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Joel, thanks very much for spending the time to write such a detailed
response. I am taking the course from a shop just around the corner from me
called Garrard Dive Educators (Marietta, GA). You might know the owner Lloyd
("LG") Garrard. He has been in the diving business for some time. There are
a lot of people that don't like LG because he is an arrogant know-it-all
asshole. If you can stand to tolerate his personality quirks he is a decent
source of knowledge and has let me do plenty of hands-on stuff at his shop
in the past. I was taking the equipment specialist course from him a while
back (a freebie for helping at the dive show), but I got pissed off at him
one day and quit. I learned quite a bit about working on equipment during
the afternoons I spent at his shop, so I'm not worried I didn't get a card
out of it. I wasn't just learning how to rinse gear, I was rebuilding
MK20/G250s under his guidance. Now I have Harlow's book on equipment
servicing and LG will probably still sell me parts and let me use his
special tools if I need to. I decided to go the NAUI route with the gas
blending training, so LG ordered the materials. In the past he has taught
the course under IANTD. I take a lot of courses with Decker (doing NAUI
advanced nitrox with him later this summer) and would probably have done
this one at Olympus, but we are talking a 9 hour drive versus a 9 minute
drive. LG will let me pop in for an hour here and an hour there and will let
me know when he has a big customer blending job going so I can come help. In
a sense he may be using me as free labor, but like many people have
commented about gas blending, hands-on experience is paramount. I will be
under no time line to complete the course - neither I nor LG is in a hurry
on closing out the training. I'll send you an email and let you know how its
going. Thanks again for your informative response. I will probably be asking
questions, but hope they will sound half educated. ;-)
Stan Dilcher
divewrecks@ho*.co*
>From: Joel Silverstein <joelsilverstein@wo*.at*.ne*>
>To: techdiver@aquanaut.com
>Subject: Gas Blending training was RE: Q about 02 fill whip experience
>Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 23:19:35 -0400
>
>Stan, although this is a bit long, I hope it helps you out.
>
>
>This has been an interesting thread.
>
>I train oxygen service technicians and gas blending personnel for mixing
>enriched air and trimix. Most of the interest in these types of courses
>has been over the past few years who either need to make gas mixes for
>resale in a dive center situation of individuals who want to do it on their
>own. I have been fortunate in that i have trained people from the
>recreational, commercial, hyperbaric, and scientific fields.
>
>When it comes to materials that are available there is a lot and very
>little out there,the course outlines for these programs from NAUI and IANTD
>(i have not seen one from GUE) are pretty good and the materials they have
>available are adequate beginnings. From those base materials we add to it
>real experience, CGA, USN, and NOAA, materials and information from gas
>equipment manufacturers, filtration, software and compressor companies and
>the Oxygen Hacker's Guide, etc. My course (plus the ones I do with Bob
>Decker) are material and practical application intensive. That approach
>comes from where and by whom (Deans, Raimo, Hamilton, Butler, Galerne)I was
>trained by.
>
>The typical course we teach is about 8 hours for up to 4 student, 12 for up
>to 8. We spend the first few hours discussing OXYGEN, Cleaning for Oxygen
>Service, System Design and Practical handling of gases. The second part is
>the Simplicity of Mixing Gases, (this ain't rocket science, though it helps
>if you have clean hands). Students are introduced to mixing formulas,
>tables, charts, tricks of the trade, etc.
>
>Part 3 is preparing equipment. Students are shown and participate in
>cleaning and inspecting (for oil residue and particulate) cylinders and
>valves and other parts. (Note that this is not a cylinder inspection or an
>equipment repair course.) Once the equipment is cleaned practically and
>properly. We move on to Part 4.
>
>Part 4 is the fun part. Mixing Gas.
>
>When I conduct programs at facilities that have gas mixing systems we will
>use their equipment, as well as my portable equipment. For facilities that
>don't have gas mixing equipment but are sponsoring a program I bring it all
>in. Mixing lines, manifolds, gauges, digital, analog, filtration packs,
>cleaning tools and inspection equipment, a variety of oxygen analyzers, and
>of course the well needed, racked AGT 15/30 Haskel gas booster (prepared
>for oxygen service). All i need the facility to provide is air and a place
>to work. Some facilities are really set up well for this kind of training
>places like Olympus Diving Center in NC, North East Scuba, Dudas Diving in
>PA, and the Wahoo Mixing Center in NY. Others usually will host a program
>so we can train their people and help them choose a mixing system that is
>right for their operation. Students will learn how to transfil gas, make
>mixes, remix mixes, determine supply volumes needed, and learn how to boost
>oxygen with confidence. Each will make a variety of mixes in a variety of
>cylinder sizes, everything from little pony's to big doubles, high
>pressure, low pressure, alum and steel. They do have fun and they learn. We
>also encourage students to mix with a buddy for a while after the course so
>that they can build confidence and competence in their mixing. Oh one more
>thing, they do learn how to properly use an analyzer.
>
>The key to all of this when it comes to choosing an instructor is to make
>sure that the course you take is not just filled with some Xerox manuals,
>and some black board math. The instructor should be mixing gas on a fairly
>regular basis and have made the investment in some hardware, he should be
>able to draw mixing systems and understand how and why they work. Its best
>if they have used more than one type, they should also have a good working
>knowledge of compressors and how they work, as well as understanding
>filtration, and cleaning procedures. This does not come from taking a
>simple "instructor training workshop" but only from years of practical
>experience. There are probably a dozen quality gas mixing instructors in
>the country that I have worked with on some level can teach this stuff
>really well, and have stepped up to pet the pony, all of whom I continually
>learn new things from. Billy Deans, Randy Bohrer, Wings Stocks, Ed Betts,
>Bob Raimo, Jan Neal, Mark Nease, Steve Bielenda, Capt. Janet Bieser, Jim
>Mimms, Bob Decker, and Glen Butler to name a few.
>
>Mixing gas is not difficult to do when one understands the hazards and
>safety procedures. And a mixing technician does not necessarily need to be
>certified to use the mix they are making, they just need to know how to do
>the job. Though a good technical diver should have a good understanding of
>how gases are prepared especially if doing expedition diving and field
>mixing, or project coordination.
>
>The key to this all is practice, proper tools, and technique. I was
>fortunate that when i ran the hyperbaric center in NY that we mixed all our
>own therapy gas, and mixing 20,000 cuft of nitrox or 10,000 cuft of trimix
>at a time was not uncommon, using rix compressors, corblin diaphragm gas
>boosters, helium analyzers and a whole host of commercial gear to learn how
>to make this stuff accurately. But I've also been lucky enough to learn how
>to mix with just a hose and a $20 gauge. The concepts are all the same. The
>challenging part is being able to reproduce your results consistently in a
>variety of environments, cold, hot, wet, raining, on a rocky boat, and in a
>pristine perfect world. So which course is better? Like all things, its
>not the course, its the person delivering the course. Make some calls,
>visit some shops if you can, watch other experienced technicians do it.
>
>The only practice for mixing gas is ...... mixing gas.
>
>Regards,
>
>Joel Silverstein
>http://www.trimixdiver.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
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