Public Service Announcement Add Helium Carbon fiber tanks

[DEEP BLUE CCR]

Mark, the tanks Paul provides for presentation are not the same cheap tanks Add Helium had made from a china vendor. I repeat, Add Helium had tanks made to Sotis specs from a china manufacture. This information comes from court documents where Sotis states the tanks are not compliant.

 

[DEEP BLUE CCR]

Because Paul sells/uses CE rated scuba tanks. AH was selling Chinese tanks that are NOT the same as the rEvo tanks.

This statement is correct and can be backed by Sotis own statements in court. Sotis choose to have tanks made that do not comply with any US safety standards. Specifically these tanks were used by Rob Stewart during his final fatal dive. It should be noted that AH employees have verified that these china made tanks had metallic filing inside which required AH personal to wash them out and prepare for use.

 

[DEEP BLUE CCR]

I understand how individual purchases may want to stand behind AH and Sotis. Coming to terms with the fact that you spend $900.00 plus on tanks and valves worth $225.00 could stifle anyones ego. I encourage purchases to go to Add Helium and Sotis and request replacement tanks or refunds. Just as someone had pointed out china counterfeit made iPhones is a know problems. The difference is the iPhone is not life support equipment.

This thread was originally created to bring to light that people should beware of the inherit danger of using these tanks. As instructor and professionals in the dive industry our first and foremost concern is the safety of Divers. Soon after AH hit the news for questionable legal and moral actives documents started showing up verifying past and current news stories.

Since that time Add Helium has changed their web site and statement regarding these carbon fiber tanks. These disclaimers were not always the case. Please see link below. Court document show that Sotis stated he had sold hundreds of carbon fiber tanks. These tanks are not complaint with OSHA, CE, DOT, or even CE UW standards. Each of us knows technical diving has risk, you each have a right to know what all those risk are.

Add Helium 2 Liter Carbon Fiber Cylinder

 

[Kay Dee]

While selling sub standard life support equipment should certainly be more than frowned on, color me stupid or just plain 'ignorant' of the 'facts', but what part pray tell did those cylinders have in the case of Mr Stewart death, i.e. did using substandard cylinders (the army uses 'tanks' ;-), play any part / have any effect in / towards the accident? (NOTE: This is a genuine qustion, not a debate starter or throwawy.)

Or is this thread just debating Mr Sotis's buissness practices in regards this cylinder instance?

 

[BRT]

I think this thread is just a competitor taking a run at Add Helium when they think it will be most effective.

 

[MarkFlory]

I think this thread is just a competitor taking a run at Add Helium when they think it will be most effective.

Exactly^
I wonder what everyone here is going to say when this law suit is dropped because it was BS from the beginning?

 

[JVos]

I would use those tanks...no problem. And I am not a customer of AH.

 

[DEEP BLUE CCR]

While selling sub standard life support equipment should certainly be more than frowned on, color me stupid or just plain 'ignorant' of the 'facts', but what part pray tell did those cylinders have in the case of Mr Stewart death, i.e. did using substandard cylinders (the army uses 'tanks' ;-), play any part / have any effect in / towards the accident? (NOTE: This is a genuine qustion, not a debate starter or throwawy.)

Or is this thread just debating Mr Sotis's buissness practices in regards this cylinder instance?

You have a valid question. The facts are the Stewart was using these carbon fiber tanks during his fatal dive. Fact these tanks were not for use as scuba tanks but were sold as if. Stewart being a new rebreather diver relied on the expertise and belief provided the instructor or professional ( Sotis). Sotis knowing sold and provided equipment which does not comply to USA regulations or IANTD training guidelines. Fact these tanks are only 2 liter not the standard 3 liter. Fact Sotis taught high GF diving as part of his courses. Fact Sotis also had a capacity rendering event and had to be assisted on to the boat and provided oxygen by his wife Dr Claudia Sotis. Fact Sotis choose to remove evidence from the scene which was later taken into custody by Homeland security and the Coast Guard at the Airport when Sotis was leaving the country.

As far as the Military, they require DOT and UW designation for all tanks that can be filled by civilian facilities.

 

[Wookie]

Fact Sotis taught high GF diving as part of his courses. Fact Sotis also had a capacity rendering event and had to be assisted on to the boat and provided oxygen by his wife Dr Claudia Sotis. Fact Sotis choose to remove evidence from the scene which was later taken into custody by Homeland security and the Coast Guard at the Airport when Sotis was leaving the country.

These may or not be facts, if they are they are not necessarily facts found by any investigator, including any of them. What do they have to do with Chinese hoop wrapped tanks, or are you taking cheap shots where you can?

 

[pasley]

For the record there are carbon fiber tanks which are CE / UW and US / DOT approved they just cost more. Which could minimize the sellers bottom line.

Approved by DOT OR approved by DOT FOR SCUBA use? I am aware of SCBA tanks of carbon fiber that are DOT approved for SCBA use, but not for SCUBA. I would think that the big risk is that with the bumps and abuse that SCUBA tanks take, and the resulting damage of salt water getting past the protective clear coat and creating salt crystals between layers of carbon fiber resulting in a weakling of the carbon fiber shell. That and you can't engrave the HYDRO info into the carbon fiber tank.