Should I veto the 'free' boots that come w/tank?

[TwoTanks]

Boats should have a system to secure a tank whether it has a boot or not so you shouldn't need to worry about standing them up - unless the captain is a moron

So any boat captain who doesn't have the ability to secure unbooted tanks is a moron?

I have heard of several such questions on Captains License Exams

Some examples are:

Would you ever captain a boat that does not have facilities to stand up scuba tanks without boots?

A) Yes B) No C) Whats a boot? D) I'm a Moron, Give me my license.

Do you know how to stand up a scuba tank with a curved bottom and no boot?

A) Yes B) No C) Whats a boot? D) I'm a Moron, Give me my license.

As a captain, if a boat has no facilities to stand up scuba tanks without boots, what should you do?

A) Captain it anyway, nobody cares about tank boots.
B) Refuse to captain the boat, Burger King is hiring
C) Whats a boot?
D) I'm a Moron, Give me my license.

As master of the boat, do you even care if a scuba tank has a boot on It?

A) Yes B) No C) Whats a boot? D) I'm a Moron, Give me my license.

What do you think of the idea of laying down 30+ pound cylinders on deck?

A) I'm all for it
B) Every boat not captained by a moron should be able to lay down and secure two cylinders per diver, even cattle dive boats and recreational cruisers.
C) Whats a boot?
D) I'm a Moron, Give me my license.

Im sure there are more that I havn't heard of....

TT

 

[bridgediver]

*sigh*

Ok, obviously I've offended some by my choice of the word "moron". I apologize.

Let me re-phrase: If the boat has no way to secure the tanks (booted or not booted) I would say it was [unsafe] and probably wouldn't dive with him. If its secured properly it won't matter if it has a boot on it or not.

If you like boots fine, our opinons differ thats all. I've got 4 in my basement collecting dust. I have no issues storing or handling steels without boots, not noticed damage from no boot being in place, not been on/in a boat/LDS that requires boots -- actually one of the places I get fills from you can't fit an AL80 with the boot on in the compressor sleeve

 

[trieste]

I just recently bought a pair of PST E-130's (with boots)

I take 'em off after every trip when I rinse to protect my investment ($$)

I keep them on as I've read that if there is any moisture in the tank, it is better for it to collect on the bottom (i.e. standing up) as the metal is thicker there, and can handle more corrosion (not that I want any!!)

 

[ShakaZulu]

Three pages on tank boots, what are you guys on??? Share dammit............

 

[wedivebc]

I just recently bought a pair of PST E-130's (with boots)

I take 'em off after every trip when I rinse to protect my investment ($$)

I keep them on as I've read that if there is any moisture in the tank, it is better for it to collect on the bottom (i.e. standing up) as the metal is thicker there, and can handle more corrosion (not that I want any!!)

Actually I think it's better for any potential moisture to stay on the side. If you get corrosion on the bottom it's a lot harder to tumble out than it is on the side.

 

[wedivebc]

Three pages on tank boots, what are you guys on??? Share dammit............

You think that's bad, theres 9 pages on the guy who wants to use water jugs instead of lead weights. I think they finally talked him out of it.

 

[paulwlee]

Actually I think it's better for any potential moisture to stay on the side. If you get corrosion on the bottom it's a lot harder to tumble out than it is on the side.

I heard (a long time ago) that with steel tanks, you should store them standing. The reason was that if there is any moisture in the tank, it would collect on the bottom and the bottom would corrode where there is more steel. If it is laying on the side, not only is the tank wall thinner, but the corrosion would form a line instead of a point, thereby weakening the tank much more.

 

[Ontario Diver]

Actually I think it's better for any potential moisture to stay on the side. If you get corrosion on the bottom it's a lot harder to tumble out than it is on the side.

Nope, when I tumble tanks I will tumble them on 45 degree angles to get the bottom and the sholders for exactly that reason.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I don't use boots on any tanks. I haven't been refused a seat on a boat because of it but I've heard of it. I'm not certain how I'd react to it but I'm thinking that I could find another boat to dive on.

The boot serves no purpose in the water yet can be a problem (entanglement/snag) so I don't take them in the water.

Speaking of things that shouldn't be taken in the water here's my free tip of the day. LOL...

Ever finish a dive just to get on the boat and have to listed to half a dozen divers trying to blow their dust covers dry with tank air (usually while holding them with wet hands). There's a simple solution...if you want them dry, don't take them on the dive with you cuz that's what gets them wet. Besides they're another thing that there is absolutely no use for under water.

 

[wedivebc]

Nope, when I tumble tanks I will tumble them on 45 degree angles to get the bottom and the sholders for exactly that reason.

I agree but you get alot less material removal on the bottom. I saw a tank take several days to remove a bottom deposit while tumbling on 45' angle. Side deposits seem to go away in a few hours if they are not too deep.