Dive Shop Experience

[Harv24]

Luckily I had two dive shops, and both were cool, $10 fills, they would only fill to 3500PSI, but they were awesome for the first year or so until I got my compressor.

Spent time online and read and know the SCBA regs, because like gun shops, there is a lot of mis information that just keeps spreading on what is legal and what is not. But unfortunately, there shop, there rules.

 

[Ezana4CE]

He may have never seen a carbon fiber tank before or maybe your brand? When I brought my Great White to a dive shop for it's first fill the owner told me, if this tank fails we are both dead and my building is flattened and he makes peanuts on a tank fill. That had my attention and I get it.

"...my building is flattened..."? From a ruptured SCBA tank containing compressed air? I doubt it. That sounds very dramatic. Unless of course his shop was made of paper, or is a shanty shack, dog house, house of cards, small, ramshackle, tin-storage shed, well house, etc

 

[JimD]

I am pretty sure the Navy does not use Chinese made SCBA tanks. I think their report is applicable to the expired Scott tank I use but I am not sure how applicable it is to a Chinese made tank. But I do not believe the failure mode of any SCBA tank will be an explosion. The tank is a thin aluminum liner that cannot take much pressure wrapped with carbon fiber to give it strength. If the carbon fiber is damaged, it may not fully support the aluminum liner and it will split in that area releasing the pressure. It could also leak at the threads as has apparently happened to Navy tanks (they suspect the threads were damaged in hydrotest). Repeated or constant exposure to moisture could also damage the aluminum liner leading to weak spots and a leak. Overfilling a deliberately grossly damaged tank can cause a rupture. But filling within its rating a tank with no apparent damage is going to at most result in a slow leak IMHO. The carbon fiber is not intended to be air tight so a damaged aluminum liner covered by an intact carbon fiber covering will just leak.

You cannot find "requirements" or a scientific basis for the DOT 15 year service lifetime because they do not exist. The 15 year life was made up and doesn't have a technical basis. It's discussed in the report for the Navy. When engineers lack data they make something up and try to make it conservative (by education I am a Mechanical Engineer).

 

[Str8tshooter]

"...my building is flattened..."? From a ruptured SCBA tank containing compressed air? I doubt it. That sounds very dramatic. Unless of course his shop was made of paper, or is a shanty shack, dog house, house of cards, small, ramshackle, tin-storage shed, well house, etc

Yes if the Tank were to fai,l I believe it would be like a bomb going offf in a confined space. Not talking about the likelihood of a CF failing in that manor.

 

[bchannell]

I'd get a GX compressor, long story, just my opinion. Also, guy was a dud, the rule is that they can overfill 10%, in the beginning to allow for cooling of the tank later, and the lower pressure. That is the DOT rule. But, I've also heard the same BS from dive shops that have some "surfer dude" filling tanks. You are correct, a few hundred psi more air is not a big deal. If you have to deal with this shop, I would have a polite conversation with the manager/owner and get the straight poop on how they fill and kind of get yourself known to them. Shops are more likely to accomodate someone they feel comfortable with. Also, a second tank is a good idea, fill one, leave one.