Buddy at the dive shop made me rethink my drysuit inflation setup

I always used argon for my drysuit because that's what my old instructor taught me, but a guy named Dave at the shop in Norfolk pulled me aside and showed me how much cheaper air is for shallow stuff. He broke down the math - $12 for a small argon bottle versus free with a top-up whip from my main tank - and it just clicked why I was wasting money. Has anyone else switched from argon to air for inland or harbor work?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_felix1mo agoTop Commenter

Yeah Dave's right for shallow stuff absolutely. I switched to air years ago for anything under 60 feet. Saves me a ton on gas money and I don't have to haul an extra bottle around. Only time I still grab argon is for deeper dives where the gas density matters.

the_jana1mo ago

Wait are you actually seeing a real benefit from argon on deeper dives or is it just one of those things everyone says to do? I've always wondered if the gas density tradeoff is actually worth the hassle of another tank.