THIS DISCUSSION IS BY A RECREATIONAL DIVER FOR RECREATIONAL DIVING WITHIN RECREATIONAL LIMITS
- Do I Need My Own Analyzer?
- How do I Label The Tank?
- What About MOD?
Do I Need My Own Analyzer?
A snap answer from virtually every diver who already has one is yes...absolutely. And why is that?- You can't trust the dive shop that filled your tank [ Snark: Why are you using them then? ]
- You need to be sure you're not diving some exotic mix of gas [ Snark: exotic? really? that has actually happened to you? ]
- Only you are responsible for you [ Snark: Now you're talking my language ]
Why is that?
- Owning your own analyzer will increase the total cost of your diving equipment by 25% or more. And there are far more important items for you to own.
- It is EXTREMELY rare for a dive shop to fill your tank or hand you a rented tank with anything other than air. The accidents you hear about involving "bad air" are almost always carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide...neither of which will be found with an O2 Analyzer.
- It is even more rare for a tank to be accidentally filled with an O2 mix that is not either Air (21%) or something they bank (typically Nitrox 32%). Neither of those will harm you at recreational depths.
- If you are really concerned, a reputable dive shop will let you use their analyzer before you leave
How Do I Label The Tank
You will need:
- An O2 Analyzer
- A pen or marker
- Some tape or a label
- (Minimum) The O2 content to a single decimal
- (Additional) Your initials
- (Additional) Date you did the analysis
- (Optional) Minimum Operating Depth [ MOD ]
- (Optional) Tank Pressure [ PSI ]
Where Should I Put the Tape/Label?
Under the valve handle. It protects the tape from being rubbed off and it's easy for your buddy to confirm the gas when they double check your valve is open as part of the pre-dive check.Some people like to have the label on the opposite side of the valve handle, because it is easier to see if you are doing a gas switch. But since, we are doing a recreational dive on a single tank, we won't be doing gas switches...and...on a technical dive, you wouldn't be using this tape label to confirm the gas...there are better labels for gas switches...so I don't understand this preference.
But MOD is Mandatory!! / It's the Only Thing That Matters!!
If you think it's mandatory...put it on the tape. For recreational dives using a single tank, it literally serves no valid purpose because....The MOD on a piece of tape behind my head on a tank that is NOT used for a gas switch does me ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD once the dive starts. We arn't using the tape for gas switching, we're using it for tank validation DURING SETUP only. And the only data I need to see on the tape when setting up is:
- my initials : to prove that's my tank and I did the analysis
- the date : validating it was done today and I didn't grab an old tank with an old tape
- the % of O2 : so I can program my computer
...nothing else. The tape is not useful for anything else.