Short fills- how short is too short?

[do it easy]

I was diving with a charter operator last weekend and they had us check our tank pressure before the boat left. I usually had 2700-2800 psi in an AL80 ("full" at 3000 psi) and the DM always asked if I would like a "full" tank. I didn't think that a few hundred psi/10 BAR was a big deal, at least not big enough to bother to change the tank.

Where do you draw the line with short fills on recreational dives? Does it depend on the depth/current/temp?

(I'd make a poll, but I just don't care anymore )

 

[SparticleBrane]

I once paid $5 for a fill from 1300 to 2600. I'll try to withhold judgement from the teenager who filled my tank...
I would say that anything less than 2600 on an Al80 is undesirable for a decent dive.
Thankfully short fills aren't a problem for me anymore since I fill my own tanks ~90% of the time.

 

[grazie42]

I think it definetely depends on the dive. I always want a full tank but if it´s a dive at one of my semi-regular sites then I don´t really mind that much.

Travelling somewhere to dive means I want full tanks, all the time. Cutting a dive short on vacation because of a short fill is unacceptable to me. Of course it depends on the dive whether a short fill will actually mean that I have to cut my dive short or not. Since the person who fills my tanks won´t likely know what dive I´ll do I´ll be sure to let whoever fills my tanks know that I want them as full as possible.

Of course if I don´t check the tank before I leave the dock (unless the op tells me not too or the logistics of the dive prevent it) then it´s pretty much my own fault (not all fills come out perfect)...

 

[TSandM]

Since I almost never end a dive with less than 1000 psi in the tank, I don't sweat a couple hundred psi short.

 

[almitywife]

I expect fills of 240bar or 3480psi

on the weekend one tank had 200bar or 2900psi and i was peeved

my dives are on average 70-90mins long and i usually come out with 60bar/1000psi

as far as "drawing the line" on short fills...... my advice is never be in a rush for fills.

put the tank down, relax, check out the shop, top it up again and repeat

if on hols with diveshop tanks....i adjust my dive for my fill, i usually expect 200bar/2900psi on dive trips

cheers

 

[MrRoo]

I have been lucky and have had good fills on my tanks.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

The shortest fill I've gotten on a boat was 2500. They asked if I wanted another tank but it was a reef dive with max depth of 40 ft or so and a 1 hour time limit( second dive of that trip). I said no and did the full hour and still came back with 1200 in the tank. Otherwise I expect 3000 in an al 80, or 3200-3500 in my lp85's and 95's or around 2800-3000 in my 72's. I go to shops where I get good fills or get them filled at our place.

 

[Jake]

I once paid $5 for a fill from 1300 to 2600. I'll try to withhold judgement from the teenager who filled my tank...
I would say that anything less than 2600 on an Al80 is undesirable for a decent dive.
Thankfully short fills aren't a problem for me anymore since I fill my own tanks ~90% of the time.

It's funny: now that I do ~90% of my own fills, I'm usually short. I need to learn patience!

 

[fishb0y]

The shortest fill I've gotten on a boat was 2500. They asked if I wanted another tank but it was a reef dive with max depth of 40 ft or so and a 1 hour time limit( second dive of that trip). I said no and did the full hour and still came back with 1200 in the tank. Otherwise I expect 3000 in an al 80, or 3200-3500 in my lp85's and 95's or around 2800-3000 in my 72's. I go to shops where I get good fills or get them filled at our place.

I don't get it... you expect 3000psi on your 80's... but you expect overfills on your lp tanks? Heck, if someone filled my 72s to 3000psi I would rip them a new one.

 

[offroaddiver]

i have rented tanks from lds and he's within 200 psi always of 3000 on al tanks.

They don't until they hit water which all tanks i've dove with like to drop around 100 psi when they meet the nice quarry water which feels like an airconditioner when you stand next to it in the summer.

Now looking back at dive shops i've been to... 10% less than the regular fill and i ask for a top off. which i wait for and am not in any rush over.

Now this is air fills. I don't have my own tanks or i'd be alot more finite as to what i'd expect. Nitrox fills at lds is around 50% more cost. Trimix i can't remember if they do them or not. But there is an extra cost that should mean that tank is exactly what i asked for... the mix better be within that 1% and the psi better be dead on or they get to fix it and not cost me another fill.