Globally fillable scuba diving tanks?

[SunnySky]

I am in the market for a couple dive tanks better for sidemount diving than my current HP steel 120s. Awhile back with my current tanks (which are only United States DOT certified and not Transport Canada certified) my hydro test expired when sailing in Canada and it was impossible to get them hydro'd or filled until getting the tanks back to the United States for a Hydro. If the Hydro had not expired they said they would have filled them though.
So the above problem is easily avoided having one of the many tanks that are both DOT and TC certified, but I could see a time in the future when my boat and my tanks are in the same situation regarding New Zealand or European certifications.
When diving extensively I simply rent tanks and the problem goes away, but I get great peace of mind knowing I can dive at a moments notice to resolve a fouled anchor or other possible situation so I want to always have two full tanks ready and able regardless of where in the world my boat may be.
Anyone aware of SCUBA tanks that are certified for global use (tank preference is HP steel DIN tanks and I have a yoke converter for when needed on rental tanks)?

Thanks in advance,
Dave
Sunny Sky

[a64pilot]

You sidemount in open water?
I have 130's and 108's, same tank really just the 108's are LP and the 130's are exemption tanks. Real HP tanks haven't been made in a coons age and are different than exemption tanks we call HP. I have steel 100's for cave diving and some steel 80's for the wife.
Best steel tank for sidemounting cave diving are Worthington 100's, some liked Faber 85's but I prefer hot dip galvanized over painted.
I sidemounted some open water, wrecks, but went back to back mount, and save the sidemounting for cave diving.

I know nothing about Canadian tank Hydro's, but thought a US Hydro was world wide, except maybe France accepted?

On edit, "real HP" tanks are 3500 PSI tanks if I remember right and have pipe threaded valves, your not removing that valve by bumping it with a rubber hammer, and there is no O ring. I have seen maybe two real HP tanks, maybe, they are even more rare than the old steel 72's.
Exemption tanks are 3442 PSI and have regular valves, of course we all almost incorrectly call them HP tanks

[Olly75]

I've never come across this issue but opens up a potential issue for me so would be interested in the response. But if no luck here suggest you ask the question on scubaboard.com someone there is bound to have the answer!

[TeddyDiver]

Don't go to scuba shop for a refill if you are in a wrong country considering your tanks. Any smallish town with a volunteer fire brigade is the place. You can fill your tanks DIY and pay next to nothing, just fill the details in the compressor daybook...

[SunnySky]

Thanks for the idea TeddyDiver :-)
A62pilot, I am looking to get into sidemount diving but at this time I have only done regular back mount. Not sure if it's too much of a detour in question but I am curious why you prefer back mount for open ocean? I am mainly valuing the redundancy for solo diving, extra air for longer/deeper dives while being able to use standard rental tanks when intending planned diving days/locations where wanting more than just the two tanks I will keep onboard, and being more hydrodynamic if I get set up properly in sidemount. You are correct in the steel 120s I have being 3442 psi "almost high pressure" tanks.
I think if they are within hydro of their respective country getting a fill might be manageable depending on the place, but it would be nice to find a long-term tank option that does not have to be in a specific country every 5 years to be usable. I'm all about having a hydro every 5 years in the interest of safety but it's frustrating to think that if my current tanks hydro expires in Jan 2019 and I have sailed far from a DOT testing facility that my tanks become pretty much worthless in two years unless I lug them all the way back to the US to get a new hydro..

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by SunnySky

Thanks for the idea TeddyDiver :-)
A62pilot, I am looking to get into sidemount diving but at this time I have only done regular back mount. Not sure if it's too much of a detour in question but I am curious why you prefer back mount for open ocean? I am mainly valuing the redundancy for solo diving, extra air for longer/deeper dives while being able to use standard rental tanks when intending planned diving days/locations where wanting more than just the two tanks I will keep onboard, and being more hydrodynamic if I get set up properly in sidemount. You are correct in the steel 120s I have being 3442 psi "almost high pressure" tanks.
I think if they are within hydro of their respective country getting a fill might be manageable depending on the place, but it would be nice to find a long-term tank option that does not have to be in a specific country every 5 years to be usable. I'm all about having a hydro every 5 years in the interest of safety but it's frustrating to think that if my current tanks hydro expires in Jan 2019 and I have sailed far from a DOT testing facility that my tanks become pretty much worthless in two years unless I lug them all the way back to the US to get a new hydro..

Nobody (that I know of) sets up with sidemounts unless they want super huge capacity (with doubles on their back) or they're squeezing into something. They'd be in your way. A single back mount is all you need for most of the stuff you'd be doing around the world, but you should have a separate bailout bottle for solo diving. Your question about air fills is something to ask ScubaBoard. My guess is that once you have the tank hydro'd, you're good anywhere. Many divers who now dive rebreathers have their own bailout bottles and I would imagine these are filled with no problem just about anywhere.

