How easy is it to damage an AL80 tank

[Travis*N]

Yesterday my buddy and I did a couple shore dives at our local breakwall. It's a large wall made of huge granite slabs about 4' tall each, and they are sort of layered in big steps. To get into the water you kinda have to jump backwards off of the one closest to the water and splash in. The surf was pretty rough though, and I mistimed my jump. To make a long story short, I landed in about 2' of water and my tank smashed into the rock and then on into my lower back, leaving a rather nasty bruise. :icosm11:
Anyway, my back will heal but my tank got a couple of small nicks where it hit the rock, and now I am kinda concerned if I maybe fractured the metal or have made the tank unsafe. It hit fairly hard on the rock. Would this need a hydro now or what?
I would hate to see this thing explode on its next fill.
Thanks.


PS. this tank is a standard, catalina Aluminum 80

 

[mike_s]

Uhmm.... I'd have it hydro tested. Chances are it's ok, but it's not worth risking and hurting you or a shop employee while they are filling it, especially when you know it might be possibly damaged. It won't cost you but around $25 bucks to have it hydro tested, and then it's good for another 5 years.

Or you can give it to Whaler_kyle and he'll shoot it to see if it'll explode.

 

[SeanQ]

Ogden Point can be a pain when the surf is up. Yet another use for a backplate. Considering what could happen if it is damaged, I would get it hydro tested or at least professionally examined.

 

[mossym]

how on earth is a backplate going to change anything about that story?

 

[MikeC]

I would think that the staff at your LDS would thank you for showing them and asking them about the possible damage. As others have said, a hydro is cheap compared to the possibility of the tank having a failure in your home or car or at the LDS. Where is FredT, he would have a better idea. Are we talking about scratches or 1/2" deep gouges?

As far as a backplate, the only thing I can think of is that it possibly would have spread the impact over a broader area of the back.

 

[Travis*N]

I would think that the staff at your LDS would thank you for showing them and asking them about the possible damage. As others have said, a hydro is cheap compared to the possibility of the tank having a failure in your home or car or at the LDS. Where is FredT, he would have a better idea. Are we talking about scratches or 1/2" deep gouges?

As far as a backplate, the only thing I can think of is that it possibly would have spread the impact over a broader area of the back.

Yeah, it was never in doubt that I would show the LDS the mark and ask their opinion. I just was wondering if anyone had a similar experience and knew how easily these tanks are damaged. There is no real obvious visual damage, the impact site is little more than a skindeep scratch about 1 inch long, the thing I am worried about is if there is some unseen damage. ie: a hairline fracture or crack, something that may not become apparent for weeks or months.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Gouges deeper than 1/16" are cause to fail the tank. Generally speaking if a scratch or gouge is even close to being as deep as the letters stamped in the shoulder the tank is probably going to be condemned. Damage to side walls is a bit more critical than damage to the shoulder due to differences in wall thickness.

As an aside the local air force base uses scuba tanks and someone in charge of loss control decided that being scuba tabnks, they could be misappropriated by scuba diving airmen. So he got the brilliant idea to engrave identifying information in the side wall of the tank. We of course failed each and every one as they are no longer structurally sound.

 

[tainosoldier]

Gouges deeper than 1/16" are cause to fail the tank. Generally speaking if a scratch or gouge is even close to being as deep as the letters stamped in the shoulder the tank is probably going to be condemned. Damage to side walls is a bit more critical than damage to the shoulder due to differences in wall thickness.

As an aside the local air force base uses scuba tanks and someone in charge of loss control decided that being scuba tabnks, they could be misappropriated by scuba diving airmen. So he got the brilliant idea to engrave identifying information in the side wall of the tank. We of course failed each and every one as they are no longer structurally sound.

Definitely agree,............ you would be surprised at the stuff the military engraves with no forethought :11:

 

[mossym]

As an aside the local air force base uses scuba tanks and someone in charge of loss control decided that being scuba tabnks, they could be misappropriated by scuba diving airmen. So he got the brilliant idea to engrave identifying information in the side wall of the tank. We of course failed each and every one as they are no longer structurally sound.

how did you see the engraving through the camo paint?

 

[Leadking]

Yesterday my buddy and I did a couple shore dives at our local breakwall. It's a large wall made of huge granite slabs about 4' tall each, and they are sort of layered in big steps. To get into the water you kinda have to jump backwards off of the one closest to the water and splash in. The surf was pretty rough though, and I mistimed my jump. To make a long story short, I landed in about 2' of water and my tank smashed into the rock and then on into my lower back, leaving a rather nasty bruise. :icosm11:
Anyway, my back will heal but my tank got a couple of small nicks where it hit the rock, and now I am kinda concerned if I maybe fractured the metal or have made the tank unsafe. It hit fairly hard on the rock. Would this need a hydro now or what?
I would hate to see this thing explode on its next fill.
Thanks.


PS. this tank is a standard, catalina Aluminum 80

A hydro will not answer your question. Take it to a dive shop that has a qualified tank inspector and have the measure the pit/gouge.

Just for your info a hydro will measure the elastic expansion of your cylinder. Your problem is the energy of the cylinder will focus on a weak point and over time can cause failure and a hydro would not be able to detect. If the gouges are on the shoulder it would be less of an issue as the shoulders are usually the thickest part of a cylinder (that's why the manufacturer stamps all the cylinder info.)