New Tanks

[oly5050user]

As others said most shops will accept your cylinder for a visual at their customary fee. That being said, don't even bother installing the valves except for maybe a gently thread fit check. The first thing they need to do is inspect the inside.

Most shops will require a visual anytime you come in with an empty cylinder. Lacking positive air pressure water or other stuff could be in there. In that fact lies the reason why most mail order VIP stickers are worthless. There are rare instances when a cylinder is shipped with a slight holding pressure that may satisfy the shop providing the first fill.

I have never been asked for a receipt. The hydrostatic test date stamped in the cylinder crown is what they care about.

Pete

we do not honor mail order visual stickers. If it does not have the name,address,phone number of the facility we will not fill it. We feel it is a liability issue. Our compressor and facility, our rules.sorry. A visual costs $15. Includes an air fill. Air fill alone is $7. If you consider the $15 is too expensive I suggest a different less expensive activity.

 

[Water Boy76]

Mail order VIP stickers are asking for trouble if you travel with your tanks. If your in a new town on vacation and they don't accept them your stuck renting tanks or even worse, not diving if they are out of rentals.

Support your LDS - Don't but tanks online. Unless your LDS sucks...

 

[akdeepdiver]

I'll support my LDS to a point. When it has a definite effect on my bank account, that's when my wallet gets a vote. an example is a previous LDS that wanted to charge me $40 more for a set of wet notes than I could get online. If it was a difference of less than $10, I'd go with the shop. But an additional $40 for a notebook? Come on. Plus when I showed the price difference, all the shop owner said to me was " well I need to stay in buisness".

 

[Keith.M]

I am amazed at times when I see discussions regarding local dive shops and what they charge. $25 for a vip?

I just picked up 4 tanks that I had vip'd... $40.00 with the fills.

 

[reefvagabond]

I don't think there's anything wrong with getting your gear online, or through whatever source that didn't include the sticker. If the local shops are not being very nice about it see if you can find a place that just does servicing, they're often cheaper. Out here in CA i take my tanks to a commercial diving/salvage place that does it pretty cheap.

 

[NAM001]

How do you not know when it the factory that birthed it and attached the no sticker needed notice for one year?

we do not honor mail order visual stickers. If it does not have the name,address,phone number of the facility we will not fill it. We feel it is a liability issue. Our compressor and facility, our rules.sorry. A visual costs $15. Includes an air fill. Air fill alone is $7. If you consider the $15 is too expensive I suggest a different less expensive activity.

---------- Post added June 10th, 2015 at 07:51 PM ----------

On behalf of shops that do legitimate vis's there is a lot to do to do a proper vis. its probably up to 1/2 hour on a used tank. NOt to mantion the time it takes to remove boots, inspect valves ect. The gear to inspect is not cheap either. I fault no shop for the cost of a good vip. I do fault shops that tip the tank upside down to pour the dust out and slap on a 20$ sticker.

I am amazed at times when I see discussions regarding local dive shops and what they charge. $25 for a vip?

I just picked up 4 tanks that I had vip'd... $40.00 with the fills.

---------- Post added June 10th, 2015 at 08:05 PM ----------

I have gone to shops that will not accept any vip unless they did it. They were very happy to rent you tanks while they vip"d your in the next week for 70$ which included the crack testing. (the kink to this is I have steel tanks) Once again a vip sticker is too often used as a hostage issue to get air or a tool to rent gear. Too often the shop runs them selves out of business and not the mail order system. Besides a vip course is about 300$ with psi. Good for 3 years,,,, cert you to fill and handle compress air on top of doing proper VIS's. that's 100 a year so if you have in your home or group 5 tanks it is a break even if more its a savings. I have about 7 tanks and its 90 miles to get a vip. my break even is about 2 tanks a year. the 7 tanks alone is about 15 per tank not counting transportation the 90 miles.

Finally to the poster that wont accept any sticker that doesn't have an address phone ect plse tell me what you will do with a PSI sticker on the tank that has an inspector number. I respect your position that it is your shop. Likewise you have to respect others position that your policy is anything but for tank safety. That once you get your shop sticker on it the customer is yours. Pardon me for saying but I would bypass you shop for one that in my opinion operates on more ethical practices.

 

[Max Speed]

Gonna have to get yourself that waterproof sticky paper for your laser printer. And now all your regulator services are gonna be as suspect as a sneeze muffin at the local burger joint.

 

[Keith.M]

On behalf of shops that do legitimate vis's there is a lot to do to do a proper vis. its probably up to 1/2 hour on a used tank. NOt to mantion the time it takes to remove boots, inspect valves ect. The gear to inspect is not cheap either. I fault no shop for the cost of a good vip. I do fault shops that tip the tank upside down to pour the dust out and slap on a 20$ sticker.

Well I can tell you my shop gives a legitimate visual. They just don't see the need to rip anyone off. I have been involved in may vips with them and they do a thorough job. Tank, boot, valve.

I see so many comments on here about the LDS having an attitude. Oh you didn't buy that here... Blah Blah Blah.

I am so glad to have a great relationship with my LDS and know that I will get a square deal and not some price that is there to make sure they can "make it".

I have bought lots of stuff from them straight away, but I have also bought used gear that I have brought to them for service and have never had any issue, not so much as a raised eyebrow.

I feel sorry for those that have LDS that does not treat them right.

 

[NAM001]

As far as gettng the water proof copy paper goes. For the most part it just isnt worth it if you only have a couple of tanks.
For the poster that doesnt trust mail order vips, I probably vould have to concure with that unless it is a new tank.
I can say that from first hand encounters a closing shop sold 50+ tanks to a buyer and over a dozen vould not pass a vip from pits, crack like marks, gouges ect.

I accept the idea that any 6061 tanks have no crack problems but deep pits in the inner walls and gouges outside that far exceed the vip allowance are still getting passed and rented. Personally i think it is prudent to have any used tank vip'd when you get it even if it has just been done. (Why throw a tank away when you can sell it to a schmuck for 50$)

The vip process in my opinion is already corrupted. shops cant make enough money to stay open s it is. so why should they turn down any chance to do a 90 second vip. 80 of it is slapping on a sticker.

Still when a hydro is done the date serves as vip date for the first year. No shop honors that. Perhaps rightfully so as normally shops try to impliment a one rule fits all policies. I think for the most part that consumers have more to fear from shops than shops fearing consumers. either way when someting goes wrong the damage is felt full circle.

Keith M. im glad you have a good shop to do your tanks work. I have watched 15yo's pop a valve on a well used tank, look inside and then put on the valve and a new nitrox sticker on the showroom floor.

The issues of small shops that just cant make it are that way because the economy just cant handle it. thier money ,making is in gear sales, teaching, repairs and vips. All of which some do very poorly.

To be honest i support the larger shops even if i have to drive a long distance to get there. There is a lot of vengfull practices from smaller / low volumn shops, but its thier shop and they can do what they want. Im just not required to use them.

 

[tursiops]

What is a mail order VIP stickler? is this a euphemism for a PCI/PSI sticker?