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

[wedivebc]

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.

Better yet, I just leave my regs attached to my tanks. They only come off when filling.

 

[DennisS]

I had the boots on but always rinsed the tanks well, I thought. I took off the boots and there was all sorts of grey corrosion, little lines where the boot was. I've been using them without the boots for about 3 weeks now and don't like it at all. I'm putting them back on. I can stand my tank upright when I put it on, I don't have to stand there and hold it at the fill station, while I wait to put mine in and it stays upright when I hose everything down. I notice the bottom is on cement a lot, picking it up, moving it etc-just wearing away that galvanizing. Put em on, take em off, put em on, take em off, looks like the new routine.

 

[trieste]

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



The point is, with the presence of water , some corrosion will result. Would it not be better to have the corrosion take place on the bottom, where the metal is much thicker, so the tank lasts longer?

 

[Ontario Diver]

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



The point is, with the presence of water , some corrosion will result. Would it not be better to have the corrosion take place on the bottom, where the metal is much thicker, so the tank lasts longer?

If we assume that there will be some rust, it is better if the rust pitting is on the bottom for a couple of reasons.

First the metal on the bottom of the tank is thicker and this is shown by the visual inspection limits for pit depth having one value for the side walls and another for the bottom. The bottom one is bigger (allows a deeper pit) because of the thicker metal. So yes, it would allow your tank to last longer.

Second, anybody doing even a scanty visual inspection will spot bottom pits but you actually have to know what you are doing to catch them on the sidewalls and measure the depth properly.

The best is still to have no water in your tank at all tho'

 

[AtomicWalrus]

Ever seen what happens if you knock the stem off of a tank? You've got a fairly large projectile on your hands. Not to mention that you can seriously damage your regulator if your tank tips over with it attached. It takes about 5 seconds to put your tank on its side to eliminate the possibility of these things happening, so why wouldn't you?

Single tank, right?

Get the boots.

I always stand my tank on a wall or a bench to don and doff it when diving the dive park, or on most dive boats. Likewise, I stand it up when putting the BP/W on the thing... the tank stands up, the wetted BP/W slides on. I even store them in the garage standing up. Had my 130 for about a year, and my HP100 for 5 years... Never a tip over, a knock over or a careless accident. I don't get all the hoopla.

The rigid "lay it down or you owe me a beer" stuff is so much Instructor hydration, IMO. Brought to you by the same crowd that says wearing your mask on your forehead is gonna make you go blind.

Be careful, be smart and you won't have a tip over incident (the tank, not the beer...)

K

 

[DennisS]

Ever seen what happens if you knock the stem off of a tank? You've got a fairly large projectile on your hands. Not to mention that you can seriously damage your regulator if your tank tips over with it attached. It takes about 5 seconds to put your tank on its side to eliminate the possibility of these things happening, so why wouldn't you?

When I go into my local dive shop there are usually between 20 and 50 tanks standing up. If they laid them down there would be no room to move. It would be interesting if one did fall over and knock out the valve, the term domino effect comes to mind. It wouldn't be pretty. The old guy who owned it set the style over the last 40 years and never managed to break anything during that time.

 

[Damselfish]

An attended standing tank in the right place at the right time is one thing, like when you're putting gear on it, or it on you. Tanks stored standing against a wall are fine too, don't think I've seen a shop store them otherwise. Random unattended standing tanks - not careful or good. I've certainly seen these take a dive, usually once gear is attached and they're lopsided, and too bad for anything in the way. I think those should be laid down or secured. I also recently saw a smashed bloody toe from a tank that someone didn't bungie on a boat.

 

[MikeFerrara]

When I go into my local dive shop there are usually between 20 and 50 tanks standing up. If they laid them down there would be no room to move. It would be interesting if one did fall over and knock out the valve, the term domino effect comes to mind. It wouldn't be pretty. The old guy who owned it set the style over the last 40 years and never managed to break anything during that time.

Where I had my shop fire code required that standing pressurized tanks be secured in place. Doing otherwise would get you a fine.

 

[AtomicWalrus]

An attended standing tank in the right place at the right time is one thing, like when you're putting gear on it, or it on you. Tanks stored standing against a wall are fine too, don't think I've seen a shop store them otherwise. Random unattended standing tanks - not careful or good. I've certainly seen these take a dive, usually once gear is attached and they're lopsided, and too bad for anything in the way. I think those should be laid down or secured. I also recently saw a smashed bloody toe from a tank that someone didn't bungie on a boat.

Exactly right - usually tanks should be chained to the wall or otherwise secured as well, but they're a lot safer in a controlled environment. Not to mention that a tank with a BCD on it tends to be less stable...

 

[Mobius1]

Especially weight integrated BC's but i just keep my tanks in my garage and i never have knocked them over or come close to that.