Fire fighters bottles

[dcostanza]

Good afternoon all,
I have been "lurking" on this board for about a month now and must convey my compliments to the founders. This is a very informative board with a lot of impressive participation.

Just got my OW signed on the 8th of this month. Got about 8 dives in so far, not counting the ones required for OW. Got AOW on 9/14-15 and with 'Wreck" certification on 9/28. My wife calls me an obssessive compulsive, I call it being passionate.

The reason I paint you a picture of my limited diving experience is to frame my question. I get my tanks filled at a fire station due to a family connection and noticed they use bottles rated at 4500psi which appear to be encased in fiberglass type wrap. They are a fraction of the weight of the aluminum "80's" I use as well as the ability to contain more "air". What is the reason for not modifying one of those bottles with the appropriate valve and fitting? My initial thought would be that the bottles the firefighters use can't handle the pressure at depth but am not sure if that is the reason or not. I would appreciate any comments and answers to satisfy my curiosity.

Thank you for your time on my question.

Best Regards
Don Costanza

 

[WreckWriter]

too buoyant.

 

[Uncle Pug]

too buoyant.
and
water will seep into the fiberglass wrap and corrode the aluminum.
and
the valve is wrong.
and
you will have trouble getting fills.
and
(somebody else jump in I gotta another thread to pester)

 

[dcostanza]

Uncle Pug and Wreck Writer,
Thank you for your prompt reply. I hadn't considered the buoyancy issue but then that is why I posted it here as I knew with the experience many have on this board it wouldn't be long before I had an answer. Bt the way, I'm impressed with you two...That was a REALLY quick response as I don't believe I had it posted for more than 30 seconds and you both responded!

Thanks again...
Don Costanza

 

[WreckWriter]

dcostanza once bubbled...
Bt the way, I'm impressed with you two...That was a REALLY quick response as I don't believe I had it posted for more than 30 seconds and you both responded!

Thanks again...
Don Costanza

Well Don, I think it just shows that we have too much time on our hands!

There's a lot of very experienced folks on this board, questions are generally answered pretty quickly. Sometimes we don't agree but hey, we answer

Tom

 

[roakey]

Those cylinders are part of a system called "SCBA" (just take the "Underwater" out of SCUBA! )

We've talked about them in the past, for a comprehensive list of existing notes, see:

http://www.scubaboard.com/search.ph...d=111711&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending

Roak

 

[dcostanza]

to quote Wreck Writer
"Well Don, I think it just shows that we have too much time on our hands!"

(Laughing...) Regardless, I do appreciate your input and patience with a newbie.


Roakey
Thank you for the link, just went over those comments and it makes perfect sense as to why they are not utilized.

Best Regards
Don Costanza

 

[WreckWriter]

dcostanza once bubbled...
to quote Wreck Writer
"Well Don, I think it just shows that we have too much time on our hands!"

(Laughing...) Regardless, I do appreciate your input and patience with a newbie.

You're Welcome. I think most of us, those that have dealt with SCBA bottles anyway, have wondered the same thing.

Tom

 

[Bob3]

As far as I know, Interspiro is the only outfit that makes a composite tank suitable for scuba use.
They never caught on here in the US because of the relative inability to get a full fill.
I've got a couple sets of their old steel tanks that are a buttpain to get hydroed & filled because of their 4400 psi working pressure.

 

[dmbelina]

Bob3 once bubbled...
As far as I know, Interspiro is the only outfit that makes a composite tank suitable for scuba use.
They never caught on here in the US because of the relative inability to get a full fill.
I've got a couple sets of their old steel tanks that are a buttpain to get hydroed & filled because of their 4400 psi working pressure.

I don't understand why you wouldn't be able to get a full fill. Then again, I'm new to this, so perhaps I'm mistaken....

I play paintball as well, and the air tanks for that are 3000psi, 4500psi, and they have 5000psi now, too. Take your tank to a paintball shop, have it filled there?