December 2005 Updated January 2007 Why is nitrox so hard to get and so expensive in Southern California? We frequently dive the wreck of the Avalon, in about 75 feet of water. On air, your first dive might be 40 minutes, and after an hour surface interval, your second dive might be 30 minutes. On 40% nitrox, I've come up after a 50 minute first dive with my computer telling me I had another 40 minutes of time. You can get back down as fast as you can change tanks, and do it with a lot of safety margin.

if only someone would sell it to me....

The Good

Peace Boat and Store in Ventura: The only acceptable place for nitrox that I've found so far is the Peace dive boat and Peace dive store. The boat offers package prices for nitrox on dive trips, and the store offers fills for $8 or a 10 fill card for $80. Too bad they are up in Ventura. They do use a membrane and don't need clean tanks, and can fill while you wait, in not much more time than it takes to fill a tank with air. Why can no other shop do what even their boat can do?

I haven't been to this place yet, but Chris Grossman recommends them: Ocean Adventures in Venice. He says they fill with a stick to 300 psi for about $8/fill. I'll get up there soon.....

The Unknown

I have yet to try Hollywood Divers or the Pacific Star, both have websites that say they have nitrox. Any reports would be appreciated.

The Ugly

Eco Divers in Culver City: They use a stick for mixing, and I guess that's time consuming and takes a trained operator. Their prices make them an unacceptable choice for me. I think it was something like $0.14/cuft for 32%, $0.16/cuft for 34%, $0.18/cuft for 36%, and $0.20/cuft for 40%. At those prices, filling my 4 tanks at 40% for the shallow dives I do would have set me back $88. That's more than 10 fills at the Peace shop.

Pacific Wilderness in San Pedro: In-tank blending, requires clean tanks. $16 a fill, last time I checked. They do make trimix.

SSA in Woodland Hills: no idea on price or how they mix, but when I called to check, I got a lecture about how tanks have to be cleaned for any mix over 22% and that was all I needed to hear to skip the drive.

The Absent

Dive n Surf in Redondo Beach: no nitrox.

Reef Seekers in Beverly Hills: no nitrox.

Sea D Sea in Redondo Beach: no nitrox.