How long is it safe to store air in your scuba tanks?

[DevonDiver]

I remember someone in Florida a few years back was selling bottled hurricane air--air bottled during a hurricane.

That makes sense. Hurricane = high pressure area. More pressure = more air in the tank = longer dives.

Normally atmospheric pressure isn't an issue, because most bottling occurs at sea level. Inland dive centres may be at a higher altitude (less air pressure) - and consequently give weaker fills. I'd always get my fills from a sea-level cannery.

I heard that they get helium from mines... higher pressure then, as below sea level.... better for deep diving. That's a primary benefit.

They should mine for regular air too... for those of us who like deep air diving. It'd also make Nitrox production cheaper. Less oxygen at altitude. More oxygen at depth. Would save having to blend, if they took nitrox directly from a deep well. I'm sure someone could calculate what depth needed to be bored to obtain 32%.

 

[Wolfie]

I like the Jamaican deep air blend myself!

 

[DandyDon]

That makes sense. Hurricane = high pressure area.

Ding ding ding...!!

A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain

I keep a tank filled at my house and it often goes a year or more between fills. Still dive it.

 

[nolatom]

No "mile-high" air from Denver either....I want sea-level air.

 

[Searcaigh]

Theoretically then, air filled at the level of the Dead Sea would be better still.

 

[ajtoady]

I find there's nothing like "winter air", cool, crisp and clear! My tanks are rotated just about every week so as not to go stale. It just makes sense to go diving each and every weekend and burn two tanks of air. I have three tanks and I have yet to have one full for more than 5 weeks. Why take a chance on wasting a fill?

 

[Wolfie]

FWIW - I understand that Dandy Don checks his CO and O2 before every dive. Therefore IF something is happening inside his tank with moisture or what not he would know. This seems like a great idea even though the equipment is not cheap...

 

[WreckDiver1321]

Remember, ALWAYS roll your tanks down the driveway before every dive trip. That will ensure the gas re-mixes properly just in case it had separated.
Driving down a bumpy gravel road with the tanks unsecured in the back of the vehicle will work too.

Damn! I live in Montana, so I can't get at any of that high pressure sea level air! I have to live with the short fills given from high altitude.
Maybe I could convince my LDS owner to invest in one of those wells....

 

[TracysaCADiver]

Andy is not kidding. I only use organic air from reliable sources. So that means no air fills from NY, LA, Chicago, or the shop that takes in their air in DC from the Capitol building. I also do not store air in tanks longer than 6 months unless it is the air specifically desginated for use after the apocalypse this year. Unless you have bugs or mold growing in tanks storing air for up to 6 months is no big deal. If they need to sit longer than that why do you even own tanks?

I thought the Air from Washington DC was the same quality as the one from the Dairy Farm.... Especially the ones from the White House.

 

[eponym]

Some great advice so far.

I'm currently bidding on some very rare air, tanks filled in Jan 1952 in England. These could be the last air from the reign of King George the sixth.
The tanks will be out of hydro, of course, but still . . .

-Bryan