BSAC avoids annual VIP

[Hoyden]

So the UK standard is now every 5 years.

So since there is to my knowledge no such standard or law in the USA, how does it get changed? Who would authorize such a change?

The "legal" standard here is the US is a VIP with every hydro every 5 years. The VIP every year is a scuba industry standard, not a legal requirement.

Jackie

 

[rhwestfall]

rhwestfall You do your own fills too?

very soon.... (my filter was delivered today)

 

[kelemvor]

The "legal" standard here is the US is a VIP with every hydro every 5 years. The VIP every year is a scuba industry standard, not a legal requirement.

Exactly. All that must happen is dive shops would have to stop requiring a current VIP sticker at fill time.

Of course if some "agency" or "Organization" or "Government Entity" would make an official statement about the lack of requirement it would make the situation more transparent. Lots of shops would have their customers believe that annual vip is required by law.

 

[Compressor]

This thread is getting HOT already.

 

[tbone1004]

So the UK standard is now every 5 years.

So since there is to my knowledge no such standard or law in the USA, how does it get changed? Who would authorize such a change?

PSI-PCI would be the ones to balk considerably and you would also need the tank manufacturers to remove it from their recommendations. PADI and/or DEMA would have the best ability to influence that change

 

[Charles2]

Exactly. All that must happen is dive shops would have to stop requiring a current VIP sticker at fill time.

Of course if some "agency" or "Organization" or "Government Entity" would make an official statement about the lack of requirement it would make the situation more transparent. Lots of shops would have their customers believe that annual vip is required by law.

The "Government Entity" (the DOT), has already issued a five (5) year inspection requirement. That in itself is good enough for me.

Like you, I would like to think that any of the alphabet "agencies" like PADI, SSI, NAUI, etc. could issue a statement proclaiming that government regulations were adequate. This should satisfy most, if not all, of their Dive Centers.

Also, an "Organization" like DAN should be able to issue a paper similar to the one that BSAC relied upon.

 

[Edward3c]

So the UK standard is now every 5 years.

In the U.K. we’ve had hydro every 5 years for some time, with a visual at the halfway point. Which means we get cylinders tested every 2 1/2 years. Hydro then visual then hydro etc.

The UK has been given special exemption in the ISO because of the evidence that annual testing wouldn’t reduce the risk of cylinders failing during filling.

With most cylinder filling being done by commercial operators, the regulator insists the ISO is followed.

 

[Scuba Scott]

So the UK standard is now every 5 years.

So since there is to my knowledge no such standard or law in the USA, how does it get changed? Who would authorize such a change?

You would have to appeal to the Pope of PSI-PCI and since they have built an entire industry around this it is unlikely they would decide to make their business irrelevant. They have even managed to get their name written into some federal regulations but if someone wanted to start a competing training agency they could probably sue the feds for illegal restraint of trade and have PSI-PCI changed to "PSI-PCI or equivalent standard."

 

[elmo]

If you think annual vip is an issue, don't bother owning tanks in Australia. We require annual hydro and visual. And if you want o2 fills or partial pressure mixing (how about half the shops do nitrox or trimix), that's annual too. All up ends up being about $100/year/tank.

 

[Russjstewart]

Interesting discussion, down here in Aus tanks require a hydro every year., $40-$50 each.