EAN...anyone???

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 10:29 am

Okay...my Nitrox compressor arrived yesterday...whoo hoo!!!!!!!!!

It is sitting waiting for my electrician to hook up the power. It is very pretty; it is blue and looks very nice sitting next to all my tanks. I should have it up and running by Friday the 5th.

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:38 pm

Very nice.. congrats!

Do you perchance plan to sell annual subscriptions?!?

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 6:50 am

I could do annual pass. Is anyone else interested? What do you feel would be a fair price for one? Would everyone like an annual pass to include a VIP?

Here is the price list for fills...

Air fills, any size=$5 (pony bottles and top offs are free)
80 or smaller= $10
up to 100=$12
larger than 100=$14
AL80 tank rentals=$16
New tank EAN visuals, including fill and stickers=$25
New and annual VIPs for air tanks=$15
Annual VIPs for EAN tanks= $20
Hydro and VIP for air tanks=$40
Hydro and VIP for EAN tanks=$45
Nitrox cleaning for tanks=call me.

Because custom blending is so easy with this machine, I can do it for no charge. However, me and my staff can only blend up to 40%. I am tanking a gas blending course in a few months, and then I will be able to go higher.

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:38 pm

You're "tanking" a class?! Ha!

The pricing I've seen (and paid) for all-you-can-eat EANx is $350-400/year. Details: Up to 40% & 4 tanks/day. If you leave them there, they'll cold-top them which I really appreciate. The price also includes discounts on charters, gear, etc and other shop perks.

As a consumer, if you're looking at using more than 40 tanks in a year, it's quite economical... if you're like some NWDC members, it's a total steal! As a shop owner, it's great because it keeps folks coming into your shop year round. It's really a win-win for everyone.

So Amy, are you going to offer an annual deal? I bet there are lots of people in the South end that would enjoy it!

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 2:51 pm

I am working on the details. My thought is for a tank to have an annual pass. It would include a vis, and unlimited fills on that tank. Before I decide on anything, I would like to hear from everyone to see if they would like to buy one, and what a good price would be.

Thanks everyone!

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 4:25 pm

Would you have a plan for when people borrow tanks from friends to go on a trip (like Hood Canal, I had several borrowed tanks)?

jeff98208 · Post by **jeff98208** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 6:20 pm

deal! looks like i now where to go to fill up a tank or 2 of nitrox. $\:D/$

since the underwater sports store here in everett no longer does nitrox.

and just think, thats the very store i got my nitrox cert from.

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:56 pm

Jeff - I hope you drive a hybrid! Puyallup (A-2-Z Scuba) and Everett are a wee bit of a drive from one another!

jeff98208 · Post by **jeff98208** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 11:57 pm

thats right i forgot. just think 3 years in this state and i'm still trying to learn my way around.

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:09 pm

You'd be better suited to visit NW Sports Divers in Kenmore. They do an all-you-can-eat EANx and they cold-top your tanks. They're very near where I work so it's easy for me to drop off and pick up my tanks from them... which are always ready and waiting for me so I can get in & out quickly. $\:D/$

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 1:57 am

Tank Annual pass...

Includes VIP and unlimited fills for 1 year, per tank.

$75 for Air
$150 for Nitrox

Feedback???

Thanks!

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 9:22 am

good deal for nitrox...

Interesting thought for the pass to be for the tank and not the person...

jeff98208 · Post by **jeff98208** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 10:40 am

Tom Nic wrote:good deal for nitrox...

Interesting thought for the pass to be for the tank and not the person...

very nice deal. i'd take you up on that.

coachrenz · Post by **coachrenz** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 11:40 am

Pinkpadigal wrote:Tank Annual pass...

Includes VIP and unlimited fills for 1 year, per tank.

$75 for Air
$150 for Nitrox

Feedback???

Thanks!

I have never actually gotten a Nitrox fill, but, seems that a typical Nitrox fill is about $10 - $15. For a $150 for a year, gez, people should be diving more than 10 -15 times per year.

Seems like if people take you up on this deal you are never going to get that cool new beast of yours paid for.

I like the idea of the pass being for the tank. Otherwise you are likely to get people filling their buddies tanks as well. Not sure why anyone would complain about this price or this deal, especially when you include the VIP.

Maybe if I ever start to dive on Nitrox I will have to take you up on this deal.

Tim

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:03 am

When you open a tank for VIP, would it need to be cleaned again? Would you price include that too?

I think the idea of a per-tank cost is very interesting. It does eliminate the "I'm 'borrowing' my buddy's tanks... again" issue.

Food for thought.

You could also consider something like $150/tank or $500/4 tanks.

Other thoughts: If you had 2 buddies or family members who each had 2 tanks, would you let them split the cost? If different people were sharing the same tanks, could they swap it back and forth depending on who was using it since the fill is for the tank and not the person?

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:56 pm

Sounder wrote:When you open a tank for VIP, would it need to be cleaned again? Would you price include that too?

