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Kevin,
When a nitrox diver brings a tank in for a fill and asks what method of
blending the store use's and get a response "oh we do continuous blending "
is it 1)continuous blend with a rixx or 2) continuous blend with oil lubed
compressor producing OCA grade air via hyperfiltration or 3) continuos blend
with non OCA grade air ? Do you really believe the average nitrox diver
understands the differences and ramifications? There is no way most divers
can look at a fill system and tell if its up to snuff for O2 clean tanks,
let alone the idea of posting your air quality test results on the wall for
all customers to see.
I will not name the specific offenders but I will tell you they are all
in the sunshine coast area ( or thereabouts).
Two dive shops and one resort. Dive shops were buying pre-blended nitrox in
bulk cylinders and blending it down with non OCA grade air into O2 clean
tanks. This was about a year ago, I have since stopped by one of the stores
recently where the guy was upset because the tech agency he teaches through
had forced him to spend the money on a hyperfiltration system to get him in
compliance with standards. The resort actually filled one of my customers O2
clean tanks with regular air before I realized what had happened.
As far as the nitrox stick goes, I don't personally care if the fill
station chooses to use an oil lubed compressor over a rixx as long they also
are hyperfiltering the air properly.
Another question for you is : How is a partial pressure fill station
operator supposed to know where his customers O2 clean tank has been and is
the customer always going to be truthful with the operator? Most operators
would rather reduce the risk to their lives if they could, premix stickers
are bogus.
----
David
Central Washington Scuba Center
www.cwscuba.com
----
-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin Flynn <tpcy@na*.ar*.co*>
To: David M. Thiesfeld <david@cw*.co*>
Cc: techdiver <techdiver@aquanaut.com>
Date: Tuesday, December 08, 1998 6:57 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Nitrox Stick
>David: In regards to shops pumping contaminated air into 02 clean tanks,
don't
>you think it is the divers responsibility to ask what method the shop is
mixing.
>I can only speak about British Columbia in regards to fills, what the rest
of
>Canada is doing I have no idea. I ran mobile nitrox compressors all over
B.C.
>for several years. I was lucky enough to have numerous, and I do mean
numerous
>dive shop owners as a customer base, not to mention a fair amount of U.S.
(
>Washington State ) dive charter groups as clients. We followed a strict
>protocol, with all divers responsible for analyzing there mix. The only
problems
>I encountered was when a out of town diver had a problem with whether one
was a
>I.A.N.T.D. member or A.N.D.I., or T.D.I. or whatever "boyscout" group
they
>belonged to. My favorite complaint that I encountered was that the
compressors
>were not a Rixx. Little did they know that there is life other than a Rix.
I
>challenge you to name B.C. "air stations up there who pump regular air
into 02
>cleaned tanks, anything to make a buck" It is unfortunate that you have
this
>opinion on the greedy Northern dive shops.
>
>Regards
>Kevin
>
>David M. Thiesfeld wrote:
>
>> Kevin,
>> When you can garantee me that air stations in Canada ( Not all) will
stop
>> pumping contaminated air into O2 clean tanks of divers from Washington
State
>> and jeapardizing partial pressure fill station operators I will get off
My
>> damn " hi-horse". Most nitrox divers have to take the dive shops word
they
>> are doing fills properly and do not the detailed knowledge of compressor
>> systems and hyperfiltration.
>> I have personally seen air stations up there pump regular air into O2
>> cleaned tanks, anything to make a buck.
>> ----
>> David
>> Central Washington Scuba Center
>> www.cwscuba.com
>> ----
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Kevin Flynn <tpcy@na*.ar*.co*>
>> To: Jamie E. Thiesfeld <jamie@cw*.co*>
>> Cc: techdiver <techdiver@aquanaut.com>
>> Date: Tuesday, December 08, 1998 8:09 AM
>> Subject: Re: Fw: Nitrox Stick
>>
>> >What is with people like your self with these elitist notions. It sure
is
>> funny
>> >how one can sit and throw stones at a concept that has been out for
several
>> >years. The Nitrox stick concept was introduced to the masses to get
nitrox
>> out
>> >of the closet and out to divers. The thing works, it is a no-brainer.
Yes
>> it
>> >allows one to mix up to 40% quickly and easily. In the "dark ages",
places
>> >states llike Washington could not get Nitrox easily, and had to come up
to
>> >British Columbia to dive it. In fact a certain chain of dive stores in
the
>> >Seattle area had groups of instructors come up, just to dive on the
gas.
>> The
>> >dive store chain owner would have fired them if he found out that they
were
>> >diving on the "Black Gas". The simple method of mixing nitrox, using
the
>> >"Nitrox Stick" concept allowed "Joe dive shop owner" an accurate way to
>> mix
>> >safely. As far as o2 verses non-o2 clean tanks, who cares. If one
wants
>> to
>> >maintain dedicated tanks so be it. Not everybody subscribes to the
"Jamie
>> E.
>> >Thiesfeld " method of diving. What this list needs to do is lighten
up,
>> and
>> >withhold the urge to slam everyone who doesn't do it the way they do it.
>> The
>> >concept works, get over it. In regards to mixing with an oil lubed
>> compressor,
>> >we use synthetic oil for mixes 40% and under, mixes 40% and higher,
partial
>> >blending. As to the argument of what the compressor manufactures would
>> like,
>> >who cares. Nitrox would not be as big if operators did not push the
rules
>> to
>> >blend the stuff, as in pre- synthetic days, using Halo Carbon oil. Now
>> synthetic
>> >is everywhere, which is good for the industry. Now the masses can enjoy,
>> even
>> >the "disciples of the lame stickers". End of sermon.
>> >Regards:.
>> >
>> >Jamie E. Thiesfeld wrote:
>> >
>> >> Somebody out there correct me if I'm wrong but my understanding of
this
>> >> thing from the literature I read is this device pre-blends up to 40%
>> nitrox
>> >> on the intake of an oil lubed compressor (continuous blend). If your
>> >> filtration system is not producing OCA and your using this thing I
would
>> say
>> >> that your contaminating O2 clean tanks being filled with this system,
>> unless
>> >> you are a disciple of the lame stickers that let you chose between
>> >> "pre-blend" or " O2 clean". Also I bet most compressor manufacturers
will
>> >> not approve of this system being used with their equipment.
>> >> If memory serves me correctly these things are made by a dive store
in
>> >> Spokane but are marketed now by GMC.
>> >>
>> >> David
>> >> Central Washington Scuba Center
>> >> www.cwscuba.com
>> >>
>> >> --Original Message-----
>> >> >From: Brett Taylor <info@ca*.co*>
>> >> >Date: Thursday, December 03, 1998 8:33 PM
>> >> >Subject: Re: Nitrox Stick
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >>To: techdiver@aquanaut.com
>> >> >>
>> >> >>Joel,
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Our facility is currently using the Nitrox Stix. It's ok. The
O2
>> >> >sensor located in the intake is worthless. I use the mechanical lpm
>> gauge
>> >> >to determine the approximate level of O2(ie: 9.25 lpm = 32%, 12.5 lpm
=
>> >> >36%.). Overall, I rate the system a 7.5 out of 10. It's an
inexpensive
>> >> >system and if the facility is not pumping big quantities of EANx,
>> they're a
>> >> >good way to get started. BTW, we've had the system for 10 months. I
>> pump
>> >> >about 500 to 800 cubic feet per week.
>> >> >>
>> >> >>See ya,
>> >> >>Brett
>> >> >>brettdiver@ao*.co*
>> >> >>--
>> >> >>Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to
`techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
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>> `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> --
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>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>> --
>> Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
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>
>
>
>
>
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