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Sport Chalet filling
- Thread starter whalerkyle
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mccabejc:
There is nothing written that I know about. I have heard this a couple of times about rental tanks. My two cents is that the person filling them is rushing the fill (I am probably guilty of that too). Since it was brought to my attention, I try and make sure to top off all rental tanks when renting them out. I don't always remember, but do my best (no matter what I like to think, I am far from perfect :11: ) .
That being said, there have been times when I have 6 tanks on whips being filled and then a whole bunch more waiting in line. If you come in when that is happening, I suggest leaving your tank overnight and then having it topped off in the morning.
I'm lucky, I don't have to work at Sport Chalet for an income, I do it for fun and for the passion of the sport. I'm older than most of the employees that are there so maybe I look at things with a different perspective. I am also a pretty new diver, so I am still learning too. I can tell you this, there is no comission sales, the people in the dive shop in Mission Viejo all dive and are a great set of people to work (and dive) with. They do not try and get you to buy the most expensive, we really don't care what you buy. We want you to be happy and safe. There are things that I would probably change if I were in charge, but I'm not and I don't really want to be (besides my degree is in nursing not business). Sport Chalet isn't perfect, it is what it is...a business.
RonDawg
Contributor
Except for out-of-town dive trips and boats that provide tanks (i.e. the Island Time) all of my tank rentals (which means fills) have been from Sport Chalet.
The lowest fill I ever got was 2800 psi, and that was once. All of my other fills have been to 3000, with one being at 3200.
The lowest fill I ever got was 2800 psi, and that was once. All of my other fills have been to 3000, with one being at 3200.
CA Diver
Contributor
According to the staff at the Laguna Niguel Sports Chalet it is definitely a corporate decision. I have a steel high pressure and have gotten into the habit of dropping the tank off at SC and doing other errands for about 45 minutes to an hour. I tell them this up front and they generally slow fill the tank. My last fill was only 3300. They have the article about the amount the water will cool the tank in Laguna Niguel as well and say the reason the risk of getting water in the tank.
Frank O
Contributor
The last Sport Chalet fill I got (a couple of months ago) was in a steel 72 that takes a fill to 3000 + 10% overfill = 3300. I was less than thrilled when I got home and measured it at 2800.
Since then, when I'm getting air (not all that often, as I usually prefer EAN 32%), I've been trying a mom n pop dive shop that just opened up down the street. The guy is much better at nailing it.
A buddy, meanwhile, says he makes a point of dropping his tanks off at Sport Chalet in the afternoon and picking them up the next day, requesting a pressure check and topoff when he picks them up. He also says he gets better service when the dive shop manager is on hand and supervising the fills.
Since then, when I'm getting air (not all that often, as I usually prefer EAN 32%), I've been trying a mom n pop dive shop that just opened up down the street. The guy is much better at nailing it.
A buddy, meanwhile, says he makes a point of dropping his tanks off at Sport Chalet in the afternoon and picking them up the next day, requesting a pressure check and topoff when he picks them up. He also says he gets better service when the dive shop manager is on hand and supervising the fills.
ChrisM
Contributor
I agree, Evil Empire fills suck.. but frankly I've not come back from a beach dive with less than 1K recently, it's never much of an issue.........
They've been pretty good with my + LP steel recently...2600 or so.
I'd go elsewhere, but as someone else said, close and open late (and the air fill card my friend gave me.)
Chris
They've been pretty good with my + LP steel recently...2600 or so.
I'd go elsewhere, but as someone else said, close and open late (and the air fill card my friend gave me.)
Chris
scubacalifornia
Contributor
I get my tank filled at the Mission Viejo Sport Chalet almost every week. When they quit doing wet fills, Jim (who I believe has been diving since the 60's) told me the water didn't make a difference and showed me the article supporting that stance. I also heard from someone at Sport Chalet that many of the water basins in the stores were old and breaking down, and clogging drains are a problem, and they (they always being Corporate) didn't think it was worthwhile replacing them. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they're not replacing them because they truly believe wet fills don't make a difference, not because of the replacement costs.
