Rawlings Rumor @ bad fills

[Jax]

Still sounds like a shop being cautious about its O2-clean tanks, IMO.

 

[tddfleming]

I just want to be clear. I did not post this to start a rumor about Rawlings. I do want to give them a bad rap. I have rented tanks from them and I have had tanks filled from them w/o any problems. However, while my husband was at a LDS he was told of this story. So I posted here for a couple of reasons. 1. To see if anyone has had any issues with fills and 2. If it is true to give a heads up to those of us that go out there. I may not care for a couple of people that work out there, but I have had no issues with any fills that I have received from them.

 

[Jax]

Okay, curiosity prompted me to call Lake Rawlings Scuba Op.

I said, "I have O2-clean tanks. Do you have O2-compatible air there?"

The person that answered said, "All of our air and Nitrox fills are Grade E or better."

So I said, "Then you do have O2-compatible air?" She said, "Yes."

I think I would, if I were on the spot, ask to speak to someone that actually fills the tanks. I am not warm and fuzzy about "Grade E or better".

FYI:

* The CGA Grade "E" quality verification level has become the specification most widely referenced for sport diving. CGA Grade "E" is generally considered to be the absolute minimum acceptable breathing gas quality for SCUBA diving, and many consider it to be too liberal. Filling an "Oxygen Clean" cylinder with CGA Grade "E" will introduce hydrocarbon contamination such that the cylinder is no longer considered O2 clean and may not be used for partial-pressure blending.

* "Oxygen-Compatible" is CGA Grade "E" with reduced maximum acceptable carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and particulate levels. The International Association of Nitrox Divers (IANTD) and American Nitrox Divers International (ANDI) created this designation for gases used in technical diving and gas blending. The U.S. Navy and the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) have also issued "Oxygen-Compatible" specifications. All the "Oxygen-Compatible" specifications are similar but not identical.

 

[Peter_C]

It's rare to see anyone admitting their compressor caused CO hits. Good for manning-up.

To be perfectly clear, it was a boats compressor. NOT MINE! I did get home and change my filters though. The event also made me a believer in the CO testers.

 

[herman]

Our shop uses Rawlings during the late summer for checkout dives and fills. So far I have not heard anything about bad fills....there is one more possibility for this, some bad blood between Rawlings and the shop....it would not be the first time 2 shops have gotten into a tiff and talked trash about each other. Not saying that is the case but it is worth considering.

 

[tddfleming]

Our shop uses Rawlings during the late summer for checkout dives and fills. So far I have not heard anything about bad fills....there is one more possibility for this, some bad blood between Rawlings and the shop....it would not be the first time 2 shops have gotten into a tiff and talked trash about each other. Not saying that is the case but it is worth considering.

Herman:

You may be correct, I have considered this as the cause of the rumor. I don't understand it, but I know things like this happen. Owning a small business myself, I find it more helpful to work with my competitors than trash talk. We exchange product, bail each other out when machines go down, help each, and best of all use each other for a strong shoulder when you just want to kill someone. Who better to understand your day than the person that does the same thing you do. And best of all, threaten to send down your worst customer to them when you can't take it another moment.

However, if the rumor was correct, I wanted to know and thought others needed to know.

Also, if you come down this way later in the summer let me know and we will met you out there for a dive.

 

[herman]

Herman:

You may be correct, I have considered this as the cause of the rumor. I don't understand it, but I know things like this happen. Owning a small business myself, I find it more helpful to work with my competitors than trash talk. We exchange product, bail each other out when machines go down, help each, and best of all use each other for a strong shoulder when you just want to kill someone. Who better to understand your day than the person that does the same thing you do. And best of all, threaten to send down your worst customer to them when you can't take it another moment.

However, if the rumor was correct, I wanted to know and thought others needed to know.

Also, if you come down this way later in the summer let me know and we will met you out there for a dive.

Here in Raleigh we are lucky in that respect, the shops all work together and send customers between them but I have heard of some pretty nasty battles including graffiti on the store fronts other places......although the 2 bigger shops here do like to sticker the others shop windows.....in fun.

As it turns out, I may be at Rawling May 20-22 testing out some old gear and maybe doing a mock knife fight or 2. I always have an extra double hose reg along if you like.

 

[tddfleming]

Here in Raleigh we are lucky in that respect, the shops all work together and send customers between them but I have heard of some pretty nasty battles including graffiti on the store fronts other places......although the 2 bigger shops here do like to sticker the others shop windows.....in fun.

As it turns out, I may be at Rawling May 20-22 testing out some old gear and maybe doing a mock knife fight or 2. I always have an extra double hose reg along if you like.

We will be out there on the 22nd for the RDC dives. Please let me know if you will be there that day. What is a mock knife fight?? I can maybe show you my mad new skills after I done with my primer Holding my breath.

 

[tddfleming]

Husband talked to one of the guys on the board at Rawlings. From whagt he was told the compressor was being worked on last summer and the guy used too much oil, which did cause a problem with the air. He was notified of the issue and went out to find the problem. They pulled apart everything and cleaned everthing out really well. The also do partial pressure with the nitrox and use E grade mod for it. So while it sounds as if there was a problem in the past, it had been fixed. Which now leaves me with what Herman said, bad blood that still drags things on.

Oh, Herman, if nothing else, I can be comic relief. I have gotten very good at laughing at myself since taking this up.

 

[Randy g]

Kevin prolly pissed someone off again (He has a way about him) and they decided to start the hamster wheel a rollin!