A DIR diver in another thread:It had been analyzed, but not by me. It had actually been analyzed that day.
Decided to break this off from the other thread... and removed the diver's name to protect Lynne's identity. (Ooops! :cool2
Are you OK diving tanks you didn't analyze? Not asking in an accusatory fashion, just interested under what situations you're ok with that. I'm assuming Peter - or someone else you trust implicitly - analyzed it?
So to those of us who trust that our teammates will do right by us underwater - do you/would you trust their gas analysis?
I go back and forth on this issue situationally. For local diving I do my own blending so de facto I'm usually the only one who analyzes my gas. However, I wouldn't trust anyone elses analysis of my gas here at home. We all own multiple tanks, change mixes from one dive/day to the next, top off tanks with clean air if we're in a rush, etc. We also do partial pressure blending, so at any point in time a partially full tank could be partially full of anything from 0% 02 to 100% 02. Just too much that can go wrong here.
On vacation with my usual trusted buddy we typically analyze our own tanks for the most part, if only from a "division of labor" standpoint since there's often only one analyzer.
However in places like Bonaire when we're throwing a dozen tanks in the back of a truck and the logistics/likelihood of keeping them seperated is low - and we're filling from a station with banked 32% - as long as I've analyzed one of the tanks in the batch or have generally been standing around as my buddy has been analyzing, I'm willing to accept his call out of "these are all 32%" as a good analysis. Similarly, on a liveaboard we might analyze each other's tanks, but rarely, and thinking back it's only ever been if the other was standing right there saying "Dude... look... 32%."
Other than that one buddy, in that type of controlled situation, I don't take anyone's analysis as true.
As Reagan said "Trust... but verify."
Working on a boat I'm often surprised at how many people will accept MY analysis. We don't do fills on the boat - strictly BYOB - but I'll frequently offer my own tanks to a customer who might need them (a rebreather diver with a gear crap-out or someone who finds that a slow leak left them with empties) or a transfill to someone who doesn't have enough gas for a second dive.
In all those cases no has ever questioned my analysis... though I'll tell them "I believe these are filled with 28% but you should analyze them to confirm." I've actually gone to telling them "You know, I have no idea what's in them... here's an analyzer" and they'll look at the tape and say "Say's 28% right here - thanks!"
Guess I must just have one of those faces that people trust!