Story of shipping cylinders for a week of diving

[2airishuman]

I'm wrapping up a week in Key Largo. We've been diving with Rainbow Reef, good people, and I'll report on them and the dives separately.

I had decided to ship two of my HP120s ahead, mainly so that I could enjoy an abundance of gas for my dive on the Spiegel Grove. I have shipped a number of cylinders when buying and selling, and have a stack of 8x8x30" boxes that I use. It is, for the most part, old hat at this point. The cylinders do have to be drained to <40 PSI to avoid the hazmat charges and paperwork, and it's important to either remove the valve, cushion it thoroughly, or put a collar around it so that the weight of the cylinder doesn't rest on the valve when the box is dropped on end.

Since I was at it, I prepared a box with my fins and a few other odds and ends and taped it together with one of the cylinder boxes, running two wraps of banding with good quality package sealing tape, and then a layer of tape all along the seam between the two boxes. The UPS rates usually favor single large packages over multiple smaller ones and I figured I'd save a few dollars.

I sent the packages ahead, choosing my shipping day so that they would arrive at my AirBnB the same day I did, after confirming with the host that it was OK to do so.

The round-trip shipping cost for everything -- both cylinders and the fins -- worked out to around $200. There is no way I would have been able to get the fins here without another checked bag at a cost of $50 round trip, so I anticipated an incremental cost of around $150 to bring the cylinders.

The single box with the cylinder made it OK.

The two packages taped together came apart. The fins made it, and the cylinder did not. The packaging was all in really rough condition upon arrival.

I have spent about 45 minutes on the phone with UPS and, at their request, sent them digital photos of what did arrive. They are supposed to be looking for the missing cylinder, and I've made it clear to them that I would much rather have it back than have a cash settlement. It has my name on it in marker, and one of my new custom VIP stickers preprinted with my name and address, so it's not like they won't be able to identify it. Since I'm done with my dives the best I can hope for is to get it back when I get home.

One of the UPS representatives made a comment that they typically do not go to the expense of a lost-item search for items only insured for the standard $100 as they prefer to simply settle such claims by paying the $100 declared value. I had paid for a higher valuation reflecting the value of the cylinder.

With only one cylinder, I've used it for 5 out of 9 dives while here, and used an AL100 provided by the operator for the balance of them. Here are my experiences:

• HP120s have become my preferred cylinder for a reason and I was glad to have mine along. I used minimal or no lead due to the negative buoyancy, and ended all the dives with a truly sufficient amount of gas.
  
• Rainbow Reef was organized and accommodating in dealing with the situation. They respected my existing VIP and provided 32% for the one dive where I requested it. They stored the cylinder for me between dives so I did not have to haul it around.
  
• Fills were to 3000 PSI for both my HP120 and the AL100, giving me roughly 103 and 91 cf respectively. They fill cylinders at the dock, and their gas plant is simply not configured to provide HP fills. This is common. Conch Republic (in the Keys) and Aldora (in Cozumel) are the only operators I've used that actually fill HP cylinders to capacity.
  
• The HP120, even though it is 7.25" in diameter, would not fit in the cylinder holders on the boat because of the larger diameter of the boot. Various operators deal with this in different ways. Rainbow reef removed a couple of the cylinder holders and gave me an extra weight belt to use to secure the cylinders to the rail (AL100s also have this problem due to their 8" diameter).
• My HP120s are set up with modular valves so they can be twinned, and half of them have "unusual side" handwheels to allow this. Without really thinking about it I happened to grab an "unusual side" valved cylinder for this trip. Two DMs shut the valve when intending to open it, and when I realized this was going on, I started warning them. I am able to open the valve in the water, even with single cylinder, so this was not a major safety concern. Nonetheless, I would pick out "standard side" valved cylinders if I do this again.

I was diving with a guide and placed in a group of 3-5 people for these dives, in most cases including two of my children (I didn't bring them on the deep dives).

Ultimately, other divers called the turn point before I did, regardless of which cylinder I was using.

I am presently viewing this as an interesting experiment that I probably will not repeat as the benefits do not seem to justify the hassle and expense.

I will post the final outcome of the UPS imbroglio once it is known.