I have an E8-130 tank that I use with a yoke regulator. I noticed 3000 psi fills would net me around 2600-2700 psi when the tank cooled, however the 3000 was on their gauge and the 2600-2700 has been on my Scubapro mini pressure gauge. I haven't taken the time to hook up my own gauge while the tank is still hot. Jordan at the MV store suggested I give him some extra time to fill the tank very slowly. That particular fill took 40 minutes. The net result was close to the same as their typical fill that takes about 20 minutes
One week I took my tank over to Sea Stallions. They did a wet fill (for $6, ouch). The compressor was already pumped up from another fill they just completed, and my tank had about 1200 psi in it already. That fill took only a few minutes, and the tank was noticeably cooler on the outside from being in the water. The net result was still, about a 200-300 psi drop.
I've figured out my own easy little trick for a full fill. I unscrew the yoke insert on the tank valve before taking the tank in, and let them fill it as a DIN to 3442 psi, screw the yoke insert back in, and wind up around 3100-3200 net. I can bleed it down to 3000, or leave it alone which is what I've been doing. I don't think 100 or 200 psi extra on my Atomic reg. for a short time will do much harm. At 3000, I have 119 cf of gas and always seem to be the person coming back with the most air. Wish everyone had a bigger tank!
The above is just my experience, not necessarily a commentary about Sport Chalet. I go there every week, have enjoyable conversations with the dive staff while I'm waiting, and sometimes get free fills too. Their late hours make it very convenient as well.
Kevin
I have an E8-130 tank that I use with a yoke regulator. I noticed 3000 psi fills would net me around 2600-2700 psi when the tank cooled, however the 3000 was on their gauge and the 2600-2700 has been on my Scubapro mini pressure gauge. I haven't taken the time to hook up my own gauge while the tank is still hot. Jordan at the MV store suggested I give him some extra time to fill the tank very slowly. That particular fill took 40 minutes. The net result was close to the same as their typical fill that takes about 20 minutes
One week I took my tank over to Sea Stallions. They did a wet fill (for $6, ouch). The compressor was already pumped up from another fill they just completed, and my tank had about 1200 psi in it already. That fill took only a few minutes, and the tank was noticeably cooler on the outside from being in the water. The net result was still, about a 200-300 psi drop.
I've figured out my own easy little trick for a full fill. I unscrew the yoke insert on the tank valve before taking the tank in, and let them fill it as a DIN to 3442 psi, screw the yoke insert back in, and wind up around 3100-3200 net. I can bleed it down to 3000, or leave it alone which is what I've been doing. I don't think 100 or 200 psi extra on my Atomic reg. for a short time will do much harm. At 3000, I have 119 cf of gas and always seem to be the person coming back with the most air. Wish everyone had a bigger tank!
The above is just my experience, not necessarily a commentary about Sport Chalet. I go there every week, have enjoyable conversations with the dive staff while I'm waiting, and sometimes get free fills too. Their late hours make it very convenient as well.
Kevin
RichLockyer
Guest
Huntington Beach has gone downhill since a manager change a few months ago.
They will no longer fill the HP cylinders that they talked me into buying beyond 3000, even if left overnight.
Visual inspections are now an overnight thing... used to take them 15 minutes max while I waited.
SC has long been crossed off of my "buy anything dive related except T-shirts" list. One of my friends at the local SC recently asked why he never sees me anymore... I just politely said that I don't use "air" anymore (which is also true).
They will no longer fill the HP cylinders that they talked me into buying beyond 3000, even if left overnight.
Visual inspections are now an overnight thing... used to take them 15 minutes max while I waited.
SC has long been crossed off of my "buy anything dive related except T-shirts" list. One of my friends at the local SC recently asked why he never sees me anymore... I just politely said that I don't use "air" anymore (which is also true).
whalerkyle:
Have customers walk past the product that has higher margins/less demand to get to the commodity products (e.g., milk).
RichLockyer
Guest
Which makes perfect sense.Otter:
Of course, in SC's case, following that logic, they should limit fills to 100psi/min and keep the customer browsing the store for a half hour.
It's a tradeoff... keep the employee and the whip tied up for 30 minutes, or get them clear in 10.
BTW: Like your location
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