Cruising & Scuba Diving

[Jaxxiam]

My question is for those that carry tanks onboard.
Do you have equipment to refill the tank or do you find a dive shop?

Thanks in advance.

[svBeBe]

Originally Posted by Jaxxiam

My question is for those that carry tanks onboard.
Do you have equipment to refill the tank or do you find a dive shop?

Thanks in advance.

We are 3/4ths through our circumnavigation. I am guessing about 5-10% of the divers we have met have compressors. I carry have two tanks on board and refill at a dive shop or sometimes with one of those guys that have a compressor. It is easy enough to find a dive shop. I would never drain both tanks for sport/fun. I always leave about 30 minutes for emergencies. BTW, the gasoline compressors are very loud and annoying to your neighbors...if you are considering a purchase and have a genset, consider going electric and running off your genset.

Hope this helps.

Bill

[carstenb]

You need to be careful if you fill your own tanks. Lots of compressors spit out oil and other types of dirty air. BAd news if you get contaminated air in your tanks and breathe it for an hour or more (shallow dives). I agree with Svbebe, carry two (or more) tanks and get the filled whenever you get the dance. Always leav one at least half full for an emergency.

[BlueSun]

We carry four tanks and all our own gear, but not a compressor. The cost of buying and maintaining a compressor is prohibitive if you break it down to cost per dive. You would have to dive a hell of a lot to make it a value for money prospect! If cost isn't an issue then having a compressor would be very convenient in areas where air fills aren't available. Space and weight is also an issue for us.

All in all, a compressor wasn't worth it for us, and we are happy to snorkel or free dive if we dont have access to airfills.

[Jaxxiam]

Originally Posted by BlueSun

All in all, a compressor wasn't worth it for us, and we are happy to snorkel or free dive if we dont have access to airfills.

Free diving & snorkeling is so much easier. I may just can-ex the scuba ideal.
But want about those floating compressors with air hoses, anybody using those?

Thanks for the inputs!

[Jaxxiam]

[QUOTE=BlueSun;1024190]
s/v Bass Voyager
www.bassvoyager.blogspot.com QUOTE]

I checked out your blog, I see you in Port Macquarie.
NICE!! I'll get one day.

Thanks!!

[BlueSun]

Originally Posted by Jaxxiam

I checked out your blog, I see you in Port Macquarie.
NICE!! I'll get one day.

Thanks!!

Thanks Jaxxiam. This is our first time in northern New South Wales (by boat, anyway) and its fantastic.

We love diving. There is nothing like scuba for those really special places and deeper dives, so will always carry tanks with us. We just tend to save our tanks for "special occasions". It just means being well organised and planning ahead.

And snorkelling is fantastic compromise. After all, the most colourful corals are often in the first 5 metres!

[Palarran]

I have a Bauer Junior II electric and it works great. It was on the boat when I bought it. I would not buy one now because as Bluesun points out, you can refill the cylinders for life compared to the cost of buying and installing your own compressor.

I disagree about the "dirty air" comment though. I mean, lets get real. How dirty do you think the air is going to get? I doubt that 1 micron of oil in the air from my compressor is going to harm me even if I dove every other day. Heck, the compressors in most dive shops in the Caribbean are in worse shape then mine. My guess is this is either a worry from 50 years ago or concocted by dive shops.

[rebel heart]

Scuba gear has been great for me. I have all my dive gear and an aluminum 80 which I don't use except for boat stuff. I just rent tanks near dive shops, cheap enough. Doing bottom work without scuba is painful.

[impi]

Yeah, must admit I am VERY happy I have a compressor on board ... I am a very air hungry diver and my Poseidon Bauer Junior is great. I don't think maintenance costs are high on these things ... mine has an electric motor and I take my air intake hose all the way to the boom so as not to suck in any exhaust fumes etc. ... would not want to be without it doing what we do!

[impi]

Originally Posted by Palarran

I have a Bauer Junior II electric and it works great. It was on the boat when I bought it. I would not buy one now because as Bluesun points out, you can refill the cylinders for life compared to the cost of buying and installing your own compressor.

I disagree about the "dirty air" comment though. I mean, lets get real. How dirty do you think the air is going to get? I doubt that 1 micron of oil in the air from my compressor is going to harm me even if I dove every other day. Heck, the compressors in most dive shops in the Caribbean are in worse shape then mine. My guess is this is either a worry from 50 years ago or concocted by dive shops.

Agreed 100%

[impi]

Originally Posted by BlueSun

We carry four tanks and all our own gear, but not a compressor. The cost of buying and maintaining a compressor is prohibitive if you break it down to cost per dive. You would have to dive a hell of a lot to make it a value for money prospect! If cost isn't an issue then having a compressor would be very convenient in areas where air fills aren't available. Space and weight is also an issue for us.

All in all, a compressor wasn't worth it for us, and we are happy to snorkel or free dive if we dont have access to airfills.

Love your blog pics ... not sure if I would want to be in that cave with all those sharks looming around though! Yeah, I would not think one buys a compressor with a view to 'saving money' doing these dives ... surely not when the post title is 'Cruising and Scuba Diving' ... the convenience of being able to fill ones tanks is what makes the experience that much more enjoyable.

[Jaxxiam]

For what it's worth:
I had built a breathing system that I used when cleaning the pool. It consisted of the biggest oil-less airbrush compressor I could find, I had a air chamber made of PCV and an hose to a month piece. It worked great but the pressure was only good for 6~7 feet which would be good for most any boat keel.