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John H. Moore · 06-07-2004, 04:05 PM,

OK, I'm still suffering from the Wisconsin dive shop guy who thought that a little rust in steel tanks was just fine (probably from damp fills).

It's NOT just fine...

With that in mind, anyone have personal experience with filling tanks in Madison... ever gotten bad air or a damp fill? Consistently gotten fills at one shop and had your tank rust?

I need to pick a place to start getting fills ... just looking for local thoughts on where I should go.

Thanks,

John
steel tank to arrive this week!
hoping to use is somewhere this weekend and end the longest dry spell of my diving career (about three months)

FreediveWI · 06-07-2004, 05:28 PM,

I would go to the knew Fontana, on the west side, if I were you.

Jon

WIdiver_Paul · 06-08-2004, 05:12 PM,

Tami at Diversions on Old University has the best quality fills in town: triple filtered and posted quality results for all to see!

Only place in town for trimix, nitrox, O2 and Argon.

John H. Moore · 06-08-2004, 05:32 PM,

Tank arrived via UPS today, didn't have a c-card with me but had all gear and was too excited to get wet again... so went with a known local diver to a local shop to get the tank filled. They wouldn't do it... and the tank guy (a) did not know how to find the fill pressure on my tank, and (b) thought my STEEL tank needed to be Eddy tested!

OK, folks, it's a *DIVE* shop... you're supposed to know something about *DIVING*...

Grrrrrrrr.

***jasondbaker*** · 06-08-2004, 09:29 PM,

Which steel tank did you buy? My pst e130 is still on order. <sigh>

So did the shop refuse the fill because you didn't have a c-card or because they were mystified by the tank?

John H. Moore · 06-08-2004, 10:45 PM,

Refused to fill because I did not have a c-card with me (didn't expect to dive today... just got the offer the same day the tank arrived ... and my other gear has been living in my trunk lately anyway).

Refused to fill even with one of their own DM candidates standing right there saying "hey, I'm diving with this guy tonight, will you fill his tank please?"

And, yes, I realize that the guy was technically correct in refusing to fill my tank.

Meanwhile the guy doing the tank filling wanted me to eddy test my steel tank*, and later he asked me how to tell what the fill pressure was on the tank.

Same shop where I was told a couple months ago that in summer the water temp at depth is usually low 50's and everyone then dives in 3/2 wetsuits. I think they were trying to unload their stock of 3/2 suits. I may not know a whole lot about diving in Wisconsin, but I've been diving in the low 50s (temp) for nine years now and you don't do it in 3/2 wetsuits.

The tank is the newer PST 120 cubic foot tank, nomenclature is "E7-120". It's very similar to the old HP120. Fill pressure is 3442 PSI and it's a smidge lighter.

The 130s (I think that's an E8-130, right? ... don't have my PST spec sheet with me) is tempting just for even more gas, but I've never liked the beast-like LP tanks. Too freakin' heavy!!

Still, you'll have loads of gas to enjoy!!

John

*if it's not clear to anyone, eddy testing is for ALUMINUM tanks; more specifically older aluminum tanks which might possibly be made with the 6351 alloy. To make it simpler, all aluminum tanks get eddy testing ("VIP Plus") but it's mostly the 6351 tanks which are the real concern.

But, heck, it's too much to expect a DIVE shop employee to even know that VIP Plus's are for ALUMINUM tanks, eh?

Grrrrrr.

***jasondbaker*** · 06-09-2004, 12:36 AM,

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Most shops I've visited -- I've been to dozens in the midwest -- know what they are doing.

I've never been asked for a c-card to fill a tank with air. I guess I just have that "diver look" or I have been lucky. Smile

Divers might find small lakes where they can use 3/2 suits during July-Sept as long as they stay above the first thermocline.

A drysuit is definitely the way to go in this part of the country.

FreediveWI · (This post was last modified: 08-26-2004, 12:54 PM by FreediveWI.)

I drive back to Milwaukee to do all of my teaching and get all of my gas fills. It also makes it much easier to be a freediver around here- no good shops to worry about getting fills from and the lakes aren't deep enough to warrent scuba gear.

Last night we dove Mendota and had 7 degree water. It gets into the low 80's by time August rolls around- if you stay above the thermocline. If you dive below it, then you will need a dry suit to be most comfortable. Since most of the fish are above the thermocline, you can do some really nice dives in just a 3mm suit. For the good stuff, meaning Great Lakes wreck diving, expect colder temps in the low 40's at depth. The exception is that couple week window we get out on Michigan every August where we get 68 degree water down past 100' when the winds are right. I have had many wreck dives in just a swimming suit during that time of year. 8)

Jon

Bubblemaker · 06-09-2004, 09:17 PM,

On the same issue as Eddy Current and Fills and Vip's Can someone tell me why if I take my Cylinder in to get Hydro'ed and it costs $24 for the Hydro that they will then charge me $6 more to get it VIP? Then to get it filled is additional $. I understand the airfill is extra but the vip should be done with the hydro.

John do you remember paying tax on a air fills in California I don't.

06-10-2004, 07:40 AM,

It's a different procedure really.

I don't think most dive shops have the setup to be able to do their own Hydro's. Most shops pretty much just send your tank to a facility that has the ability to do them, they don't do them themselves. So they are just passing the cost to you.

The VIP is something extra done by the shop.