There may be a well founded concern in CO monitoring also. I think CO may be more of a concern than O2. If you dont have a checker then dive it as air of 5 points lower than what they claim and all is good as O2 goes. certainly some one on the trip has a tester. I think most dives down there unless its a nitrox trip dive plan for conservative air dives.
So how does analyzing tanks work with valet diving?
- Thread starter Juardis
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AggieDiver
Contributor
At least at LCBR, if you wanted to CO test your nitrox tanks, you could do it at the same time you were testing your O2 levels in the nitrox test station. For air tanks, the crew is totally willing to let you do as little or as much gear assembly as you want to do, but you won't know the specific tank you will get until you are on the boat, so you would have to test it there. If you tell them the first time you get on the boat that you want to assemble your own gear each time, they will let you. Valet means they will do as much as you want, but nobody is forced to let somebody else do anything. You could even let them swap the tanks and assemble everything, then just test using your low pressure inflator hose if you wanted. They are very flexible and it certainly wouldn't be a hassle to test tanks on the boat before or between dives.
Doctorfish
Contributor
I've been on other ops on GC where there are nitrox tanks on the boat that one analyzes before set up.
Even at LCBR, my practice has always been to do my own set up on the boat. It's about 20-30 minutes from the dock to Bloody Bay Wall, so you have lots of time. Some divers let the staff set up for them; as mentioned above by others, probably not the smartest move.
Even at LCBR, my practice has always been to do my own set up on the boat. It's about 20-30 minutes from the dock to Bloody Bay Wall, so you have lots of time. Some divers let the staff set up for them; as mentioned above by others, probably not the smartest move.
OP
Juardis
Contributor
excellent info. I learned some things. Thanks to all.
AdivingBel
Diver
C'mon Doc, really not smart??
This is high viz, low current, beautiful, benign diving at its best. I could hit the water in five different pieces and as long as my air is on (which I check) I can deal with the rest. The Reef Divers crew at LCBR is top notch. You do what you want, but quit scaring the newbs...geez. 
We've been at LCBR all week. Freaking beautiful diving.
As far as letting the boat guys set up your gear...come on...they take your gear after your dive, put it on the next tank, and it's done. We are talking about professionals here. They are totally able to strap the BC on your tank and then put the reg on. Takes a grand total of a minute. Before we do the dive brief, I usually check to make sure it's all straight and where I like it, and make any adjustments needed, but that's just because I'm diving a BP/W setup and they're used to mostly BC's. Check the tank pressure, breathe off both regs, and you're good. They are not doing anything more complex than that, unless something more is needed. Unless I'm missing something obvious, what can they possibly mess up?
I've seen them set up everyone's gear here all week long. Not a single mistake, no one has jumped off with their air off, no one has had any gear issues at all related to the crew setting it up. If I were diving a BC, I think all I'd do is check my tank pressure & take a quick breath off the reg. The crews here are very attentive, accommodating, and most of all professional.
On a side note, my whole group is diving air. Nitrox is $10 per tank. The profiles here are totally fine for air, nothing below 110' and most dives we spend half the dive at 30' or less.
As far as letting the boat guys set up your gear...come on...they take your gear after your dive, put it on the next tank, and it's done. We are talking about professionals here. They are totally able to strap the BC on your tank and then put the reg on. Takes a grand total of a minute. Before we do the dive brief, I usually check to make sure it's all straight and where I like it, and make any adjustments needed, but that's just because I'm diving a BP/W setup and they're used to mostly BC's. Check the tank pressure, breathe off both regs, and you're good. They are not doing anything more complex than that, unless something more is needed. Unless I'm missing something obvious, what can they possibly mess up?
I've seen them set up everyone's gear here all week long. Not a single mistake, no one has jumped off with their air off, no one has had any gear issues at all related to the crew setting it up. If I were diving a BC, I think all I'd do is check my tank pressure & take a quick breath off the reg. The crews here are very attentive, accommodating, and most of all professional.
On a side note, my whole group is diving air. Nitrox is $10 per tank. The profiles here are totally fine for air, nothing below 110' and most dives we spend half the dive at 30' or less.
AdivingBel
Diver
Yep, first time there I dived a tank of nitrox on the first dive of the day just to make NDLs look nice on the third dive. After that, only air. You have so much flexibility on depths the only reason to dive it is for an added safety margin (if you are so inclined) or if it just makes you feel good. Hey if it lets you go for an extra pina colada around the pool before dinner then nitrox ahoy...
C'mon Doc, really not smart??
The question is about analysing breathing gas. The conditions are not really important. If they give you air, or you forgot asking for air or being told it would be air and you expect 32% then you may have a problem.
You should always analyse your gas. Other stuff you have a hope of fixing in the water but not the mix.
AdivingBel
Diver
Actually the question in the original post was about nitrox testing & valet diving. Doctorfish (as I read it) was refering to the valet diving not being smart (letting the crew switch over your tanks between dives & bringing you your rig) not testing nitrox. If you look at my earlier post, I describe the nitrox testing scenario in detail. You always test your own nitrox tanks.
The crew doesn't hide your rig under a burka on the boat. You can check your setup and your previously labeled (by you) tanks at anytime. The actual nitrox testing & labeling is generally done the day before (by you) in the nitrox room.
Top notch or not, I think as a process goes testing is a valid concern. I have been on dives where nitrox was porvided and when tested it is up to 4% off of the expected 32%. You cant preach attention to detail and then say its ok to us a trust me tank of gas. I have seen where a small sample tank was given to the divers to test as they wished to show what was put in their tank from a banked system and then bled down to <500 psi. At south padre island, for example, you can test you tanks before you get them on the boat, and they encourage it. They have a tracking system to insure which tanks are yours before you get them onboard. But that is in the US.
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