[a64pilot]

Sidemount is a completely different set of gear and done correctly is not just putting tanks beside you.
I'd heavily recommend if your in the US going to see Ed in Marianna Fl at www.caveadventurers.com and take a sidemount class.

Edd didn't invent sidemount that was first done in in a British sump dive and Sheck Exley probably the first to do it in a cave, along with Tom Mount and Bill Rennaker but Edd has perfected it better than anyone.
http://www.scubadiving.com/keywords/...pt-cave-rescue this is Edd.

I have seen many, many home brew attempts, Forrest Wilson (inventor of the line arrow) has an interesting set up, but you will waste an enormous amount of time and won't get close to Edd's set up. Edd freely admits to adopting everything he sees that other people have tried, if it works.

[a64pilot]

I looked real hard into rebreather myself, but far too many much better divers than myself have died diving rebreathers, many people discount this, but look at the statistics.

[a64pilot]

Sidemount works open water of course, I liked it as I put the tanks on after getting into the water and removed them before climbing into the boat as that is how you don tanks sidemount, and diving trimix it makes sense, capacity is the same as backmount doubles of course, just you don't have all that weight on your back, trim is much easier to maintain, if you relax with doubles you will turtle of course. Completely relax with sidemount and you get into perfect cave trim.

I have mostly quit cave diving, but when I did, I almost always dove with 5 tanks, the sidemount of course and twin aluminum 80 stage bottles and my aluminum 40 deco bottle, I would drop the deco bottle in the cave at 20 ft, and scooter behind my Silent Submersion Magnus and breathe only my stage bottles, cause scootering solo, you have to have enough gas to swim out if your scooter quits and you lose one of your sidemount bottles.
None of that ever happened, I never had any real emergency in a cave, just a couple of incidents

I guess I don't sidemount open water now as that is usually just shallow water, looking at the pretty fish with my wife, I don't do deco open water anymore and just don't have a need for two tanks, any diving we do I know I can free ascend if needed so I don't need two tanks, and of course if we are together we have the Octopus, although I think I would still just free ascend using my BC if I had to, breathing from it, but 100 ft or so, just free ascend.
I tend not to dive air unless I have to, I am one of those that believes that air is never an appropriate dive gas.

[nhschneider]

Even though I am a certified open water diver, I rarely do it. However, in the last six years we have cruised over 40,000 miles, much of it in the company of very active divers. Those who are really keen to dive have their own compressors. Those who are really keen to dive but don't have their own compressors, make really good friends out of those that do, and typically bring them a six-pack of cold beer every time they need their tanks filled.

They have told me that New Zealand will not fill a dive tank unless it has New Zealand certifications.

On our boat, I purchased and installed a 12-volt hookah pump and the compressed air from the pump comes to a hose bib on the outside of my cockpit coaming. The hose from my regulator fits onto the hose bib so if I need to clear a fouled prop or clean the hull, I just attach the hose and jump in. It works great.

Fair winds and calm seas.

[sy_gilana]

My experience is if the bottle is in test, you will get it filled.
If out of test, they will offer to test it for you.
If we are in a diving hotspot, like Bonaire, we rent, we never use our own for recreational reasons.

[Compactorguy]

3442's are referred to as HP. I don't understand the desire to side mount dive when not needed.

[Garethk]

In Australia you have to have your tanks hydro tested every 12 months or they won't fill them. Even if your 1 week over. Crazy

[Bulawayo]

We invested in a Bauer Junior compressor, petrol driven, and still feel it was a good decision.

Originally Posted by SunnySky

I am in the market for a couple dive tanks better for sidemount diving than my current HP steel 120s. Awhile back with my current tanks (which are only United States DOT certified and not Transport Canada certified) my hydro test expired when sailing in Canada and it was impossible to get them hydro'd or filled until getting the tanks back to the United States for a Hydro. If the Hydro had not expired they said they would have filled them though.
So the above problem is easily avoided having one of the many tanks that are both DOT and TC certified, but I could see a time in the future when my boat and my tanks are in the same situation regarding New Zealand or European certifications.
When diving extensively I simply rent tanks and the problem goes away, but I get great peace of mind knowing I can dive at a moments notice to resolve a fouled anchor or other possible situation so I want to always have two full tanks ready and able regardless of where in the world my boat may be.
Anyone aware of SCUBA tanks that are certified for global use (tank preference is HP steel DIN tanks and I have a yoke converter for when needed on rental tanks)?

Thanks in advance,
Dave
Sunny Sky

[a64pilot]

I had a whole answer for why sidemount is better and the IPad lost it, just trust me if you do sidemount right, it is often much better than backmount, especially if your old and not the He man Stud you used to be.