Other thoughts: If you had 2 buddies or family members who each had 2 tanks, would you let them split the cost? If different people were sharing the same tanks, could they swap it back and forth depending on who was using it since the fill is for the tank and not the person?

The cost is for a basic VIP. If a tank needed to be tumbled or whipped, it would be additional. As for cleaning, remember, the tanks are Nitrox clean, not O2 clean. From what I understand, as long as you had Nitrox in them before, or a new Nitrox clean tank, nothing else needs to be done except change O-Rings. If you are going from Air to Nitrox, there would be an additional charge. I need to check with my tech for details. This is his specialty, not mine.

Because the annual pass is on the tank, anyone who brings the tank in gets the free fill. You could share tanks if you wanted. That is what makes it good for you. Also, because the tank is marked, you don't have to worry about losing a card.

This system works great for us because it encourages people to come back to me for fills. Even if you live up north, and do 15 dives a year on the south end, or go out with Banditos, it still is a good deal.

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 4:01 pm

Tis true. I've spent my wad up north for this year though, and it's really easy for me to drop them off at lunch and either have them filled while I wait or come back another day (preferrable so they get cold-topped $\:D/$ ).

It's a great deal though - especially seeing as how people could share the cost. It's also great for the shop to always have people coming in, even if just for a fill.

girldiver · Post by **girldiver** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 4:17 pm

In the scuba world, your gas fills are always a loss leader. You're not going to pay for a compressor with airfills.

What pays the bills is having customers return again and again, as scuba diving is a gear intensive sport that constantly necessitiates newer and cooler stuff. (Ok...so maybe I'm confusing need and want...but we all know what that's like, right??)

The best thing about air fills being done slow is that it allows the diver to browse and that's where the shop earns some profit.

I think you're idea is awesome, Amy... Why would the diver go ANYWHERE else and "pay" for a fill when it's "free" with their tank pass that's already paid for.

jeff98208 · Post by **jeff98208** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 10:01 pm

tis true gir, tis true.

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 9:49 pm

After waiting for additional parts, hooking up electricity and getting the thing balanced, A2Z now pumps Nitrox! $\:D/$ I have 32% in the banks, and I can do custom blends up to 40%. There is still a lot of things I don't know about the machine, but Ray Contreas and I spent most of today getting it in sync with the air compressor. There are a lot of variables and I am constantly learning. I hope to be close to expert status in the next few weeks.

I still have it on rollers. Any strong guys want to help me move the thing to its proper location? It weights about 600 pounds. :naka:

I should have annual passes available starting next month. I haven't decided firmly on a price yet.

Dogboy · Post by **Dogboy** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 5:56 am

Amy, Ryan is supposed to be off next weekend (he has been working 7 days a week the last couple of weeks), so he and I could stop by and help you move it. Let me know if you have a specific time with a couple of other bodies there to get it off its rollers.

Jeff Kruse · Post by **Jeff Kruse** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:02 am

What is "Nitrox clean"?

Why are your EAN vips more than an air vip?

EAN or not, your tank should be clean if your going to breath from it. When dealing with O2 > 40 -50% it needs to be O2 cleaned.

I just will never understand the argument how you won't make money on air fills. I bought my compressor used, have 300 hours on it and it's still worth close to what I have in it. A bigger unit would be more efficient and costs would come down further.

rcontrera · Post by **rcontrera** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:35 am

Mind if I jump in on this one?

Amy has invested over $25 thousand dollars in her full system ... air compressor, Nitrox generator and a ton of storage bottles. On top of that is the oil, filters, maintenance charges, interest on loans/leases, pay to shop worker that does the oil changes, filter changes and fills as well as the electricity to operate the system.

Yes, it can get to a point where it will pay for itself if she can pump twenty five or more tanks per day. But for a new shop that isn't right next to the water to average that many fills is pretty tough.

And, if she does get to that number, then she is going to have to invest in a bigger compressor! It is a never ending cycle for dive shops.

Small compressors are cheap. In fact, they are almost disposable in today's market. But the big ones go up in price and maintenance costs exponentially. And there really isn't a market for old dive shop compressors like there is small ones so you are lucky to get a nickel on the dollar.

No, you don't make money on the compressor. But, I would be happy to set you up if you want to try!

Jeff Kruse · Post by **Jeff Kruse** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:52 am

I bet a big part of that is the membrane system. T bottles of O2 are dirt cheap. What's even cheaper is Liquid O2. At one point when I was diving a lot I thought about switching to a small dewer and using Liquid O2. It almost made sense for filling 10 tanks a week. That's just 4 divers doing a couple/few dives a week. O2 is just pennies a cf and it shouldn't cost $10K to get set up. Anyone can make a blending stick for $20 worth of PVC and a $25 regulator.

I guess if I were to factor in my property taxes, the insurance on my house, the interest on a mortgage, my hourly wage, the lost investment opportunity of the equity of my house, ect, then my Nitrox fills would cost $50 each. Sigh.

Northwest Dive Club

EAN...anyone???

EAN...anyone???

Air/Nitrox costs