Need air, need service & need direction

[TSL]

First post in this particular forum. Please allow me to request some of your respective, collective wisdom.

I have cobbled together nearly all of my "cold water" gear. This will include two sets of twinned AL80s. Majority of the gear is used, but purchased from SB members with history and good ratings.

I purchased two later model Cat AL80s that will need to be hydro'd and vis'd. I'll probably have the other tanks (2007 Luxfers) looked at also, regardless that they are in hydro. I will need the two manifolds checked and serviced. I also think it a good idea to have my main, octo (both new but used in Maui) and backup regs checked/serviced.

I'm not sure why this matters to me, but I'd like to hand them off to an LDS that will actually do the work themselves, rather then send it out. It isn't about the turn-around issue. I'm just not wholly comfortable with my gear being handed off to a third party. Now I say this because when I spoke to UWS of FedWay, they said the tank work would be sent out. I didn't ask them about the reg and valve work. But it just grated on me that they don't do the work on site. Maybe that is an unrealistic expectation - I don't know.

My issue is that I live in Maple Valley and because of various traffic/road configs, nearly all of what could become my LDS' are roughly the same distance from me. UWS Bellevue and FedWay. TLSea in Des Moines. I think there are some in Kent - and prolly some other I don't know about. So with my "keep it in-house" feelings, and needing a fill joint that can be counted upon, I am asking for your suggestions.

(I'm also going to need to find some of you who have the patience to buddy with me while I get used to the new gear config and in cold water - but I'll pick that up after I'm confident my gear is good to go.)

Many thanx up front.
Todd Lewis

 

[Thalassus]

Not sure, but the UWS in Fed Way may have meant they were sending them to another UWS location. Possibly, anyway. They may not have testing equipment at all locations.

 

[TSL]

Thought about that, Thalassus. That's part of the reason I thought I'd take a step back and ask you good folks.

TSL

 

[Bill_PNW_Diver]

Most if not all of the local dive shops will send your tanks out for hydro. The equiptment involved makes it cost prohibitive for the shops to do it themselves.

I have my tanks and gear serviced at Silent World in Bellevue and they have always done a great job. Depending on the brand of regs you have you may want to find a shop that is an authorized reseller to do the servicing.

 

[TSandM]

What Bill said. I don't know of any dive shop with hydro equipment in our area. The shops can do the viz and some of them can service valves, but the hydro testing is sent out.

If you're looking for somebody to do some diving with, once you get all your stuff together, feel free to drop me a PM. I'm a fair ways north of you, but the Coves at Alki would be kind of a midway meeting point, and they're a great place to get used to new equipment, anyway.

 

[Bill_PNW_Diver]

If your looking for folks to dive with check out the Northwest Dive Club. It's a great place to find a buddy and is a wealth of information on Pacific Northwest diving.

Northwest Dive Club • Index page

The club is having a group dive at Redondo on Saturday March 28th and another on Sunday the 29th. Sign up on the website, introduce yourself and come out and get wet!

Northwest Dive Club • View topic - Club Dive! Club Dive! Club Dive! March 28th

 

[TSL]

Where do they send the tanks for hydro? Are there trade-only shops that do this work? Does UWS have one of their location that does all the work like that?

My regs are all Apeks or AL. One of my manifolds is Dive Rite, The other is OMS. UWS is AL/Apeks certed, right?

Any reason to lean to Bellevue vs Fed Way?

Anybody have experience with the Kent dive shops?

Thx
TSL

 

[Camerone]

Where do they send the tanks for hydro? Are there trade-only shops that do this work? Does UWS have one of their location that does all the work like that?

UWS does most of the heavy lifting at their Seattle store on Aurora. They have a high pressure hydro license, so they do it in-house, but their equipment is at only one location.

Most shops send it to FireKing for hydros. They're in Georgetown, not far from Boeing Field, and are very reasonable in price, but the hours suck. I'm trying to get the dozen or so tanks in my garage onto some kind of similar hydro schedule so I can do them in batches at Fire King instead of onesies twosies, which is a PITA.

UWS tends to do most of their reg service at their Seattle store, IIRC. Their other larger locations might do some work on their own.

My regs are all Apeks or AL. One of my manifolds is Dive Rite, The other is OMS. UWS is AL/Apeks certed, right?

Any reason to lean to Bellevue vs Fed Way?

Apeks are one of the easiest reg types to rebuild out there. Certification for their techs isn't really worth the paper its written on. On the other hand, if you're getting free parts under warranty, then you might as well search one out who will do the paperwork and mail it in.

BTW - as a side note, you'll probably find you hate the doubled AL80s in our waters. They're very buoyant, and steel tanks definitely fare better doubled up...when diving doubles out here, I've actually not seen anyone on aluminums...they're usually used with wetsuits and warm water diving instead of the cold NW waters They make great stage bottles, though, as singles!