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I suppose that I should drop this subject as I have already declared some of my view points about O2 cleaning with respect to scuba cylinders, valves, and regulators to just about everybody in the universe. Well almost. I'm not done yet. What strikes me is that this whole issue is not about oxygen cleaning per se but that this issue is predominantly one of a POLITICALLY based position and is not based on any real or substantial TECHNICAL information or research. There are numerous people in many commercial agencies -- such as the Compressed Gas Association and the American Society of Testing and Materials who are all in agreement by declaring that 'they' don't have enough information about nitrox or oxygen enriched gases and how to handle the stuff. So here we have a group of industrial automatons who will not declare the truth out of fear of actually having to take responsibility -- because they would then be accountable for what they say and do. If they did tell the truth, then the sham would be over. Now follows the dive training agencies with their own automatons and manipulators such as John Cronin of PADI, Tom Mount of IANTD, Bret Gilliam of TDI, and last but not least Stuart Masch of ANDI. Well, lets not forget the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, OSHA, NOAA, and the Cub Scouts who also follow the 40% rule. So all of these fools have taken the position of "no position and therefore I am not accountable" by declaring that 40% (an arbitrary percentage created by the Navy I think) oxygen content must be treated as pure oxygen. And moronically ANYTHING that is associated with breathing. Now you have agency CEOs such as Mount declaring this (oxygen clean regulators, scuba cylinders and valves) is regulated under federal LAW. Since when does a federal GUIDELINE become a law? It does if you are kissy-kissy with the feds and other controlling organizations such as OSHA. Especially OSHA. It gets better. Now the dive shop retailers get into the act. Hey guys, here is a new source of revenue and looky looky; IANTD, PADI, TDI, and ANDI will help us to rip off the diving public by charging fees to have their cylinders, valves, regulators oxygen cleaned in order for them to use our over priced nitrox mixes. Yes, Peter Shulz, of American Dive Center in Boca Raton Florida will also charge you $12.50 for a 40% mix in an 80 cu ft cylinder. These tekkies love to have Peter masterbate their egos. Force-E stores in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Pompano Beach, Riviera Beach, North Palm Beach all will charge you $10.00 dollars for an EAN32 or EAN36 fill. Dive Shop II in Boynton beach will also charge $8.00 for a fill even though they do not use partial pressure filling. Divers Supply in Palm Beach only charges $4.00 for a nitrox fill. Seems that they are the only one who is charging a fair price and making a fair profit too. Figure 0.20 cents per cubic foot is the retail cost of oxygen there and it runs about $2.50 their cost for oxygen for an 36% fill in an 80 cu ft cylinder. The cost for O2 cleaning of tank and valve runs in the neighborhood of $50.00. Of course if you buy your tank from some shops they will lower this cost to you to about $10.00. An 80 cu ft AL tank will run you about $130.00 to $140.00. You could go to Boca Raton Sports on highway 141 and pick up an aluminum 80 Catalina for $89.95. But, the O2 cleaning will cost you $50.00 which totals out to $140.00 again. What about the cost of nitrox training, you ask? Depends. TDI only charges $75.00 for a four hour class room course. I guess Bret Gilliams' conscience bothered him so he dropped the mandatory two tank dive which costs extra and provides absolutely nothing to your education except you might (at that time) learn that you got screwed for an extra $75 dollars. IANTD typically charges $150.00 and requires a two tank dive. Nice going Tom. Apparently this is not enough of a rip as you continue to pass on the lies and prey on the ignorance of the general diving public about the necessity of O2 cleaning of scuba equipment. PADI is the biggest ripper of the "basic nitrox" training courses. Prices vary from a stated $119.95 to $186.00 dollars all which require a two tank boat dive -- at least it does in Florida. Bottom line is it will cost $186.00 dollars or more. For this intercourse Mount is using a fid whereas Cronin is using a commander -- of which neither is lubricated. Many of the dive shops there in South Florida have a TDI nitrox course instructor on board as well as a PADI nitrox course instructor. What happens in this configuration is that the dive retailer will down play and almost refuse to mention that you can do the TDI course for much less than half of the cost of the PADI nitrox course. Way to go, John. In the long run IANTD and TDI come out as the biggest winners of all because they have further divided nitrox training into several so-called 'advanced' nitrox training courses that essentially appeal to the tekkie ego and as such allow them to extract even more bucks for more bullshit. As far as Stuart Masch of ANDI goes, he's about the same as IANTD and TDI with respect to nitrox training and equipment requirements relative to supporting this ongoing lie for the necessity for O2 cleaning. There is big bucks here. Masch touts nitrox as "Safe Air" so that should tell you what he is about. Many dive equipment manufacturers are also on the nitrox bandwagon --- creating color coded nitrox specific equipment such as cylinders and regulators -- and hinting that to use anything else is unsafe. Except for Safe Air of course. Don't leave home without your Viton! None of these agencies or manufacturers supply condoms for this process. IANTD, TDI, ANDI, PADI are positioning themselves for the upcoming regulations -- and they will come -- one agency (possibly all) of them are hoping to be in a favorable position with OSHA and other government regulatory agencies when it does happen. If you haven't noticed, the dive industry as a whole is NOT doing well and business is continueing to drop so you can bet the these agencies and dive equipment manufacturers want to be in a position of favor when industry regulation begins. Then they can "do it" to you more thoroughly under the guise of lawful requirements. As George Irvine III might say, "break out the knee pads!". Sorry, we cannot allow the use of vaseline -- you would not be O2 clean for this maneuver. -Joan-
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