How many dives do you get out of your argon cylinder?

[kr2y5]

What sort of cylinder? Actual fill pressure? Do you trans-fill from another tank? Top off with air, or just use air? Do you use it for every dive?

[LCF]

6 cf cylinder, I get three shallow dives or two deep ones. I top with air if argon isn't available where I am. I haven't used Argon since I bought the Santi vest, though.

[BillZ]

I have a 6 cf bottle and can squeeze 3 recreational and one tech dive plus a shallower recreational dive out of it.

[Rooinater]

6cf I get 3 to 4 dives, 6 to 9 dives with a 13cf tank, less if it's a really deep dive or a sticky inflator that needs serviced. I have a tighter fitting crushed neoprene suit, so it doesn't take a lot to stay warm either. I've been using air this winter, works fine and is easier to get ahold of now that my LDS has left the state. Along with the fact the Puget Sound hasn't seemed to get that cold this year...

[CaptnJack]

Air in mine.
2 rec dives on a 6cf if on OC.
4 rec dives on a 13cf on OC.
I would never overfill an aluminum cylinder. Although mine tend not to be that full anyway since I fill them to 3100 and they cool to 2700 or 2800 at best. I only rarely bother to top them up to 3k after they have cooled overnight.

On CCR I use more since I futz with my suit buoyancy a lot more.

I would never start a dive deeper than 100ft with less than 6cf.

[Jeremy]

I get two Tech 1 dives it of my 6 cu ft cylinder. I fill it with air or 32%, whichever is handy. Argon makes no difference to me.

For recreational dives I use backgas to fill the suit. One less bottle to carry.

[ljjames]

pretty much same as Richard.

I use air like 99% of time. For me its not so much an argon bottle as an alternative to my helium dil suit inflation bottle.

I just top off with air or nitrox whatever is kicking around and at a higher pressure than the 6cuft bottle after every dive. It doesn't appreciably depreciate the donating tank (if a couple cuft from one of my singles is gonna make that big a difference then I need to be taking the CCR anyway). I don't try and squeeze a second dive.

[kr2y5]

Thanks, everyone! That's just what I was thinking... to start getting used to dedicated 6 cuft inflation bottle for when I will eventually need it, but to not bother with argon yet and just top off from my doubles. Sounds like a fairly common practice.

[BillZ]

I have a 6 cf bottle and can squeeze 3 recreational and one tech dive plus a shallower recreational dive out of it.

Crap - I screwed up. It should read....

I have a 6 cf bottle and can squeeze 3 recreational OR one tech dive plus a shallower recreational dive out of it.

[kdupreez]

same here - i have 6cf tanks get about 3 dives rec and 1 tec + rec dive out of one tank.

I'm fortunate enough to have argon in storage tanks and a booster, so i dive argon pretty much always when its cold.

if that was not the case, i would probably not bother for rec dives..

in the summer i never dive argon unless i dive helium.

[CaptnJack]

Thanks, everyone! That's just what I was thinking... to start getting used to dedicated 6 cuft inflation bottle for when I will eventually need it, but to not bother with argon yet and just top off from my doubles. Sounds like a fairly common practice.

Save yourself some hassles and keep a suit hose on your left post and singles rig too. Tuck it behind the wing when its not in use.

You will want it went you:
dive air or nitrox
run the 6cf dry on dive2
forget to bring the 6cf in for a fill
Want to inflate a big bag that has a BC nipple but is too big to orally inflate

One or more of these will happen shortly lol

[johndo88]

I haven't used Argon since I bought the Santi vest, though.

My dives on a single 100 cu. ft. tank have been getting up to an hour long and now that I am diving doubles, my bottom time is only going to increase. Cold is becoming a limiting factor. I saw the Santi vest in a LDS recently. Looked impressive. How have you liked yours?

[KneeDeep]

Save yourself some hassles and keep a suit hose on your left post and singles rig too. Tuck it behind the wing when its not in use.

One or more of these will happen shortly lol

Instead of tucking it behind my wing... can I use a retractor?

[kdupreez]

Save yourself some hassles and keep a suit hose on your left post and singles rig too. Tuck it behind the wing when its not in use.

One or more of these will happen shortly lol

Instead of tucking it behind my wing... can I use a retractor?

So long its clipped to your ass D-Ring...

[CaptnJack]

Save yourself some hassles and keep a suit hose on your left post and singles rig too. Tuck it behind the wing when its not in use.

One or more of these will happen shortly lol

Instead of tucking it behind my wing... can I use a retractor?

So long its clipped to your ass D-Ring...

Keeps the chicken away that way

[archisgore]

Since I live next to the shop, I could say it's almost like having my own bottles and booster. I'm lazy and busy, so I have 2 6cf bottles. Anytime I go to the shop, I switch them out. Gremlins make sure they're always full of Argon. I've only run dry once, when I tried 4 (rec) dives on one bottle.