beachnik
Contributor
Meridiano 87 is the main tank filler on the island of Cozumel. There are a few other people/companies that fill tanks, but Meridiano gets the majority of the business.
On May 10 I visited Meridiano and was given a tour of the production area. I thought some board members might find this subject interesting.
It's important to note that I am no expert on filling operations – what I know I learned here. As you read through my notes, you can develop some obvious questions – so can I. I don't have all the answers, I'm just an average diver that was given the opportunity to tour Meridiano. This is not an exhaustive or expert report on their operation.
With the recent problems that Dive Palancar had with CO in tanks (nothing to do with Meridiano, the tanks with CO were filled by someone other than Meridiano) I decided to ask my dive operator if we could quiz Meridiano and make sure that they were doing their best to ensure the safety of our air.
The person who gave me the tour was a Spanish speaking production worker - Manuel. Fortunately I was in the company of my dive operator who speaks English and Spanish.
Meridiano has 4 compressors - two Norwalks and two Bauers. During my visit, only the Norwalks were being used. Several weeks earlier, the Bauers were in use while one of the Norwalks was being repaired.
I asked if Meridiano would be receptive to installing Analox 'CO Clear' and was told 'yes, the company would consider that'. Who knows. Separately I'll get in touch with Analox and ask them to contact Meridiano - I've already done this before.
I didn't get into the subject of VIPs and Hydro tests - one of the primary reasons being that we had spent time on this as a separate matter in the early part of 2009. I did however notice something interesting - in the receiving area, I was checking out the tanks owned by my dive operator - all had VIP labels. And then I realized that some other operator had a bunch of tanks adjacent to my dive operator's tanks - but their tanks had no VIP labels. Maybe there's a good explanation for this, I didn't ask.
Some final thoughts:
I think it's important for divers to talk this subject up with their dive operators (the topic of monitoring the quality of gas and the inspection of tanks). I've been doing this since early 2009 and believe it is producing results - but more squeaky wheels would be helpful.
Meridiano said that no other dive operators - other than my dive operator - had been pestering them about air quality, tank inspection protocol, etc. I find that hard to believe, but that's what they said. The next time you're in Cozumel, I'd recommend looking for VIP labels on your dive operator's tanks, ask the operator when they last visited Meridiano. Ask the operator for a copy of the test report from Lawrence to Meridiano. Ask the dive operator to tell you what Meridiano does to insure the safety of their air - and see if they know the answer.
Meridiano has had recent visits from other divers. Meridiano knows about the Dive Palancar mishap. They know that scubaboarders have been talking this subject up and Meridiano seems to be concerned about doing good work and maintaining a good reputation. Letting them know that you are concerned would be a good thing.
On May 10 I visited Meridiano and was given a tour of the production area. I thought some board members might find this subject interesting.
It's important to note that I am no expert on filling operations – what I know I learned here. As you read through my notes, you can develop some obvious questions – so can I. I don't have all the answers, I'm just an average diver that was given the opportunity to tour Meridiano. This is not an exhaustive or expert report on their operation.
With the recent problems that Dive Palancar had with CO in tanks (nothing to do with Meridiano, the tanks with CO were filled by someone other than Meridiano) I decided to ask my dive operator if we could quiz Meridiano and make sure that they were doing their best to ensure the safety of our air.
The person who gave me the tour was a Spanish speaking production worker - Manuel. Fortunately I was in the company of my dive operator who speaks English and Spanish.
Meridiano has 4 compressors - two Norwalks and two Bauers. During my visit, only the Norwalks were being used. Several weeks earlier, the Bauers were in use while one of the Norwalks was being repaired.
- The two Norwalks are in their own room – they are separated from the filling station area and separated from the other two small compressors (Bauers) that were not running during my visit.
- Air intake was in the same room as the compressors (it didn't go to the roof or to the side of the building).
- The large Norwalks can fill 90 tanks an hour (hmm, I think that meant 'each' -Norwalk can produce enough air to fill 90 tanks an hour)
- Filters are changed every 36 hours.
- CO levels of the air coming out of the compressors is checked in-house every 36 hours using Draeger Tubes.
- Meridiano has nothing like the Analox 'CO Clear'
- Meridiano submits quarterly samples to Lawrence Factor Inc (Florida). They make a copy of the test results – on Lawrence form – available to their dive operators. I saw the test results from Lawrence dated March 8, 2010 – if I understood the report, 3 samples were submitted and tested, each had less than 1 ppm CO. I don't know the answer to the obvious questions – samples came from one compressor (?), samples came from 3 compressors (?). Incidentally, there were numerous additional test results on the report, Meridiano passed all tests.
I asked if Meridiano would be receptive to installing Analox 'CO Clear' and was told 'yes, the company would consider that'. Who knows. Separately I'll get in touch with Analox and ask them to contact Meridiano - I've already done this before.
I didn't get into the subject of VIPs and Hydro tests - one of the primary reasons being that we had spent time on this as a separate matter in the early part of 2009. I did however notice something interesting - in the receiving area, I was checking out the tanks owned by my dive operator - all had VIP labels. And then I realized that some other operator had a bunch of tanks adjacent to my dive operator's tanks - but their tanks had no VIP labels. Maybe there's a good explanation for this, I didn't ask.
Some final thoughts:
I think it's important for divers to talk this subject up with their dive operators (the topic of monitoring the quality of gas and the inspection of tanks). I've been doing this since early 2009 and believe it is producing results - but more squeaky wheels would be helpful.
Meridiano said that no other dive operators - other than my dive operator - had been pestering them about air quality, tank inspection protocol, etc. I find that hard to believe, but that's what they said. The next time you're in Cozumel, I'd recommend looking for VIP labels on your dive operator's tanks, ask the operator when they last visited Meridiano. Ask the operator for a copy of the test report from Lawrence to Meridiano. Ask the dive operator to tell you what Meridiano does to insure the safety of their air - and see if they know the answer.
Meridiano has had recent visits from other divers. Meridiano knows about the Dive Palancar mishap. They know that scubaboarders have been talking this subject up and Meridiano seems to be concerned about doing good work and maintaining a good reputation. Letting them know that you are concerned would be a good thing.
