Story of shipping cylinders for a week of diving

[2airishuman]

What did you use? Masking tape?

No, name-brand clear carton sealing tape. And quite a lot of it. I'm not sure the exact tape I used, but it was similar to this:

3m carton sealing tape Amazon link

I could have done a better job, sure, and will in the future if I do this again. Tape is expensive and perishable and the good stuff is hard to purchase, fresh, one roll at a time. I have no use for a 36 roll case of tape that has a useful life of 12 months.

But where do you stop? I could have banded the boxes together with steel bands.

Label the object and that cardboard box.

I'll post a more complete update once the outcome is known, but one of the facts to consider is that, as of now, it is my understanding that UPS runs entirely on barcodes and will not actually look for an item until a claim has been approved and they have determined that they are financially liable for at least $200. This is why labeling the object and the box are not especially useful.

 

[yle]

To sink the AL80s in salt water I went to a tire place....

How salty was that water?? I was under the impression that filled AL80s sink in regular ol' saltwater without any assistance.

 

[Lobzilla]

How salty was that water?? I was under the impression that filled AL80s sink in regular ol' saltwater without any assistance.

Sorry, should have said "To sink my drysuit with the AL80 doubles in cold salt water...". With manifold and bands the AL80 doubles are barely negative in fresh water when empty. Certainly not enough to sink a drysuit with thicker undergarments or a wetsuit suitable for cold water.

With a V weight you can dive the AL80 doubles anywhere people would normally choose steel tanks. Since you can rent AL80s pretty much in any corner of the globe, I consider that a good alternative to shipping tanks.

BTW: If you want to put your own AL80 doubles together, use Catalina tanks. They balance out slightly better on the back than Luxfers, which are the better choice for stages. The difference is not huge but noticeable. When I rent the tanks, I don't care.

 

[Texasguy]

Don't you just love that Rainbow Reef charges you to use your own tanks? That is, their price includes using their tanks. They don't give any discount on account that you use your own tank and not theirs. Plus, you also have to pay for an air fill for your own tank. I found it to be "rip offish". And their base price is like $90 vs others like $60 where tanks are a la carte. Horizon divers would be my choice.

 

[2airishuman]

Don't you just love that Rainbow Reef charges you to use your own tanks? That is, their price includes using their tanks. They don't give any discount on account that you use your own tank and not theirs. Plus, you also have to pay for an air fill for your own tank. I found it to be "rip offish". And their base price is like $90 vs others like $60 where tanks are a la carte. Horizon divers would be my choice.

It is true that they do not offer a discount if you bring your own cylinder, and they made that clear up front when I booked the dives and said I would be bringing my own cylinders. We paid $65 per trip, which is their published rate when you take five trips with them, which we each did. They did not charge me for fills. We used an in-water guide, which they offer at no extra charge. I found their prices to be extremely competitive, and was pleased with the service.

 

[Texasguy]

Yeap, when you factor in a free DM, it might be a deal, as they can be $40+ easy with any other outfit. Though, it is a personal choice and, personally, not something I seek. I actually liked Horizon divers, they stayed away from helping me, asking how I feel after a dive to judge how my personality might have changed to see if there is an underlying problem after a dive... I dove with them and felt like a complete freedom without trying to excuse/explain why I require no help.

I had a solo card and was in the middle of taking a tec course with Rainbow Reef. I decided to do an extra dive with the afternoon boat. Boy, when I said I wanted to dive solo (even with all my certs and a pony) they acted like I said something outmost offensive, I was openly berated by their DM. The only way I got to dive that day solo is that they had a full boat and just enough divers per DM where I'd be too much for a group count. Phew, right?!?

I also hated how I was treated on my second day of my tec course. I wanted to use their hot water to put under my neoprene to warm up before the first dive (it was late fall), and I got a mouthful from their DM to the point where it was just not socially acceptable. I was so taken aback that I could put no verbal defense. WTF, right?!? It was so petty that it just did not make any sense.

I would not dive with them anymore. I don't think they are all that great.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

That was exactly what I was thinking Adiron, bringing enough pony, maybe a 30 or 40 and just planning on using some more lead vs the trouble with shipping big cylinders.`

 

[2airishuman]

... I don't think they are all that great.

They are good at what they do. I had my two kids. Neither of them had seen the ocean before this trip. They were a perfect fit for the trips I wanted to take.

If I were by myself, I would have used another operator, as I have in the past. There is a certain operator in Tavernier that is highly regarded on these boards, for example.

 

[2airishuman]

@2airishuman seems like a lot of trouble and a lot of expense and a lot of lugging around heavy tanks when you can accomplish the same thing with additional benefits simply by bringing along a 19cf pony bottle and using the AL 100s provided by the dive ops. Gives you the same amount of gas and you have the extra regulator for redundancy and safety.

The thought has crossed my mind, and I may do that in the future. I like having the AL19 under my arm.

Then again, I also like having an AL19 under my arm and a 120 on my back. I believe that one of the best ways to avoid running out of gas, is to start out by bringing lots of gas.

 

[2airishuman]

I got into it with a DM on a Rainbow Reef boat last year. Wonder if it's the same guy. name might have been Tom. He's in his late 20s-early 30s I'd guess, black hair, gives the speech at the end of the trip about why Rainbow Reef is so great and they hope we will dive with them again blah blah blah. The guy was arrogant as heck and treated me like I didn't know what I was doing- even though I had not been diving with him- he was on the line below me during the safety stop and noticed I was at 300 psi which he deemed to be unsufficient even though I carry a 19cf pony bottle. I gave it right back to him (verbally) on the boat, and complained about his attitude to a senior crew member who was very nice to me and handled the issue to my satisfaction.

I understand that they do have a policy that divers are required to return to the boat with at least 500 PSI. If they become aware of a diver with less than 500 PSI during a dive, they will require them to surface. I saw this happen with a pair of arm-flailing, newly minted divers on one of our trips.

I do not ordinarily like to breathe a cylinder down that far. By using cylinders larger than an AL80, I don't have a reason to do so. ::shrug::