Posted by tleemay on November 13, 2001 at 18:28:15:
In Reply to: Re: Nitrox diving in Southern California....not profitable??????? posted by Chris on November 13, 2001 at 18:01:36:
The numbers for turning a profit after the capitol
costs involved to put in a NITROX system will not
begin turning books red to even grey until a diving
community collectively acknowleges it's a safer gas,
get certified for it, and demand it's availability.
There are shops and clubs from N.CA that will
regularly charter with boats that pump EANX or
provide the pre-filled tanks in advance.
In Florida, the apps of EANX is as common as air,
that is you can get both at most any shop out there.
Granted there is a much larger local and tourist
certified base there, and that is what is driving
the EANX idealogy here in SoCal. It does cost more
per fill, but I feel that the extra $3 over and
above a regular fill is worth having the proper
gas for the proper depth in the first place (taking
and issue out of the equation in the first place,
before it becomes a problem). When I dive the Peace
and Lois Ann, I use the best gas available for the
dives at hand - and it's usually EANX, if not
trimix for the deeper beyond a 100' END.
If EANX wasn't at least breaking even for boats
on the overall dollar spent for providing x days
of diving, why are Eric, Woody, and even whatizname
continuing to provide/pump on their boats? Was it
too much of a cap to swallow in the first place and
therefore thay are just sticking it out? Or are
they really providing a cost added value service
that their customer's acknowlege and use?
Talk to people who dive and ask them this
question;
If you were nitrox certified, would you want and
use if for the appropriate dives planned if the
boat provided it?
Then ask them the same question and add the lines;
What if you received all your nitrox training and
nitrox tank fills for free - would that change (Their)
mind on the issue?