Tank fill run-around… kinda long
So I go for my first tank fill, and head to Sports Chalet to do it. (It’s a Chalet tank) The girl in scuba is nice, fills it no questions, go home, shoot more. A couple days go by, need another top-off. I noticed a closer Chalet, so I head there.
The scuba guys start looking the tank over, like they’re looking for something. They ask me where the ‘visual’ sticker is.. I say I don’t know, nor what it is. They give me a hour tutorial about it, pulling diving cards from their wallets and stuff. For a minute there I think they’re telling me I gotta take a diving class to shoot a freakin’ air gun.
They assure me I don’t have to do that, but I have to take the tank to a scuba shop where they take it apart, have a look see inside, and if all is good, they will issue me a visual sticker. Crap. More downtime, driving, and money. I tell them the other Chalet filled it no problem, so why can’t you. They ask me which store. I tell them, and they call the other store, telling them they’re not supposed to do that without the sticker. Crap, now I’m thinking I won’t be able to fill it there anymore either.
The hydro stamp shows it was just done last month. I called a few people who shoot about this, and they all said they could fill it within one year of hydro stamp date without this ‘visual’ sticker. I call the scuba guy back to tell him what everyone is telling me. He doesn’t budge, and basically says that whomever told me this has their heads up their ass, and woud be glad to talk to anyone who told me this.
I called a tank distributor, and a friendly lady gave me 2 phone #’s here in the Valley that would fill my tank the way it is no problem, and would probably slap the sticker on it as well, but I thought I’d give the 1st Chalet who filled it a second chance, since it’s still closer than these scuba shops. I was hoping the girl who first filled it was there, but she wasn’t. So this guy starts rotating the tank around, obviously looking for the damn sticker… Crap.
I tell him my story, he see’s the hydro date, and fills it up. We BS while it’s filling, and he goes.. “You’ll need this” and hands me the visual sticker free of charge, and since there was still 2500 psi still in the tank, doesn’t charge me at all for 500 psi. All I had to do was sign a waiver, promising to use the air for anything but scuba diving.
Why couldn’t the guys at the other store do this? He gave me a copy of the waiver to show those guys, and told me to have them call him if there was any problems. Very nice guy. Would really be nice if Sports Chalet branches would all get on the same page so this run around doesn’t happen to others.
So… thanks to Recardo, who has a licence to hydro tanks himself, I’m set. Sorry for this novel…
All Replies
My scuba shop is great, they don’t make me spend th money on th e visual inpection as its used for tank filling only, not for breathing purposes. With that said a hydro is and will be a must in the years to come. I also will have the tank labeled not for breathing use, should i ever decide to see it. Now if i could get them to just fill me to 3200 or so i’d be a happy camper.
Great stuff here, I too am considering a tank as my primary filling system and everyone’s points are great.
Thanks Rusty for the clarification, length of post is never too long, and it is great to hear everything explained, considering we are piggybacking onto an existing activity that has different (life safety) qualifications and issues one can never have too much information at their disposal…
Sounds like if one was to buy and fill from the same shop/person a lot of issues may no arise, but travel will throw unexpected situations into the mix and to know everything will make the conversation with the unfamiliar dive shop way easier with a possibly successful result, a full tank.
Nice to have all the facts, thanks for sharing your experience with us, sorry for coming off as a twit!!!
JW
😀
Only 200… Wow! I noticed they are out now. Figures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saugus,
The Sports Chalet out here in Stevenson’s Ranch has been good to me. Their manager, Sandy, seems pretty knowledgable and helpful. I think that they get $5 for a visual inspection which cosists of draining the tank, unscrewing the valve, then dropping a light down into the tank to make the inspection. Then re-installing the valve, and re-pressurizing the tank. I think that it is worth the effort and minimal expense.
I am a NAUI certified sport diver and still have my original card, so they didn’t give me static about filling my tank. I do not have the extensive experience of Akula, or Rusty, but I do have some strong thoughts about the issue.
I believe, and this is just my opinion, that my tank should be up to the most stringent standards as I or someone else MIGHT use my tank for breathing. Somebody’s life will depend on that tiny possibility. So, why not have it inspected? It is actually very interesting, and reassuring to look down into your own tank and see for yourself just what condition it is in.
I have the same philosophy about firearms. I should be able to defend my life with any weapon that I own. I do not want a race preped target weapon that jams when I change ammunition, or when it gets a little dirty. From a simple Mark II .22 to any high power rifle and all in between, they must be serviceable first and foremost for any situation. That goes for my Air tank too. Just my two cents.
This is a great thread as I have great respect for 3000 psi +. This is a great forum and you gentlemen with your harmonious discussions and dissemination of information make it so. Kudos gentlemen, (and ladies too, if your out there).
As a wise man has taught me, Very Respectfully, SteveinLA
World’s just filled to capacity with douchebags. 😥 😥
I never had a moments trouble getting a SCUBA tank filled here in Hawaii. Dive shops galore. The shop did have me sign a waiver though. I brought in the brouchure provided by AF in the box the gun came in to show him what I was going to be using the tank for. Guy was totally cool.
