Tri Mix Fills
- Bric Martin
- Aquanaut
- Posts: 673
- Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 11:36 pm
Tri Mix Fills
I am new to Tech Diving. I recently completed my Advanced Nitrox/Deco Preocedure class with Don Kinney. For those that don't know Don he is a great instructor. He can be reached either through Edmonds Technical Diving or Hoodsport and Dive. My plan is to take the Tri Mix class with Don sometime next year.
I buy into the thought process of if you can't afford the Helium then don't dive deep. My question is what shops are doing Tri Mix fills? What is a fill for a 200 foot dive with a set of LP 95s going to run me?
Thanks for the help
Bric
I buy into the thought process of if you can't afford the Helium then don't dive deep. My question is what shops are doing Tri Mix fills? What is a fill for a 200 foot dive with a set of LP 95s going to run me?
Thanks for the help
Bric
Bric Martin
Save the Oceans, Save Ourselves!
RIP LCF
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Save the Oceans, Save Ourselves!
RIP LCF
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- Joshua Smith
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 10250
- Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:32 pm
Re: Tri Mix Fills
Well, you can get Trimix fills up at Northwest Sports Divers, in Kenmore, and (I think) you can get them at Tacoma Scuba as well. I never did OC trimix, but......I'm guestimating, here......I think a set of 95s with, say, 21/35 in them would cost you around 50 bucks........and you'd need some deco gasses, too.......
Maritime Documentation Society
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
Re: Tri Mix Fills
Count on $1.10/cubic foot plus some sort of blending charge-helium is getting more and more expensive. So, those 200 cubic foot fills from empty are ~$90 or so. It gets cheaper because my doubles usually have 1500-2000 psi in them when I finish a tech dive, so I'm not filling from empty (and I get things cheaper because of the NWSD "executive" program that is a annual flat fee for nitrox and then a reduced price for helium).
Fishstiq wrote:
To clarify.........
I cannot stress enough that this is MY PROBLEM.
Re: Tri Mix Fills
Hey Bric how are you? You and i met at sund rock two weeks ago, I had the big white dodge that you parked in front of. Any way welcome to the board. My Fiance and i we pretty interested in you tanks rememeber.
BJ
BJ
Maverick
Diving. . . is an active physical form of meditation. It is so silent- You're like a thought.
SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES. NOT REALLY GOOD FOR
ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE
STAIRS.
Diving. . . is an active physical form of meditation. It is so silent- You're like a thought.
SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES. NOT REALLY GOOD FOR
ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE
STAIRS.
- Bric Martin
- Aquanaut
- Posts: 673
- Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 11:36 pm
Re: Tri Mix Fills
BJ
I do remember you. I enjoyed the people in your group. Meeting you led me here. I hope we cross paths again!
Bric
I do remember you. I enjoyed the people in your group. Meeting you led me here. I hope we cross paths again!
Bric
Bric Martin
Save the Oceans, Save Ourselves!
RIP LCF
https://goo.gl/photos/tSdZZHXf4xejLBSz5
https://goo.gl/photos/fTCN7LuFvxWYF11e8
Save the Oceans, Save Ourselves!
RIP LCF
https://goo.gl/photos/tSdZZHXf4xejLBSz5
https://goo.gl/photos/fTCN7LuFvxWYF11e8
Re: Tri Mix Fills
you can get trimix fills at Northwest sports divers, Tacoma Scuba, Light House Seattle, 5th Dimension, bubbles below, smoky point diving, and one more in Tacoma i cannot remember its name the Pawn Shop/technical dive shop on hw7 has had some of the best pricing on gas and gear. You will pay $.45 to $1.00 a cubic foot depending on what mix you get. One thing is you do not need hot mixes unless you are going to use them. What ever you are comfortable with for a END figure your He% based on that and save some money. The next thing to do is get to know dive partners that can mix it them-self.
Greg
Life is Short do as Much as Possible in as Short of Period of Time as Possible.
Life is Short do as Much as Possible in as Short of Period of Time as Possible.
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- Aquaphile
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- Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:54 pm
Re: Tri Mix Fills
hey there blackwater.....i just wanted to say hey, my instructor was don kinney as well. Yeah he was awesome glad to hear you enjoyed the class. I took most of my tech training through don, and i really enjoyed his class. well good luck. and just to give you an example for a 200ft dive for me. I use my lp125's( i know its rediculous) but a 20/30 will cost me about 70bucks but only cause they are so freakin big.....plan on spending anywhere from 50-80...again just my opinion and from my experience....
good luck buddy
good luck buddy
When you think you know everything is actually when you know nothing...
Re: Tri Mix Fills
Albert you are still around, had no idea. Hit me up dude, we're due for a deep dive.
Maverick
Diving. . . is an active physical form of meditation. It is so silent- You're like a thought.
SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES. NOT REALLY GOOD FOR
ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE
STAIRS.
