Just ordered new tanks - anything to note?

[Belzelbub]

I thought that it was self-attestation that the tank/valve are O2 ready but maybe it's more of an honor system? Are you able to get >21% fills just by telling the dive shop/blender that your tank is clean where you are?

My tanks don’t have the yellow and green Nx sticker, and I have no problem getting fills.

The VIP sticker should tell the shop that my tank and valve are clean. They check those, but the Nx sticker is useless. The VIP sticker my shop uses has a note that says “Suitable for Nitrox,” and a punch for O2 clean. VIP sticker is all that’s needed.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

Ah...yes that makes sense and I think that's also the case for my LDS.

That...to me...is the best part of diving somewhere like Florida or coastal North Carolina. You can’t throw a brick without hitting a dive shop (only a slight exaggeration in some towns). As a result...shops can’t afford to make up stupid policies. They’ll piss divers off, divers will “vote with their wallet,” and go spend their money elsewhere.

Somewhere like I live...It’s often 1+ hour between dive shops. They can come up with whatever policies they want. If I want to dive locally, I just have to deal with it.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Why do they hate them in SF? Around here no one will put anything other than 21% in a tank unless it has a sticker on it.

They also trap salt & moisture and can lead to corrosion.

Most shops down here don’t make up stupid rules thankfully. If they did we wouldn’t use them. We’d go to the competition to get Nitrox fills. One exception I know of is a shop in Jupiter that requires O2 clean tanks to fill them with banked Nitrox. Nonsense. I take my business elsewhere including my charter business (this shop owns 2 boats). They are doing just fine without my business but being South FL I have choices as a consumer thankfully. No other shop in the region has a similar policy.

If they are my tanks, I’m responsible to know what’s in them. An ugly sticker doesn’t help me one bit. Nitrox is all my tanks ever have in them. I don’t need a green & yellow wrap to tell me that.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I thought that it was self-attestation that the tank/valve are O2 ready but maybe it's more of an honor system? Are you able to get >21% fills just by telling the dive shop/blender that your tank is clean where you are?

They bank Nitrox down here. No need for O2 clean tanks. My tanks never see 100% O2. Just the 32-36% that they are being filled with.

ADD: I now see @Manatee Diver covered this already. I obviously agree!

 

[WarrenZ]

I used double 133s for a while they were an all day set for me 3-4 dives on them. I now dive them sidemount you will either like them or will decide you want something else and trade them off. You want to talk heavy I have a set of PST LP104s they are heavy on land and in the water but great in a drysuit.

 

[OkByMe]

6 - 133's.... you are not playing around. Buy a pack of paper 3" stencils and spray paint an identifier (clean the surface with acetone and use enamel), just below the shoulder on the back side of the valve so it can be seen when mounted and seen from the top among standing cylinders. It is unlikely that the position of the valve would change when pulling for inspection and don't mix the valves among cylinders. . Mine are numbered P-01 through as of now P-09. Someone suggested that is a means to track maintenance and fill data, which is exactly why I did it. I use white duct tape 4" on the opposite side of the marking to write the mix in permanent marker. Be advised that not all hydro shops have the required permit to do the work for the large capacity high pressure cylinders. You might want to check with yours now, so they have time to apply - which can be done only once a year.

 

[Still Kicking]

[QUOTE="OkByMe, post: 9123637, member: 159250]Be advised that not all hydro shops have the required permit to do the work for the large capacity high pressure cylinders. You might want to check with yours now, so they have time to apply - which can be done only once a year.[/QUOTE]

A licensed retest station can test any DOT certified tank that will fit in their hydro jacket as long as they have a copy of the relevant exemption on file (which can be downloaded from the DOT anytime).

 

[iyakonboats]

I used double 133s for a while they were an all day set for me 3-4 dives on them. I now dive them sidemount you will either like them or will decide you want something else and trade them off. You want to talk heavy I have a set of PST LP104s they are heavy on land and in the water but great in a drysuit.

Side mount is something we're both interested in, especially since we can just toss it in the water from the boat and hop in without having to shuffle on a boat fully geared. In time, we'll get there.

 

[iyakonboats]

6 - 133's.... you are not playing around. Buy a pack of paper 3" stencils and spray paint an identifier (clean the surface with acetone and use enamel), just below the shoulder on the back side of the valve so it can be seen when mounted and seen from the top among standing cylinders. It is unlikely that the position of the valve would change when pulling for inspection and don't mix the valves among cylinders. . Mine are numbered P-01 through as of now P-09. Someone suggested that is a means to track maintenance and fill data, which is exactly why I did it. I use white duct tape 4" on the opposite side of the marking to write the mix in permanent marker. Be advised that not all hydro shops have the required permit to do the work for the large capacity high pressure cylinders. You might want to check with yours now, so they have time to apply - which can be done only once a year.

Ok, spray paint sounds like a better idea, will do. I'll also match the serial number to the ID I Mark on each, to keep track in case, I keep logs on maintenance if all equipment I own.

I think I'll not do stickers on it, especially since I'll have those mesh jackets on them. But considering the comment earlier about those Nitrox stickers being able to trap water, couldn't the same be said about the inspection sticker?

 

[Andy_Mason]

That...to me...is the best part of diving somewhere like Florida or coastal North Carolina. You can’t throw a brick without hitting a dive shop (only a slight exaggeration in some towns). As a result...shops can’t afford to make up stupid policies. They’ll piss divers off, divers will “vote with their wallet,” and go spend their money elsewhere.

Somewhere like I live...It’s often 1+ hour between dive shops. They can come up with whatever policies they want. If I want to dive locally, I just have to deal with it.

Yeah I'm in the same boat...I also ticked off my LDS owner so now I drive a little farther.