1973 Silver AquaLung Professional AL Tank
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Paladin
Contributor
There are many of those old tanks still in service and continue to pass hydro. But many dive shops refuse to fill them because they simply do not want to take the chance that they might get one that's about to blow. As cheap as new Catalinas are, those old alloy tanks are just not worth the trouble.
KD8NPB
Contributor
But again, the eddy current testing would catch it. These tanks are never "about to blow". It takes neglect or abuse to cause a failure, hence why out of tens of thousands of "bad alloy" tanks in the world, in the past 50 years there have only been maybe a dozen reported failures.
Hence my lack of understanding about why this is a problem.
And heck, if you get a tank that fails, I have a published bulletin from Luxfer which says you get like $60 credit towards a new tank. Not sure if that is still valid though.
captain
Contributor
The problem is, just as Paladin stated is a lot of shop simply will not fill aluminum tanks over 20 years old and in some cases steel tanks too. You may not have this issue with the shops you use but it is quite common. It is the shop's right to fill or not fill, the reason doesn't necessarily have to make sense.
DarR
Registered
Holly Molly! Don't laugh ( at least no more than I am) but I'm 90% certain that I'm the original owner of this OP's Aqualung Aluminum tank. Here's the story if you have time on your hands:
Once upon a winter of 1974~75 this young crazy kid decided to sign-up for a YMCA Skin & Scuba Diving course in Ottawa Ontario Canada. During the 8 week-ish course and in anticipation of the spring open-water final exam, I purchased (in addition to the Aqua-Lung Wrap-Around Mask & Rocket Fins which I had) an Aluminum Aqua-Lung 80cf tank, Aqualung Conshelf Arctic Explorer Regulator, weight belt and a Parkway 1/4" Shark-Skin Wet Suit, boots and 3-finger gloves. That was it. Nobody but sissies dove with a PFD in those days. Moreover, they were super expensive and heavy given that they had their own tank to inflate it. Another buddy purchased his gear not too long thereafter. More on that later. Everything was purchased from an outfit called: Laurentian Trading Post in Ottawa.
Anyways, a few years did go by diving in freezing fresh water lakes looking at pikes, bass and weeds. The novelty was all fun but now we're in the mid 1980's. My 1/4" Shark-Skin Wet Suit shrunk and consequently I was looking at diving south going forward. Because of career, Yada-Yada, I moved to west-island Montreal.
In the early 90's I upgraded my skill sets to ACUC Level 4, thus the ACUC VIP sticker. My then ACUC instructor became my new diving buddy. Many trips, Bay of Pigs, yada, yada. After many years of un-use, I donated my Aqualung Aluminium tank to the Scuba school. It was called: Les Anémones Bleues.
My original diving buddy of the 70"s decided to pack-up his diving fun for whatever reason. He gave me his yellow Aluminum Aqua-Lung 80cf tank and his Aqua-Lung Calypso regulator which I still have (un-used) to this day.
I have no clue as to how my grey Aluminum Aqua-Lung 80cf tank got to where it is, but the resemblance and chronological date stamps are more than a coincidence. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Dennis
Once upon a winter of 1974~75 this young crazy kid decided to sign-up for a YMCA Skin & Scuba Diving course in Ottawa Ontario Canada. During the 8 week-ish course and in anticipation of the spring open-water final exam, I purchased (in addition to the Aqua-Lung Wrap-Around Mask & Rocket Fins which I had) an Aluminum Aqua-Lung 80cf tank, Aqualung Conshelf Arctic Explorer Regulator, weight belt and a Parkway 1/4" Shark-Skin Wet Suit, boots and 3-finger gloves. That was it. Nobody but sissies dove with a PFD in those days. Moreover, they were super expensive and heavy given that they had their own tank to inflate it. Another buddy purchased his gear not too long thereafter. More on that later. Everything was purchased from an outfit called: Laurentian Trading Post in Ottawa.
Anyways, a few years did go by diving in freezing fresh water lakes looking at pikes, bass and weeds. The novelty was all fun but now we're in the mid 1980's. My 1/4" Shark-Skin Wet Suit shrunk and consequently I was looking at diving south going forward. Because of career, Yada-Yada, I moved to west-island Montreal.
In the early 90's I upgraded my skill sets to ACUC Level 4, thus the ACUC VIP sticker. My then ACUC instructor became my new diving buddy. Many trips, Bay of Pigs, yada, yada. After many years of un-use, I donated my Aqualung Aluminium tank to the Scuba school. It was called: Les Anémones Bleues.
My original diving buddy of the 70"s decided to pack-up his diving fun for whatever reason. He gave me his yellow Aluminum Aqua-Lung 80cf tank and his Aqua-Lung Calypso regulator which I still have (un-used) to this day.
I have no clue as to how my grey Aluminum Aqua-Lung 80cf tank got to where it is, but the resemblance and chronological date stamps are more than a coincidence. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Dennis
Attachments
I had a set of AL 72s, the 2475 psi stamped tanks. I set them up as doubles, and weighted them so as not be be “floaters.” They worked pretty well as doubles. I’ll find a photo of them, and attach it here later.
Now, people are saying there is no value in the AL 80s that are silver in color. Well, I sold mine for a fair price to a guy who wanted them as a demo for his display of equipment used in “Jaws,” the movie. It turns out that the AL 80 silver in color was the cylinder that was “exploded” by a rifle shot that killed the shark.
SeaRat
Now, people are saying there is no value in the AL 80s that are silver in color. Well, I sold mine for a fair price to a guy who wanted them as a demo for his display of equipment used in “Jaws,” the movie. It turns out that the AL 80 silver in color was the cylinder that was “exploded” by a rifle shot that killed the shark.
SeaRat
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