Now that I’ve got my 66 Cu. Ft/ 4500PSI + adapter from Mac1 I ain’t looking back. SCUBA is heavy to lug around in comparison. Besides, I’m getting choke fills from my Carbon Fiber tank that SCUBA can’t compete with. And the tank Mac1 sold me was only $200.00. Can’t beat that.
Harry
I have also had problems with tank fill. At first the dive shop here told me that they wont fill for a non diver. So I brought them in a waiver. Still no fill. commented to the shop owner that he had some good looking tanks for sale. Hey say, why don’t you buy one! I say, but you can’t fill it for me. I’m not a diver. He says, sure. If you buy it here, I will fill it for you! Great I say, I’ll bring you the waiver back in. Don’t need it he says!!! Seems he wasn’t worried about safety or the law at all. Only his profits. Got’ta love-it!!!!!!!
Now I go in and ask about filling a Carbon fiber tank. You guessed it, Oh I wont fill those. Why I ask. will your compressor go 4500 psi? Oh yes says the shop owner. I just wont do it. Mind telling me why I ask. Because I just don’t want too. All the answer I got.
A few weeks later I ask him If he could get Carbon tanks. Care to guess his answer?
Man, this town sucks!!!
Where would we be without government regulations??
Please tell me about your favorite government program.
What does the government do better than the private sector??
Did you ever notice that as soon as your first class medical certificate expires invariably the pilot crashes immediately after take off. Same thing happens with planes on annual inspections it never fails the minute the annual inspection expires invariably the engine quits the wings fall off and plane plunges to the ground.
Hey take some fingernail polish write on the tank, not for dive use-fill me and don’t give me crap. 😉
Yes build the relationship with the Dive Shop. I printed a PCP user release off the web brought in my airgun and built a tank carrier even painted it and they fill it with no issues after I signed the waiver. Main thing is listen to the shop and work withem some are good others are idiots. Funny how you can get a paintball HPA tank filled to 3000 psi but get the run around with some Dive Shops??
Randy
Rusty; As a diver of 40 years I went through the birthing pains of that industry. I appauld your caution. Hell, I even made the back page of “DIVE” magazine. That’s never a good thing. But still a good story.
And thank you for you concern regarding beathable air safety. You are on the mark in that area. But some of our folks only want to use HP for ‘other than breathing’ purposes.
Keep posting please. Your knowledge is needed! AKULA
You are correct that Saugus18 is in no danger using his tank for non-life support purposes.
The ones he needs to make happy are the ones that fill his tanks, making me happy will not matter. He doesn’t need a VIP, only a fill source that will accept working outside the “norm”.
Sorry for all the lengthy replies, I just want the correct information to be presented.
FWIW most shops I know of charge around $15 for a VIP, and if you get your moneys worth is another discussion completely
AKULA with all due respect this is incorrect. Please don’t take this as a personal attack. Consider it education.
I may be new to this forum, but SCUBA is a huge part of my life, and I do my best to survive all of my dives.
Typically when a diver has a hydro done through a dive shop, the VIP(including sticker) and first fill are included in the charge.
A VIP sticker is required by the dive industry anytime a tank is filled for SCUBA diving. The “pros” are usually some minimum wage kid who think/and believe they know what they are talking about. These people are known as a “Tank Monkey”.
It is always a grey area when it comes to a dive tank being filled for non-dive uses. Some shops will work with you some will not. The shops do make a little money on VIP and some are simply unwilling to fill a tank without a sticker, for any use. I have heard many stories of shops refusing to fill a tank that has another shops sticker on it.
The guy that has his head up his ass (and I would gladly place it there for him, along with my foot) is the one that gave out the sticker………….that is unbelievable.
The point here is that tanks used for airguns and only airguns do not need a VIP, but dive tanks do. When we are using dive tanks for our air supply, there will be problems with the interpretation and implementation of the rules. It would be good to establish a standard tank marking that would make it very clear that the tank will never be breathed, and then it could become less of a problem.
I would be willing to bet that if you marked your tank in the manner I suggested earlier, you would have better luck, but no guarantee.
There is a lot of really bad and dangerous info getting spewed so far.
Great info Rusty…
But i’m not seeing the ‘dangerous’ info coming from here, seems the ‘pros’ at the dive shop have no real idea what they are doing.
Your post echoes Akula’s and other than that I don’t see any other recommendations except for me saying he should call Sports Chalet and tell them they are giving bad and wrong info to anyone with a tank, diving or not…
Sounds like divers need to get together and inform Sports Chalet before they kill one of you guys… But what can you expect from someone who is getting minimum wage to fill life sustaining tanks.
IF I ever dive, which I probably won’t, I will stay far away from Sports Chalet, since they don’t even know WHY the VIP is needed…
Saugus; The waiver you signed releases Sports Chalet from any liability if you use the tank for SCUBA purposes. So the waiver does mean something.
Don’t worry, you’re not in any danger using your tank. For god’s sake it’s just been hydroed. Get it VIPed next year and everyone will be happy….well, except Rusty. AKULA
So the waiver I signed means nothing? I have no intentions of using this for anything other than air guns, won’t be breathing it, diving or anything else, and wouldn’t sell the tank to anyone else.
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i went to fill up mi scuba tank today and they filed it up to 3400 psi no problem at all its the same place i baught it from.