Real Concern or Shady/Shoddy DiveMaster trying to make a buck?

[jsarms1]

I have been wanting to get certified for some time and was always concerned or nervous about breathing issues being a smoker. Well I am officially smoke free for over a year now and have never felt better with my lungs(early 30's). My question is my brother is a Lt. FireFighter here in Orlando and is pretty familiar with breathing through a tank. After asking him if he wanted to get certified with me in March he said he attempted it once several years ago and almost died in the first open water dive after the pool dives. Shocked he never told me about this before he said basically when they went in the water about 30 ft down in Avon Park(Lake in Central Florida) he started breathing an oil like taste, he immediately ripped the regulator off and started swimming up fast, as soon as he reached the surface he was vomiting and swallowed some water on the way up. The instructor came to him asking what happened and after he stopped vomiting and caught his breath he explained, the instructor said he was confused as that was impossible. My brother opened the valve on the tank and everyone around commented on the oil"y" smell. My brother simply told the guy some choice words and left never to attempt it again.

Some red flags were that this guy was not a shop but an independent guy advertising in the classifieds and my brother said when they went to his house to meet for classes he had a questionable looking compressor that was filling tanks, Has anyone heard of this happening, is it even possible? My brother can't remember his name and has made me quite nervous even though I plan on getting my cert through ScubaQuest on Orlando which has great reviews. -Jason

 

[Badge353]

Sounds like contaminated air. Compressors used to fill tanks have filters to keep oil vapor from entering the tank. It sounds as though this instructor did not maintain his compressor or was not using a proper compressor. I would recommend only getting my tanks filled and getting instruction from a well respected shop. If he is an independent instructor I would only do it on the personal refrence of friends I had who had been instructed by him. I would be catious of someone who fills cyclinders inhis garage.

 

[TSandM]

You can get hydrocarbons in compressed gas, if the intake is in the wrong place (eg. near auto exhaust, for example) or if the compressor is very poorly maintained. However, what bothers me even more is that your brother didn't calmly look at his buddy and signal to share air with HIM, rather than bolting for the surface. No matter what was or wasn't wrong with the gas, the training wasn't very solid.

BTW, gas problems in well-maintained commercial compressor setups in the US are rare. Elsewhere in the world, it's not necessarily so. The diver should ALWAYS test his gas before getting in the water (by breathing it), not just to know if the gas is ok but also to make sure the regulator is working properly. In other countries, an increasing number of people are carrying carbon monoxide testers to check their gas before using it. (CO is odorless.)

 

[Peter_C]

Being a fireman your brother should be very familiar with CO poisoning. Many FD guys now wear a CO detector anytime they enter a dwelling/building. Oil taste smell is the first sign that we humans can pick up on that says something is wrong.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ba...arbon-monoxide-tank-risks-protections%85.html

The reality is CO poisonings happen but are fairly rare. Many of us now have personal CO meters we test our gas with before diving. Many dive shops have now started to put CO meters inline on their compressor systems. All dive shops in the USA are required to have their air tested. This test should be available for viewing, and often will be posted right at the fill station. It could be asked to be seen if not posted of course. Fly by night operations should be avoided.

Don't let one horrible past experience, from your brother, stop what could become your passion in life. Give it a try with a professional outfit, and if you like it continue to dive. If not, stop diving and take up golf. Although scuba is a sport, if you get and follow good training it is a pretty safe sport.

 

[faze]

I agree with the above - contaminated air. The compressors need not only the right filter but also need them changing according to the type of compressor and size of filter, this means regularly.

To be blunt - he got lucky - a CO build usually kills before you know anything about it and as all divers on the dive will probably had their tanks filled at teh same place then people tend to get hit on mass. IT IS VERY RARE.

It comes back to the age old adage - if the operation looks or feels shoddy, it probably is.

 

[razorbackdiver]

I have been wanting to get certified for some time and was always concerned or nervous about breathing issues being a smoker. Well I am officially smoke free for over a year now and have never felt better with my lungs(early 30's). My question is my brother is a Lt. FireFighter here in Orlando and is pretty familiar with breathing through a tank. After asking him if he wanted to get certified with me in March he said he attempted it once several years ago and almost died in the first open water dive after the pool dives. Shocked he never told me about this before he said basically when they went in the water about 30 ft down in Avon Park(Lake in Central Florida) he started breathing an oil like taste, he immediately ripped the regulator off and started swimming up fast, as soon as he reached the surface he was vomiting and swallowed some water on the way up. The instructor came to him asking what happened and after he stopped vomiting and caught his breath he explained, the instructor said he was confused as that was impossible. My brother opened the valve on the tank and everyone around commented on the oil"y" smell. My brother simply told the guy some choice words and left never to attempt it again.

Some red flags were that this guy was not a shop but an independent guy advertising in the classifieds and my brother said when they went to his house to meet for classes he had a questionable looking compressor that was filling tanks, Has anyone heard of this happening, is it even possible? My brother can't remember his name and has made me quite nervous even though I plan on getting my cert through ScubaQuest on Orlando which has great reviews. -Jason

The first thing I was taught in my open water class was to check the air in the tank. Crank the valve on the tank. What comes out should be invisible and odorless. If not, get another tank. They didn't tell what to do with the bad tank. I assume you should vent it entirely and let the fill station know about it.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Get certified and have fun. Do not rule out independent instructors as a good option for your certification. In choosing the shop or independent instructor to train you though, you need to ask them questions (essentially interview them). There are many threads here on SB that tell you what to ask, to look for etc.. Just make sure that you are comfortable with them, their teaching style, their equipment; everything about them. There are a lot of instructors that may not be directly affiliated with a particular shop that will give you outstanding training. Many great shops that will as well. For air quality, do not be afraid to ask questions. Ask if the compressor operator has a PM schedule, air test reports etc.. Coming here to ask questions was a good start. Now search the forum, ask more questions (of us and the shop).

 

[Bigd2722]

Your brother got a bad tank, it does happen, although very rare. Scubaquest is an excellent shop and I wouldn't hesitate to have them fill my tanks (I live on the other side of town)

 

[tracydr]

There are many great independent instructors as well as many instructors with shops that aren't so good. Ask questions and interview your instructor. Check out the compressor when your tanks get filled.
As TSandM said, the response to an emergency is not bolting for the surface. You should be well trained on sharing air in emergencies in the pool during your pool sessions.

 

[scjoe]

Just to clarify things, checking that the air is invisible and odorless before a dive is good practice, but doesn't mean that CO levels are fine.