Madeira Beach, Fl

[CuzzA]

I joined a cave diver forum once to learn more about a CO related death and was amazed to learn that few of them bothered to test either. I have the Analox, the Sensorcon, and the CooTwo CO testers - all great, but the CooTwo seems best. So easy to use.

We do not know that CO was involved in their accident, but if a tank is not tested - it's a guess.

That doesn't surprise me. What I was alluding to is the CCR, Cave mindset is typically very meticulous about maintaining filters and sensors, etc. so I assume that mindset carrying over to their compressors. Still breathing blind though.

And yes, it should be noted everything except what has been reported is speculation.

 

[Johnoly]

..What are you guys using? ....

I'm a commercial dive harvester and dive alot of tanks. I use the Analox CO red analyzer. It factors in temperature which is extremely important for any CO reading. The bag doesn't. I've seen the CooToo, but haven't used it and don't know it's temperature compensation.

The problem with CO is a compressor can flash over for just a few seconds to produce CO and then back down to operate normally. That can make one tank bad and the very next tank good, it's so random. That's why you have to test every tank, there's no warning signs.

P.S. I've had 2 tanks in the last 5 years that tested high and might have killed me if I didn't dump them.

If you think you have bad gas, Diver's Alert Network, has FREE GAS sampling kits and all you have to do is call and get one sent to you FREE !

 

[archer1960]

I don't, but it's a piece of gear that's been on my "to get" list. I take a little more comfort in knowing that my shop is geared toward deep technical, CCR, cave diving, and that is what they do and I've asked them about their maintenance logs and procedure, but I'm still diving blind.

What are you guys using? In the limited research I've done the CooTwo seems like a great option since it tests both CO and O2. I'm diving tomorrow and of course in the back of my head I'll be wondering...

The COOTwo is the one I have, and it seems to work well. I don't test every tank, but I test every fill (If I have two tanks filled at the same time, I don't test both of them).

 

[DandyDon]

The COOTwo is the one I have, and it seems to work well. I don't test every tank, but I test every fill (If I have two tanks filled at the same time, I don't test both of them).

But it's so easy to use, why not? Compressor flashes can vary so much, leaving one tank clean and one tainted.

 

[archer1960]

But it's so easy to use, why not? Compressor flashes can vary so much, leaving one tank clean and one tainted.

I had never heard of this phenomenon before, so I guess I'll start testing them all.

 

[DandyDon]

I had never heard of this phenomenon before

Our great scuba agencies want to avoid federal control, but they only want to teach what's good for business.

 

[TropicRat]

I agree ,it sounds like CO - but they both could have experienced a panic and surfaced too fast perhaps at a deeper depth as
mentioned- however CO sounds most likely with what we know.

I have found bad air a number of times over the years and was lucky to have checked. Then there was gent that was reported using air from and old-old fill w/ a steel tank and was breathing Nitrogen. He died in the canal behind his house.

Blaise worked out of the Tampa office of Carlton- My wife heard the announcement in her Miami office today- so I checked here first.

Please keep the info flowing as best you can... thanks

 

[DandyDon]

Then there was gent that was reported using air from and old-old fill w/ a steel tank and was breathing Nitrogen. He died in the canal behind his house.

So what happened to the 21% Oxygen? CO2, or whatever rust gives off?

I do love how my CooTwo tests for O2 and CO.

 

[kelemvor]

I'm a commercial dive harvester and dive alot of tanks. I use the Analox CO red analyzer. It factors in temperature which is extremely important for any CO reading. The bag doesn't. I've seen the CooToo, but haven't used it and don't know it's temperature compensation.

The problem with CO is a compressor can flash over for just a few seconds to produce CO and then back down to operate normally. That can make one tank bad and the very next tank good, it's so random. That's why you have to test every tank, there's no warning signs.

I replaced a red analox with a cootoo. I tested 20 or so tanks with both and got identical results. Several of those tanks had 1ppm CO contamination. Cootwo also has the ability to do multipoint calibration (e.g. you can cal on both O2 and AIR to get a more accurate cal).

I sold the analox after finding the co and therefore confirming cootoo really works for CO detection. Nothing wrong with analox, but now I don't have to do an extra step - I analyze once and get CO and O2% readings at the same time. I don't love the phone link up, but you can use it without the phone.

I also sold my standalone O2 tester.

I definitely recommend cootwo, especially to folks looking for just a nitrox analyzer.

 

[archer1960]

So what happened to the 21% Oxygen? CO2, or whatever rust gives off?

I do love how my CooTwo tests for O2 and CO.

Rust doesn't give off anything, it just uses up oxygen, leaving pretty much just nitrogen and the various trace gasses that are in air.