Posted by Jeff on October 21, 2001 at 21:14:29:
I was on the GE for the last 3 days and something happened that made me a little concerned. A customer had a problem and was talking to Brett (crew) about not getting a full fill in his tank. He explained to the customer that it was a low-pressure tank and that we could only fill it to 2400psi, but fill to about 2600psi to compensate for heat lose. Brett then went on to say that the Captain of the boat, Tim, would not let him fill the tank any higher, as it was against DOT and Coast Guard laws for us to fill it that high. The diver said that the shop that he goes to always fills his tanks that high and that the boat was just trying to save money.
Like I said I was on the boat Sunday too. Ken Kurtis of Reef Seekers was on the boat and I asked him if he over filled tanks. He said no, it is illegal, and that if he caught any of his employees over filled he would have to let them go.
So here is the question. Why do divers insist on putting the crews in this spot? Or are the boats just trying to save money? Who would get in trouble if a tank failed (If anyone survived)? But one last question. If your tank does not enough air, why not just get a bigger tank? I used to use an aluminum 80 but now use a low pressure 104.
Jeff