OP
Scariest Air Fill of my Life!
- Thread starter JahJahwarrior
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mike_s
Contributor
When you went to Walmart, you should have picked him up an application..... 
I really wouldn't blame the employee. Sounds like he was being honest about not knowing. He even asked questions. Seems like he tried. The fault lies in the guy that hired him or the LDS owner. They have a responsibility to train the guy.
RonFrank
Contributor
So the guy was ignorant. At least he was nice about it! 
I echo the thought that you need to talk to the dive shop owner, and have him do some additional training.
I don't think you can kick a guy in the head for not understanding how double manifolds are setup. The DIN thing is a bit more scary, but most divers are not using DIN. The fact he is unaware of what DIN is however is a bit sad.
Someone asked if there is a certification for filling air. I think the answer is no. The dive industry is largely self regulated. IOW's if the LDS wants to let their employees do Nitrox fills, that is up to them even though there is a certification process.
Does one have to be certified to purchase a compressor? No... I believe O2 can also be purchased in large bottles without any type of qualification.
I echo the thought that you need to talk to the dive shop owner, and have him do some additional training.
I don't think you can kick a guy in the head for not understanding how double manifolds are setup. The DIN thing is a bit more scary, but most divers are not using DIN. The fact he is unaware of what DIN is however is a bit sad.
Someone asked if there is a certification for filling air. I think the answer is no. The dive industry is largely self regulated. IOW's if the LDS wants to let their employees do Nitrox fills, that is up to them even though there is a certification process.
Does one have to be certified to purchase a compressor? No... I believe O2 can also be purchased in large bottles without any type of qualification.
This "kid" is old enough to be my dad....
I wish I did have a video camera....
Ooooop'sOkay so you educated the old fart
I've been in that situation with new dive shop employees. I try to take the time to explain what to do and what to look for, like check to make sure the isolator is open, or how to ID deco tanks and not fill them with air. The person that fills your tanks should be your best friend in the shop- you'll get better fills.
There was one shop where the employee was partial pressure blending nitrox in two different sized tanks (HP vs LP), both were out of VIP and one was out of hydro :11: I'm OK with most things, but I certainly wanted to get my fills and get out fast.
There was one shop where the employee was partial pressure blending nitrox in two different sized tanks (HP vs LP), both were out of VIP and one was out of hydro :11: I'm OK with most things, but I certainly wanted to get my fills and get out fast.
The other day I asked for a 21% fill. The fill person said they weren't allowed to do nitrox.............
I agree with giving the guy credit to admit he was clueless. It really is a training issue.
I have worked with different shops over the years and one of the tech/staff bennies is some form of free or reduced price fills - usually with the stipulation or expectation you do it yourself and or help out if they are busy. But I always ask very specific questions about their specific fill system(s) and get some hands on training with their air and nitrox fill procedures as while some systems are pretty simple, others are not simple and/or are not all that intuitive.
For an employee who is very new with no idea about DIN valves manifolds, etc, the learning curve would be very steep and if anything the shop is at fault for not covering it in advance. Assuming this in the North Florida area, you'd assume they've seen doubles before and would have a set sitting around the shop that they could borrow to bring the new help up to speed on fill procedures.
It is always worth your time to assist the fill staff and be nice to them, even when they screw up - new staff sometimes become the old staff and it's nice to be on their good side as you tend to get better fills.
I have worked with different shops over the years and one of the tech/staff bennies is some form of free or reduced price fills - usually with the stipulation or expectation you do it yourself and or help out if they are busy. But I always ask very specific questions about their specific fill system(s) and get some hands on training with their air and nitrox fill procedures as while some systems are pretty simple, others are not simple and/or are not all that intuitive.
For an employee who is very new with no idea about DIN valves manifolds, etc, the learning curve would be very steep and if anything the shop is at fault for not covering it in advance. Assuming this in the North Florida area, you'd assume they've seen doubles before and would have a set sitting around the shop that they could borrow to bring the new help up to speed on fill procedures.
It is always worth your time to assist the fill staff and be nice to them, even when they screw up - new staff sometimes become the old staff and it's nice to be on their good side as you tend to get better fills.
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