 

[hammet]

why not just dive hp100s filled to 3442 psi for your 100 cf fix?
Almost every dive charter i'e used in florida will provide them, and most dive shops will rent them.

 

[DavidFL]

Interesting thread; I have HP100s and HP133s that I use in Florida (where I am driving and bring everything in my truck); have wondered about the cost and convenience of shipping them to someplace where I'm flying to dive. I think your experience supports my procrastination in not doing it.

 

[Johnoly]

..... The fins made it, and the cylinder did not........

That sucks,,,,hope you get it back (and un-damaged cause loose)

 

[RyanT]

Sorry to hear about this. In my experience, this seems to be not unusual with UPS. Even if the item isn't lost, my boxes have often arrived looking like they were used as entertainment for the Gorillas at the zoo. I seriously can't fathom how UPS tears up boxes the way they do.

 

[2airishuman]

why not just dive hp100s filled to 3442 psi for your 100 cf fix?
Almost every dive charter i'e used in florida will provide them, and most dive shops will rent them.

It really does vary from operator to operator, and the operator we chose does not offer them. Had we rented them locally, we would have had to transport them to and from another operator ourselves after every dive since the charter we were using did not offer HP fills. I have previously used an excellent quality operator in the area that does offer HP100s and will probably use them again for our next trip. They were not a good fit for this trip.

That sucks,,,,hope you get it back (and un-damaged cause loose)

Thanks. I'm expecting the valve to be beat up and need replacement. Hopefully the cylinder itself will be OK.

Sorry to hear about this. In my experience, this seems to be not unusual with UPS. Even if the item isn't lost, my boxes have often arrived looking like they were used as entertainment for the Gorillas at the zoo. I seriously can't fathom how UPS tears up boxes the way they do.

I know they use conveyers and automated sorting and so on, but the handling was really rough this time. I think I'm going to have to switch to using filament-reinforced tape for these sorts of shipments in the future.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Kudos for the major effort to bring "enough" gas. As I mentioned in the thread where you announced that you were going to ship the tanks, since learning the "Rock Bottom" concept (the topic of yet another current thread) a few years ago, I will no longer dive the Spiegel Grove on an Al 80 that so many dive ops offer as the standard tank. I wish dive ops subscribed to Rock Bottom, and offered as the standard tank for whatever site whatever tank is necessary to provide that much air. When I do wreck trips with Conch Republic, I use their 100s. The Al 80s are fine for the reefs.

 

[Doc]

I think I'm going to have to switch to using filament-reinforced tape for these sorts of shipments in the future.

You had me until that.

What did you use? Masking tape?

If you pack something, anything, correctly, it will survive any shipper. UPS is comparatively gentle. Try passing a package through the military.

Pack whatever in heavy cardboard with padding. Tank nipples? How about a collar of PVC pipe surrounding it? Simple and it works. Might want to use a bit of Scotch tape on that, too.

Tape? Yes, the fiber tape is a basic requirement. Label the object and that cardboard box.

Now, getting serious. Get yourself some Coroplast. It's super lightweight and easy to cut. It's that stuff they make campaign signs out of. It comes in all thicknesses but I like the 1/2" stuff.

Now wrap that first box in Coroplast. Build a snug coffin. Use most of that roll of tape. While you're at it, toss a new roll of fiber tape inside the box for packing on the return triip.

There are ways to do things, anything. Or you can enjoy arguing with a shipping minion.

As for the other stuff, I'll rent however many 80's I need and sling them. Just me. Most places I go, "Brown" does not.

 

[Lobzilla]

Sorry to hear about this. In my experience, this seems to be not unusual with UPS. Even if the item isn't lost, my boxes have often arrived looking like they were used as entertainment for the Gorillas at the zoo. I seriously can't fathom how UPS tears up boxes the way they do.

It think they have a contest at the loading and transfer facilities to determine who can throw packages the furthest.

 

[Lobzilla]

As for the other stuff, I'll rent however many 80's I need and sling them

Or bring a manifold and bands to double them (with permission from the rental place). Did that in British Columbia after flying in from the East Coast. To sink the AL80s in salt water I went to a tire place, got some lead balance weights and taped them together to a sausage fitting between the tanks and the back plate.