Posted by R Bear on May 16, 2001 at 09:09:09:
In Reply to: Evils of Air vs. evil of He: $$$$$$$$$$$! posted by AADIVER on May 15, 2001 at 23:21:13:
A 221 CF fill runs $44 around here and I can't imagine it would be TOO much different where you are. For week mixes (low partial pressures of He), all that is required to mix your own trimix is a fill whip. Granted that if you want to dive pure heliox, you need a much more expensive setup. By the way, O2 is about $25 for 337 CF fill. In each case you also have to rent the tank for about $50 a year. Mixing your own trimix is certainly more expensive than diving air, but you don't have to be independently wealthy to do it. All this assumes of course that your local shop will be willing to pump air on to the witches brew you made in your garage. The other thing to lower the cost is to go in with your buddies on your gas. Then you can split the rental costs and the cost of the fill whips and gages.
Hope this helps.
Ron