Diving. . . is an active physical form of meditation. It is so silent- You're like a thought.
SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES. NOT REALLY GOOD FOR
ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE
STAIRS.
Re: Tri Mix Fills
you are going to want a set of twins for trimix and a set for everything else. that way you are allways topping off and not doing a fill from scratch. and welcome to the world of tech, its a blast
Chin high, puffed chest, we step right to it
The choice is there ain't no choice but to pursue it
"Diving the gas is the easy part, not much to it, plenty of retards are using it safely. " jamieZ
The choice is there ain't no choice but to pursue it
"Diving the gas is the easy part, not much to it, plenty of retards are using it safely. " jamieZ
Re: Tri Mix Fills
I agree with Chef, but i think you need one set for everything else and 4-5 sets for mix. I have three now, but want two more.
Maverick
Diving. . . is an active physical form of meditation. It is so silent- You're like a thought.
SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES. NOT REALLY GOOD FOR
ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE
STAIRS.
Diving. . . is an active physical form of meditation. It is so silent- You're like a thought.
SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES. NOT REALLY GOOD FOR
ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE
STAIRS.
Re: Tri Mix Fills
Having multiple sets is good to have. Especially if you are doing trimix. Most shops you have to leave your tanks their to get them filled and sometimes that can take a few days to do. It is also good to have LP's twins and some HP top off tanks to do topup's in the field if you are doing multiple dives.
Greg
Life is Short do as Much as Possible in as Short of Period of Time as Possible.
Life is Short do as Much as Possible in as Short of Period of Time as Possible.
Re: Tri Mix Fills
Careful! By the time you own 5 sets of twins and fill them all a few times you could buy a rebreather! Then the price of gas becomes a non-issue!
DM
DM
- Joshua Smith
- I've Got Gills
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- Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:32 pm
Re: Tri Mix Fills
Dmitchell wrote:Careful! By the time you own 5 sets of twins and fill them all a few times you could buy a rebreather! Then the price of gas becomes a non-issue!
DM
Uh, yeah. It's a personal choice, and they're not for everyone. CCRs require a high level of commitment, and are very expensive to purchase, yadda yadda yadda.........
(Did I mention that I spend about four bucks on HE for a tech dive? )
(Of course, you gotta buy sorb and sensors, and all that.......but did I mention that I only spend about 4 bucks on HE for a tech dive? )
Maritime Documentation Society
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
Re: Tri Mix Fills
My last helium dive was $3.30, so there.Joshua Smith wrote:
(Did I mention that I spend about four bucks on HE for a tech dive? )
(Of course, you gotta buy sorb and sensors, and all that.......but did I mention that I only spend about 4 bucks on HE for a tech dive? )
Fishstiq wrote:
To clarify.........
I cannot stress enough that this is MY PROBLEM.
Re: Tri Mix Fills
Maverick
Diving. . . is an active physical form of meditation. It is so silent- You're like a thought.
SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES. NOT REALLY GOOD FOR
ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE
STAIRS.
Diving. . . is an active physical form of meditation. It is so silent- You're like a thought.
SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES. NOT REALLY GOOD FOR
ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE
STAIRS.
- Joshua Smith
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 10250
- Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:32 pm
Re: Tri Mix Fills
Maverick and Steding are ganging up on me.
Hell hath frozen over.
(Is "hath" really a word?)
Hell hath frozen over.
(Is "hath" really a word?)
Maritime Documentation Society
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
Re: Tri Mix Fills
Spare Airs don't countdsteding wrote:My last helium dive was $3.30, so there.Joshua Smith wrote:
(Did I mention that I spend about four bucks on HE for a tech dive? )
(Of course, you gotta buy sorb and sensors, and all that.......but did I mention that I only spend about 4 bucks on HE for a tech dive? )
http://www.frogkickdiving.com/
"It's a lot easier when you're not doing it" - CaseyB449
"There needs to be more strawberry condoms. Just not on my regulator" - DSteding
"It's a lot easier when you're not doing it" - CaseyB449
"There needs to be more strawberry condoms. Just not on my regulator" - DSteding
- Joshua Smith
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 10250
- Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:32 pm
Re: Tri Mix Fills
BDub wrote:Spare Airs don't count
I'm not worthy! :hello2: :hello2: :hello2:
You got some serious "fluffy fingers" on that one, dude!
Maritime Documentation Society
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
Re: Tri Mix Fills
Oh. It's effective.Joshua Smith wrote:BDub wrote:Spare Airs don't count
I'm not worthy! :hello2: :hello2: :hello2:
You got some serious "fluffy fingers" on that one, dude!
http://www.frogkickdiving.com/
"It's a lot easier when you're not doing it" - CaseyB449
"There needs to be more strawberry condoms. Just not on my regulator" - DSteding
"It's a lot easier when you're not doing it" - CaseyB449
"There needs to be more strawberry condoms. Just not on my regulator" - DSteding
- Joshua Smith
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 10250
- Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:32 pm
Re: Tri Mix Fills
That's what she said.
