Dive Compressor on a Cruising Boat

[Charlie]

Rcontrea or Diving otter

I have my tanks filled professionally. It has been about three years since I last filled the tank and I have left it full. Does air go stale in a tank?

[Teknav]

The typical SCUBA tank air refill cost, is $8-$15 USD; around 3700 psi. Mauritz

[Teknav]

You should replace the air, prior to your next dive. You should also have your tanks tested. Don't empty your tanks to ZERO PSI...leave around 200 PSI, prior to a new refill. Mauritz

[rcontrera]

Originally Posted by Charlie

Rcontrea or Diving otter

I have my tanks filled professionally. It has been about three years since I last filled the tank and I have left it full. Does air go stale in a tank?

The things that would make air go stale are oil or moisture inside the tank. that only gets in there because of poor filtration on the compressor. Oil, of any amount will foul the air. Moisture will allow corrosion inside. As it corrodes, it "eats" the oxygen a little at a time.

All that said, would the air be dangerous? No ... I think not diving for three years is more of a hazard than stale air. But an air fill is pretty cheap (locally it is anywhere from 99 cents to$6). If you take it to your local dive shop, they will have to drain it all the way down and do an internal inspection. If it is old enough, they may even have to do a hydrostatic test.

[Skeeko]

Do charter boats (e. g. Moorings) every offer boats equipped with compressors?

[Zanshin]

Skeeko - as far as I know - the answer is "no". Most of the charter boats even turn off or disable equipment such as radar or AIS, so there is little chance of seeing an active compressor aboard. I know of very few charter boats (well, 1) that are fully crewed that offer compressors.

[Teknav]

Charter boat companies do not have compressors on board of their charters, because of the liability involved. If you're chartering, local dive outfits can pick you up/bring you back from/to your boat. If you cannot get enough diving, try a live-aboard dive trawler; if you play by the rules you can dive as much as you want...air or nitrox. While a live-aboard is pricey, it can take you to remote/pristine diving destinations; well worth the cost. Some of my favorites destinations are: Little Cayman island and the North Wall (Grand Cayman island), Heron and Lizard islands (Queensland AU - Great Barrier Reef), Sharm-el-Sheikh and Hurgadah (Red Sea - Egypt) and Rangiroa Atoll (French Polynesia - Tahiti). Rangiroa Atoll diving outfits require you to be at least an Advanced Open Water Diver, because of fast currents encountered at 60-80 ft. Mauritz

[Skeeko]

Thanks for the advice. I guess it makes sense about the liability. A dive boat sounds like it could be fun if it's with the right crew and other divers.

Looks like I've got a good list of places to start from. Any advice on Belize?

[haw1961]

Hey Zanshin, checked out your calendar slash blog. It is awesome, love the format and the underwater photos. Great work! People if you haven't checked it out, it is well worth it.

[DivingOtter]

Charlie, Teknav said it right. drain all but a little air in the tank, have them VIPed and hydrod.Make sure you store them in the standing position as well if they will be stagnant for a long period of time. IF they have been stored laying down they may need to "roll" the tanks to purify the inside of them which is a ball bearing size beads that cleans the inside while on a roller system. I would also get new O rings all the way around. After you get the tank back " snoop " the valve and collar which is essentially soapy water to make sure that nothing is leaking. My bailout bottle which Is my reserve air had a leaking O ring that went un noticed and when I got to the site a few days later it was empty. I dont do any scuba but our EGS ( emergency gas system ) is 2 80 cf tanks connected to the airbox mainifold. Those two bottles are ones that were my Grandfathers from 1958.

[Zanshin]

Originally Posted by haw1961

Hey Zanshin, checked out your calendar slash blog. It is awesome, love the format and the underwater photos. Great work! People if you haven't checked it out, it is well worth it.

haw1961 - I'm always surprised when people actually find and look at the website and even more so when they like it enough to comment! Many thanks for the positive note. I am starting to take videos with my new GoPro and hope to learn enough of video editing to make some of the those videos worthwhile to look at.

I took about 200 pictures today at the mark of the Heineken Regatta in St. Martin from the dinghy and have my fingers crossed that one or the other turned out nice.

[Sailing Cowboy]

Zanshin

You have a great web site. Love the equipment section detail and the resources available with a single click on the mouse. Great job!!!

[Zanshin]

Thanks, Cowboy It is a fun hobby keeping up with the web site and keeps me out of bars. As an ex-resident of the valley of the sun I had to look up Queen Creek - I know Cave Creek but that was a new one to me.

[Sailing Cowboy]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

Thanks, Cowboy It is a fun hobby keeping up with the web site and keeps me out of bars. As an ex-resident of the valley of the sun I had to look up Queen Creek - I know Cave Creek but that was a new one to me.

Ex valley of the sun? Wow thought you were from the UK. Yes the valley continues to grow by leaps and bounds. I enjoy your posts and your journey. I intend to follow a similar route. I love diving as well and I, like you, feel like I waited to long. But better late than never I suppose. I was interested in onboard air compressors and having a boat you could easily get in and out of the water with tanks and your posts helped allot. I am tossed whether to keep a boat in San Diego or the Carribe. I was set on San Diego but after following your route I am thinking the Carribe may be a better route. San Diego is great but you have to travel so far to get to the diving spots that you enjoy. (Tropical). I was also hesitant on a bigger boat as I as well will be solo most of the time. But you seem to be doing very well with a 57'. Love the dingy garage btw. Perfect for tanks and gear as well. I love exploring sub surface as much as above. Keep up the posts for our land locked desert dwellers.
Tim

[carole087]

Zanshin

I'm impressed with you web site, and I like your game plan, at some stage most of us will be making our way back to land and it would be nice to have something to come back too. I've been looking at a compressor for some time, wealth of info in this post.

Micheal