Is this normal for scuba tanks?

[tursiops]

Yeah but you are just guessing. If fraudulent tanks are a problem why are there not places that inspect tanks to make sure they aren't fraudulent, that way people can be safe? It's ridiculous to just assume everyone that isn't DOT is just fraudulent.

The problem is you have a tank manufactured in 2021 with a no-longer-valid certification stamped on it. The mfg is either very sloppy or faking it.

 

[Rose Robinson]

I mean people on here are really just assuming what the stuff in the tank is from my ****** picture, hopefully, someone at a shop will actually be able to figure out what it is. and possibly fix what it is or tell me how to fix it.

Noah,

If there are no DOT/CTC stamps on the tank, you may find it difficult to get a shop to service/VIP it.

Rose.

 

[Diverlady13]

It is going to be very hard for SB to counter his natural inclination AND the fact his dad said it is ok (per said teen).

Totally agree.

 

[2airishuman]

Yeah but you are just guessing. If fraudulent tanks are a problem why are there not places that inspect tanks to make sure they aren't fraudulent, that way people can be safe? It's ridiculous to just assume everyone that isn't DOT is just fraudulent.

There are places that will inspect tanks.

In the United States, we have a system of laws and regulations that govern hazardous materials, such as high pressure air. The U.S. Department of Transportation (the DOT) promulgates regulations that strictly define what is safe, so that there are common expectations and common procedures. These laws and regulations are incorporated by reference in most states for purposes other than transportation. As part of its mission, the DOT regulates the packaging for hazardous materials -- and for compressed air that's the cylinder that holds it.

There are millions of compressed gas cylinders in service, mostly for industrial and medical use, with a tiny fraction of them being used for SCUBA diving. So we benefit from the expertise and experience of a much larger industry. The packaged gas industry has an enviable safety record. Serious injuries resulting from cylinder failure are so rare that accurate statistics are unavailable, but in the USA appear to average about one or two a year, despite the mortal hazard posed by rupturing cylinders.

Inspection is based on USDOT regulations. To pass, a cylinder must be manufactured to specific standards, some of which I have linked upthread. There are, in the USA, three separate and distinct standards (3AA, 3AL, and "exemption" or "permit" cylinders) in widespread modern use for SCUBA cylinders. Of these, the "exemption" cylinders have slight variations in their standards among the four manufacturers (PST, Worthington, Asahi, and Faber) that have made these cylinders.

Inspection procedures vary among these cylinders and there are specific, measurable tolerances that the cylinders must meet. These vary among cylinder types and sizes. Chief among these are the test pressure, rejection elastic expansion volume, and maximum depth of surface defects. There are also some USA-spec cylinders made under the 3AL standard that have known and understood defect patterns that require an enhanced level of inspection.

Because the cylinder test facilities do not know what tolerances a foreign cylinder made by an unknown-to-them manufacturer must meet, they cannot test it effectively. As pointed out in passing upthread by another poster, since the cylinder purports to be made to European standards, a test facility in Europe would be better equipped to evaluate it -- both for authenticity and for its ongoing safety in service. Such a test facility would be familiar with the standard to which the cylinder was purportedly made and having seen many similar cylinders (perhaps including some fradulently marked) would be able to cast a knowledgeable eye upon it to look for obvious signs of fraud.

The only facilities that inspect cylinders to non-USA standards, but that are located in the United States, are highly specialized firms that maintain oceangoing vessels. They encounter lifeboat/liferaft inflation systems, fire suppression systems, backup pressure systems for hydraulics, boilers and steam systems, and indeed diving equipment that is manufactured overseas, and have personnel who have traveled to Europe and other foreign locations to receive the training required to certify these systems. It is my experience that they do not work with dive shops let alone individual divers as they have no interest in projects smaller than tens of thousands of dollars.

As I pointed out in my initial post on this thread, there is broad concern among divers regarding the safety of the "scorkel" and its imitators (of which your system is but one example). These are sold here by overseas manufacturers who bear no responsibility for any injuries or fatalities that occur. The dive industry in the USA is largely self-regulating and as a result there are no laws being broken in the sale of the "scorkel"-type devices. That there have been no reported injuries is surprising. The pumps are awkward and time-consuming enough to use that I believe most of these devices are only ever used once or twice. There may also have been injuries or fatalities that have not been publicized.

I hope that you will learn to dive under the supervision of a qualified instructor using proper equipment. Once you have successfully completed a suitable course of instruction, I hope you will utilize equipment that meets prevailing standards and dive in the fashion in which you are taught. I hope your dives are enjoyable.

And whether you discard it or not, I hope your imported cylinder does not rupture the way the ones in Sydney,, Flordia, and Honduras did.

The girl killed in the explosion in Honduras was 15 years old and was particularly tragic. The cylinder had been inspected and discarded as it had been determined to be unsafe. The young woman had "rescued" it from the scrap pile as she either did not know or did not take seriously the concerns of those who thought it unsafe.


2air

 

[Bob DBF]

Oh, I read on a form on this site that Canada won't take DOT tanks.

Depends, now and in the recent past DOT and CTC use the same specifications and stamp new tanks for both, and there is no issue with tanks between countries. Prior to that DOT (and ICC before that) and CTC had separate standards and could not be used in both countries.

I have already gotten approved for a full refund.

Send it back and replace it with a tank that can be serviced here.

 

[GreggS]

Noah, you can take your tank to any scuba shop and ask them to inspect it. I strongly encourage you to do so. There are several around the Charlotte area. It shouldn't be hard to find one near you.

Then come back here and honestly tell us what they say.