Maritime Documentation Society
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
Re: Tri Mix Fills
It is real nice to do 4-5 hours at any depth for just 30 bucks of consumables isn't it
Greg
Life is Short do as Much as Possible in as Short of Period of Time as Possible.
Life is Short do as Much as Possible in as Short of Period of Time as Possible.
Re: Tri Mix Fills
Uhmmm.... yes, hath is a word. Or rather WAS a word, about 300 years ago.
I know that CCR's are priced differently - I vaguely seem to remember somebody posting what the break even point was when purchasing a rebreather and you finally come out ahead on gas fills as opposed to diving OC. Am I remembering it right or is it really just 6 o' one, half dozen of another?
I know that CCR's are priced differently - I vaguely seem to remember somebody posting what the break even point was when purchasing a rebreather and you finally come out ahead on gas fills as opposed to diving OC. Am I remembering it right or is it really just 6 o' one, half dozen of another?
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"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
"Anyone who thinks this place is over moderated is bat-crazy anarchist." -Ben, Airsix
"Warning: No dive masters are going to be there, Just a bunch of old fat guys taking pictures of fish." -Bassman
Re: Tri Mix Fills
Sorry to the OP, I guess I threw his thread off track!
Tom,
It's all relative and just where do you want to put your money in your diving. Some people want rebreathers, some want camera/video gear and some want scooters. Of course, there are some who have it all.
As far as gas goes; to do a 200' TMX dive like the OP mentioned, I carry 19' of 10/50 and 15' of O2. Plus a 40' of 60% EANX and an 80 of TMX. Hopefully the 40' and 80' never get used so they are filled and stay that way.
So a 19' of 10/50 is 9.5' of HE and 9.5' of air. So it's about a $12 fill O2 is cheap $5 a fill. I can do 2 dives off of that. So for a 200' dive, I'm using $8.00 worth of gas. That's less than the average Nitrox fill.
In a set of double 100's for 200' using say 18/40 you're looking at a $80-100 fill. You can get a 200' dive then top with air and probably get a good 150-170' dive out of that. Add your deco gases to that and you are looking at about $60 per dive. If all goes well and you can top and redive the doubles.
I'll see if I can come up with a realistic comparison and create a new thread when I do.
Dave
Tom,
It's all relative and just where do you want to put your money in your diving. Some people want rebreathers, some want camera/video gear and some want scooters. Of course, there are some who have it all.
As far as gas goes; to do a 200' TMX dive like the OP mentioned, I carry 19' of 10/50 and 15' of O2. Plus a 40' of 60% EANX and an 80 of TMX. Hopefully the 40' and 80' never get used so they are filled and stay that way.
So a 19' of 10/50 is 9.5' of HE and 9.5' of air. So it's about a $12 fill O2 is cheap $5 a fill. I can do 2 dives off of that. So for a 200' dive, I'm using $8.00 worth of gas. That's less than the average Nitrox fill.
In a set of double 100's for 200' using say 18/40 you're looking at a $80-100 fill. You can get a 200' dive then top with air and probably get a good 150-170' dive out of that. Add your deco gases to that and you are looking at about $60 per dive. If all goes well and you can top and redive the doubles.
I'll see if I can come up with a realistic comparison and create a new thread when I do.
Dave
Re: Tri Mix Fills
it all depends on how much you dive over 150'. for me with all the classes and deep wrecks it took 2.5 months to pay back the unit. everything past that point is money savings. If you dive deep once in a while then it may take a year of two to pay back.Tom Nic wrote:Uhmmm.... yes, hath is a word. Or rather WAS a word, about 300 years ago.
I know that CCR's are priced differently - I vaguely seem to remember somebody posting what the break even point was when purchasing a rebreather and you finally come out ahead on gas fills as opposed to diving OC. Am I remembering it right or is it really just 6 o' one, half dozen of another?
Greg
Life is Short do as Much as Possible in as Short of Period of Time as Possible.
Life is Short do as Much as Possible in as Short of Period of Time as Possible.
Re: Tri Mix Fills
There's one fill station you didn't mention. This big green van drives around and does mobile He, Nitrox and Argon fills. I just see him pull into the parking lot, drop off my tanks to him and the next time around they come back full. Very affordable, convenient and did I mention the winning smile and superb customer service?loanwolf wrote:you can get trimix fills at Northwest sports divers, Tacoma Scuba, Light House Seattle, 5th Dimension, bubbles below, smoky point diving, and one more in Tacoma i cannot remember its name the Pawn Shop/technical dive shop on hw7 has had some of the best pricing on gas and gear. You will pay $.45 to $1.00 a cubic foot depending on what mix you get. One thing is you do not need hot mixes unless you are going to use them. What ever you are comfortable with for a END figure your He% based on that and save some money. The next thing to do is get to know dive partners that can mix it them-self.