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I too had the same questions even after reading and rereading the PADI nitrox manual. It's not clear, is it.
It depends on the air you use and how the Nitrox is made. If your Nitrox is banked (premixed) or continuous blend (mixed in the line before going into your tank) you can use any air in your tank and not worry about it.
If your Nitrox is "partial pressure blended" this means they put pure O2 into your tank first and then top it off with air. In that case, your tank has to be O2 clean and you want to have any air be "oxygen compatible" (better filtration for hydrocarbons, I think). Any place that mixes Nitrox can supply O2 compatible air, but it may not be the default when getting an air fill.
I made the mistake once of putting Nitrox stickers on my tanks. Lesson one, don't do that.
Label the contents of your tanks, but don't advertise.
I use the same tanks for Nitrox on Air all the time.
My tanks are O2 clean and the VIP sticker reflects that.
Fortunately all the dive shops that I go to and have been do, provide good clean air. They tend to partial pressure blend Nitrox. If I have had my tanks filled at a questionable shop, I open them up and look inside. If I have any doubt, I clean my tanks and valves.
Empirically it would be easier if you had tanks for Nitrox only and air only, but it isn't necessary if you understand what O2 clean means.
Frankly I've found that I dive air more often than not. When I got certified in Nitrox, I thought I'd dive it all the time. I find I only really use it if I'm going to NC.
I made the mistake once of putting Nitrox stickers on my tanks. Lesson one, don't do that.
Label the contents of your tanks, but don't advertise.
I use the same tanks for Nitrox on Air all the time.
My tanks are O2 clean and the VIP sticker reflects that.
Fortunately all the dive shops that I go to and have been do, provide good clean air. They tend to partial pressure blend Nitrox. If I have had my tanks filled at a questionable shop, I open them up and look inside. If I have any doubt, I clean my tanks and valves.
Empirically it would be easier if you had tanks for Nitrox only and air only, but it isn't necessary if you understand what O2 clean means.
Frankly I've found that I dive air more often than not. When I got certified in Nitrox, I thought I'd dive it all the time. I find I only really use it if I'm going to NC.
Care to elaborate why you found it a problem to have Enriched Air banding on your tanks? I would think in most cases it would keep problems from occurring...
Care to elaborate why you found it a problem to have Enriched Air banding on your tanks? I would think in most cases it would keep problems from occurring...
Specifically I was diving in Key Largo. I was at Divers Direct and they advertised air fills. I humped in my tanks. They looked at the VIP and then the Nitrox stickers and told me they could not fill the tanks without opening them and re-VIPing (is that is a word or expression) the tanks. I must note that they wanted $15 to VIP the tanks again.
The tanks were VIPed a month prior with an O2 clean.
Their argument at the time was, they have no idea what the content of the tanks were. Even through the contents stickers were filled out with 21%, an MOD of 187 and a date of two days prior.
I thought this was retarded. Seeing as how I'm the one that I actually taking the risk. The whole O2 clean thing.
I learned my lesson, went up the road to Ocean Divers and they filled my tanks.
I may have been dealing with an idiot at their shop, I don't know. Upon further digging it turns out that they are not certified gas blenders and it was something to do with their insurance company. I really don't care which way you argue it, it is pretty retarded. If my tanks are O2 cleaned, they are set for PP blending. Any air they add is only going to dilute the existing gas. As is said, retarded. If anything, they are going to dirty my tanks and I'm at risk the next time I PP blend O2 in my tanks.
Regardless, none of that would have happened if I simply had the contents on a piece of duck tape on the neck of the tank.
There is no SCUBA law or DOT requirement stating that you have to have your tanks labeled with the green and yellow stickers if you are diving with EAN.
There are a lot of ignorant idiots in the world, so sometimes the less they know, the better.
What is in my tank is my responsibility. If you grab my tank, that is not my fault. If you don't know what is meant by the duct tape with numbers written on it around the neck of the tank, you should ask and then put my tank back.
Their argument at the time was, they have no idea what the content of the tanks were. Even through the contents stickers were filled out with 21%, an MOD of 187 and a date of two days prior.
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Originally Posted by paddler3d
