Testing your breathing Gases Prior to Diving

[jadairiii]

The Deco Stop

This is not a Cave Diving issue, Tech diving issue, or a rec diving issue. Another fatality caused solely by the diver not analyzing his dive gas prior to entering the water. You can buy an analyzer for under $300.00. Compared to your overall investment in gear and dive trips, not to mention your life, anyone nowadays that does not re-analyze their mix prior to diving it (even if they are told it is air) is just plain nuts. I know of no dive shop that does not fill nitrox, so any fill you get, or tanks you pick up, could have anything from air to 100% oxygen in it.

EVERYONES protocol should be to analyze their tanks, on the boat (or dock prior to boarding) then they attach their regulator, then re-mark it with the mix, date and your initials. So simple, yet people are still dying.

 

[chrpai]

I have a friend who would o2 clean my tanks for free. He's asked several times and I keep saying no thanks. I had a tank that was o2 clean and when VIP came up I qual for air only.

For the dives I do, eanx simply isn't needed. I don't want my tanks to send mixed messages. I don't think analyzing every single tank is needed just because someone might put nitrox in it. He's probably burn in flames before the tank ever got to me.

Now of you wane to talk co analyzing, I'm listening.

Fwiw the fatality you mention doesn't seem to be a problem with analyzing. It seems that for some reason currently not known he refuses to believe his own markings. Sad.

 

[elan]

. I don't think analyzing every single tank is needed just because someone might put nitrox in it. He's probably burn in flames before the tank ever got to me.

The way I have seen many fill stations are designed there could be tons of ways that someone could put anything but air in the tanks accidently. If you are not analyzing it you are essentialy trusting your life to the tank filler. Hyperoxic is one thing but it could also be hypoxic( someone accidently pump nitrogen or helium into your tank by opening wrong valves)

 

[chrpai]

There's no helium at my shop.

Sorry, your aren't going to convince me. Millions and millions of air tanks are dived each year without incident. I have other dangers to give more priority.

---------- Post added August 11th, 2013 at 07:20 AM ----------

Fwiw an ow diver wouldn't even know how to analyze a tank. They haven't been introduced to the concept yet.

 

[elan]

another point in analysis - Never calibrate the analyzer using a tank. Even if you believe its air. There can be anything in the tank - you have no way of knowing.

Instead use ambient air which has known percentage of O2

---------- Post added August 11th, 2013 at 08:26 AM ----------

There's no helium at my shop

Sorry, your aren't going to convince me.

Sorry , I could care less if I convince you or not Its your life.
Hopefully diver reading this topic would see the reason why every tank has to be analyzed.
The argument of OW divers not even knowing how to do it is irrelevant. It just proves OW program needs to be improved.

 

[chrpai]

That was my polite way of saying I don't agree with you. You don't need to be a jerk about it. Might as well call me the s word and say I'm going to die because I don't analyze o2 analyze air tanks.

 

[gizmo1972]

in ye olde days it wasnt a problem !
now a days even if you dive AIR you should still check it !!!!
the one thing i just dont understand if you are certified to dive EANx and its availible and benificial to extend your dives then why the devil would you not use it!!!!! and it cant be costs!!!! = safety thats fall economy!!! for the price of a couple of cups of coffee just stupid
imho

 

[elan]

No I was not mean, - that's why I put a smile , sorry if it sounded that way

That was my polite way of saying I don't agree with you. You don't need to be a jerk about it. Might as well call me the s word and say I'm going to die because I don't analyze o2 analyze air tanks.

 

[chrpai]

No I was not mean, - that's why I put a smile , sorry if it sounded that way

I'm not rehashing why I don't get nitrox fills. It's been covered in dozens of threads.

Have a nice day.

 

[jadairiii]

....Fwiw the fatality you mention doesn't seem to be a problem with analyzing. It seems that for some reason currently not known he refuses to believe his own markings. Sad.

No, that was the problem, regardless of what is reflected on your tanks, analyze prior to diving. Had the diver done that, he would be alive.