Bonaire and Extendair Cartridges

dkieley · 3rd January 2008, 22:20

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to let you all know that Walt Stark at RecTek Scuba is now carrying the cartridges. He has had them shipped in just recently.

I am travelling to Bonaire next week and will let everyone know how it works out.

He has been very helpful in setting me up with tanks, cartridges, etc. I highly recommend him to anyone. If you are going though, be sure to reserve your tanks and cartridges.

Thanks everyone for your help before.

Doug

mixedgas · 4th January 2008, 04:25

Hi,
Just wanted to say, Walt is a Great guy! I have been to Bonaire several times. Walt has always made things happen.
Actually, will be there in March with my Meg....

DiveRanger · 4th January 2008, 18:50

I'm heading their in March. Let me know how it went.

human · 5th January 2008, 01:58

Also would be interested in how things go. I'm looking at going back this year in July. Last year we stayed a Buddy Dive and I just did OC (Will not do OC again this year).

dkieley · 24th January 2008, 20:10

Quote: (Originally Posted by human)

Also would be interested in how things go. I'm looking at going back this year in July. Last year we stayed a Buddy Dive and I just did OC (Will not do OC again this year).

Just a note to everyone....Walt really took care of me last week. He is now stocking the cartridges, but make sure you call him before you go. The price wasl also reasonable for the effort hemade to stock them. He was more than accomodating filling my bottles. We kept three sets of bottles in rotation, and I was never without gas.

His bottles, though, are set up opposite from my standard set up. Also, If you are diving the FX, you are OK with the length of the 30 cu ft. al bottles. My unit was not set up for it, and I had to configure my unit to fit the bottles, etc. I should have taken a picture.

However, that being said, I just sent my case down to be converted to the FX.

Diving was fantastic, except that I had to dive with the OC people in my group. (

)I was the only Rebreather diver...expended a little too much gas following them. I was trying to teach them to go AROUND the reef! No Luck, of course. By the end of the week, I would let them go, and I would wait for them onthe other side!

I think it is time to do Trimix on my unit though....I wanted to go to the Windjammer, and did not want to go back to OC to do it......we'll see next year!

We did get some great pics, and video from our trip.

I'll post a few pics later.

DiveRanger · 17th March 2008, 17:33

Just wanted to confirm what everyone has said about Walt in Bonaire. He was great. He had the cartriges ready to go and gave me a couple sets of AL 13s and had 30 or 40s for bailout. He does technical teaching at Capt Don's so all the exchanges were done there. Dropped of one set/or a dil or O2 every day and always had plenty. Offshore diving was a breeze with typical 2 hour bottom times. Capt Don's boat dives were a bit crowded for the Optima, but Walt's advise was to lay the CCR down in the aft, as soon as you get close, suit up prior to the OCs and be the first off the boat. Worked great. Just let the DMs know what your plan is. Not much else except the diving was great, that is, except when you had to dive with OC folks. Good place for a CCR group trip. Mike

3rd January 2008, 22:20	#1 (permalink)
dkieley New Member Current Rebreather/s: Optima Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Maine, USA Posts: 49	Bonaire and Extendair Cartridges Hi Everyone, Just wanted to let you all know that Walt Stark at RecTek Scuba is now carrying the cartridges. He has had them shipped in just recently. I am travelling to Bonaire next week and will let everyone know how it works out. He has been very helpful in setting me up with tanks, cartridges, etc. I highly recommend him to anyone. If you are going though, be sure to reserve your tanks and cartridges. Thanks everyone for your help before. Doug __________________ There are no "ifs" in history...... Doug
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4th January 2008, 04:25	#2 (permalink)
mixedgas New Member Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: california Posts: 39	Re: Bonaire and Extendair Cartridges Hi, Just wanted to say, Walt is a Great guy! I have been to Bonaire several times. Walt has always made things happen. Actually, will be there in March with my Meg....
(Online)

4th January 2008, 18:50	#3 (permalink)
DiveRanger New Member Current Rebreather/s: Optima Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Reston, Virginia Posts: 10	Re: Bonaire and Extendair Cartridges I'm heading their in March. Let me know how it went.
(Offline)

5th January 2008, 01:58	#4 (permalink)
human New Member Current Rebreather/s: Optima Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: NC Posts: 35	Re: Bonaire and Extendair Cartridges Also would be interested in how things go. I'm looking at going back this year in July. Last year we stayed a Buddy Dive and I just did OC (Will not do OC again this year). __________________ *The statistics on sanity are that one out of every* *four persons is suffering from some sort of mental* *illness. Think of your three best friends -- if* *they're okay, then it's you .*
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24th January 2008, 20:10	#5 (permalink)
dkieley New Member Current Rebreather/s: Optima Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Maine, USA Posts: 49	Re: Bonaire and Extendair Cartridges Quote: (Originally Posted by human) Also would be interested in how things go. I'm looking at going back this year in July. Last year we stayed a Buddy Dive and I just did OC (Will not do OC again this year). Just a note to everyone....Walt really took care of me last week. He is now stocking the cartridges, but make sure you call him before you go. The price wasl also reasonable for the effort hemade to stock them. He was more than accomodating filling my bottles. We kept three sets of bottles in rotation, and I was never without gas. His bottles, though, are set up opposite from my standard set up. Also, If you are diving the FX, you are OK with the length of the 30 cu ft. al bottles. My unit was not set up for it, and I had to configure my unit to fit the bottles, etc. I should have taken a picture. However, that being said, I just sent my case down to be converted to the FX. Diving was fantastic, except that I had to dive with the OC people in my group. ()I was the only Rebreather diver...expended a little too much gas following them. I was trying to teach them to go AROUND the reef! No Luck, of course. By the end of the week, I would let them go, and I would wait for them onthe other side! I think it is time to do Trimix on my unit though....I wanted to go to the Windjammer, and did not want to go back to OC to do it......we'll see next year! We did get some great pics, and video from our trip. I'll post a few pics later. __________________ There are no "ifs" in history...... Doug
(Offline)

17th March 2008, 17:33	#6 (permalink)
DiveRanger New Member Current Rebreather/s: Optima Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Reston, Virginia Posts: 10	Re: Bonaire and Extendair Cartridges Just wanted to confirm what everyone has said about Walt in Bonaire. He was great. He had the cartriges ready to go and gave me a couple sets of AL 13s and had 30 or 40s for bailout. He does technical teaching at Capt Don's so all the exchanges were done there. Dropped of one set/or a dil or O2 every day and always had plenty. Offshore diving was a breeze with typical 2 hour bottom times. Capt Don's boat dives were a bit crowded for the Optima, but Walt's advise was to lay the CCR down in the aft, as soon as you get close, suit up prior to the OCs and be the first off the boat. Worked great. Just let the DMs know what your plan is. Not much else except the diving was great, that is, except when you had to dive with OC folks. Good place for a CCR group trip. Mike
(Offline)

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