not be acceptable.
I don't have experience with Nitrox- I was only certified last summer and haven't had an opportunity to use it.
Since this shop banks 32% I wanted to see if there was any reason to not keep my tanks filled with it. There isn't any diving within reasonable driving distance over about 90'.
I just wanted to make sure there wasn't a scenario I was overlooking. It doesn't sound like there is so I will be using them.

 

[ReefHound]

Thanks. I just wanted to be sure I wasn't overlooking something. I didn't think I was, but at 58 I have been wrong before.

This shop is very close and their EAN32 initial fill is $12.00. each fill after will be less.

And you're finding other shops charge $12 for air? What;s this shop charge for air?

 

[Tug]

For me, if nitrox was close to the same price as air I'd be diving it all the time. No reason to dive air unless the MOD was a concern and then I'd probably top off a partially full nitrox tank with air.

 

[Patoux01]

If nitrox is the same price, I take the nitrox... Not that it changes that much at the end of the day on my type of diving.

 

[Centrals]

Same with me.

 

[tbone1004]

So no issues with going to higher than 3000PSI in the bank system with 40% or less Nitrox?

Since the compressors are compressing it to 5000psi regardless of what you are filling to, the gas is up in a fairly hostile environment in terms of temperature *scorching hot* and violence from the compression cycle, so no reason not to store at the compressor outlet pressure. Hasn't been an issue in the 20+ years that it has been used, so I don't see any reason not to store it at that high of a pressure.

Regarding people getting best mixes. If they want best mixes, I'd rather PP O2 and then fill EAN32 on top of that for more rich mixes if they're going to be a PITA like that. We already have to have O2 banked for 50% and 100% bottles, so EAN32+ is much easier than EAN40- aside from O2 cleaning.

You don't really get much of an advantage with best mix in nitrox, or even really in trimix which is why most people I know dive standard gases. For those not aware, if deeper than 100ft, you're basically diving EAN32 at 100ft in terms of pO2 and pN2 with the balanced made up with helium.

 

[Caveeagle]

If you are banking 32% and 21% air, you can bank 40% instead of the 32% and top off with air if you need less than 40%. Simple!

The fill station I typically frequent can have a line of 2 or 3 cars. And it gets very hot here for most of the year.. So I don't want to do a lot of extra steps when getting fills.

 

[pepperbelly]

I was really interested when he said that since a tank won't be empty a refill might only be $8.00. I will only pay for what I use.

Since my tanks are not O2 cleaned will they put a Nitrox band on them?
They said since they bank it I would not need them to be O2 cleaned.

 

[teknitroxdiver]

I was really interested when he said that since a tank won't be empty a refill might only be $8.00. I will only pay for what I use.

Since my tanks are not O2 cleaned will they put a Nitrox band on them?
They said since they bank it I would not need them to be O2 cleaned.

You would have to ask them. Nitrox bands are an invention of the scuba industry and are not required for ANY scuba tank with any gas in it. But the policy of many shops is to require it, for a number of poorly-thought-out reasons.