At what point does a compressor make sense?

[Snash]

cant justify it on cost but a number of the trips I have been on wouldnt have been possible (or logistical nightmares) without having small portable compressors eg camping and diving on Muck; week long trips to Cape Wrath and north coast of Scotland; trips to west coast of Ireland etc etc.

Expeditionary diving is when they come into their own and then they are priceless.

Snash

[Juz]

We have a compressor for just 2 of us. I would say that I am not saving anything in terms of costs, but then I do not think over 3 years it has cost me any more either.

The convenience factor is immence and I would never be without one again!

Juz

[GaryC]

Originally Posted by Scuttler

No....there are only so many members that have access to the rib hut and that can fill cylinders. Sure I can get trained up and become one of those members but then my availability is unlikely to serve the club well and frankly I'd feel like a hypocrite demanding access to the compressor and not being able to do my bit in return.

I suppose it depends on the training but doing the odd bit of bottle filling will be infinitly cheaper in respect to cost and time. If you pay your club subs then you should expect to have access to the compressor. It might be alot cheaper to ask them in the long run.

I know our club one takes alot of work.

[Finless]

Can't you just leave the cylinders there one day and then pick them up a few days later? Surely all members could be given a key so they can put their cylinders inside? I suppose you could have a huge letterbox?

It's what we do at our club.

[Kent Tooling]

I have my own compressor for about 8 years now as i was in the same position as you, could not get to the club compressor when it was open, and as the club compressor is amongst houses we have to respect the noise that it makes and have a time that we can fill up to.

I can fill any time day or night as i have no neighbours around me for up to 2 miles away, it has paid for itself by now it was the best move i made regarding filling for me.

My club compressor is a 45 minute drive one way so this is also better for me.

What size compressor are you thinking of getting,

single or 3 phase

If you have single phase (house hold) electricity but you want a 3 phase machine you can always get a phase converter this is what i have got to run my machines, if you require any advise on this item you contact me on the numbers below.

John

[Finless]

Originally Posted by Snash

cant justify it on cost but a number of the trips I have been on wouldnt have been possible (or logistical nightmares) without having small portable compressors eg camping and diving on Muck; week long trips to Cape Wrath and north coast of Scotland; trips to west coast of Ireland etc etc.

Expeditionary diving is when they come into their own and then they are priceless.

Snash

Yeah, but how much does the extension cable cost?

[broady]

Originally Posted by Finless

Yeah, but how much does the extension cable cost?

Flippin' eck mate you know nuffink - it's all done by Bluetooth these days - durrr !

Graham


.

[Sheff diver]

Originally Posted by Scuttler

Has anyone done the cost benefit analysis for buying a compressor based on just air or nitrox diving and if so how many dives a year would you have to do for it to pay for itself over 2 to 3 years?

No, and I suspect if you want it to pay for itself, you're onto a looser. Of course you can fiddle the numbers to try and justify the purchase, but it is more a case of do you really want one, and can you afford it?

The value for myself and the others I know who have their own compressor is for going to France. We always take two. We also always change the filters more often than the recommendation and don't over-run them. We also don't need to worry about 'clean' air or 'proper' fills.

Marcus

[Mark Chase]

Air fills are silly expensive now at my LDS. I paid £14 for twin 7s a 3 and a 1ltr Ali suit inflation. Allowing for the trip it cost me maybe £18.00

My compressor is brill but I reckon a simple compressor air only set up will set you back about £1000 for a good S/H one and about £200 a year in consumables. God knows how much the petrol costs but it does drink it so I reckon an electric one will be dear too.

So if you thought to cover the investment over say 5 years you would need to be doing about 40 air fills a year to make it worth doing based on a £20 cost per fill for a run to the dive shop.

I have to say i wouldn't be without one now but other considerations are house insurance for gas bottle storage (assuming nitrox and possable trimix in the future) and the noise.

ATB

Mark Chase

[nigelH]

There is absolutly no reason for a single diver to own a compressor.
It just doesn't make sense with the maintenance and overhead costs.

Well. That's what I told myself when I sold one of the four I had.

You can't ask for this on a diving forum.
We don't do CBAs. We see shiny new kit and go "I want. I want."