Sh1t fill alert- you get what you pay for

[Woz]

So I thought I'd give Go-Dive a go for a fill as I live very close to them. Popped in to fill a couple of 12s with air. Got to the dive site and cylinder 1 had 130 bar in it and cylinder 2 had 150 bar in it (when presented for a fill they had 100 bar in them each). Great. Luckily it was only a 6m shore pootle and not out on a boat but it could have really cr@pped in our handbag if it had been the week before on the Salsette.

Plus the air absolutely stank of oil. It was more like sticking my mouth over the exhaust of the car than breathing filtered scuba air.

So- free air fills at Go Dive. Worth exactly what you pay for them. Mark or anyone who works there- if you want to reply to this then please feel free but shoddy 1/2 fills and oily air isn't justifiable in anyone's books. It binns dives and gives the divers blinding headaches.

I've no axe to grind with them (I've bought kit from Go Dive in the past) but want to warn anyone who is thinking of getting a fill to satisfy themselves that the air that is being pumped isn't 50% GTX and to check their cylinders are full afterwards. I expect my air to be untainted and over 200 bar. Not an unreasonable demand.

[Dangerous Dan]

Yeah that is pretty shit. Hopefully your cylinders weren't O2 clean before hand because they certainly won't be anymore!! Dissapointing to see this going on. Lucky that I have a brilliant LDS.

[Brian of Aquanauts]

Originally Posted by Dangerous Dan

Lucky that I have a brilliant LDS.

cheers Dan, you can have a few more free fills of "student" nitrox for that.

Bri

[SilvaFish]

Just a quick question - if I dived on air that could have been tainted, yet to me it tasted fine, could it make a diver feel like they've been hit by flu - ie tired, a bit achey (but no headache)?

Did one deepish dive at Stoney today on air, and TBH, I am feeling absolutely crap now.

Or is it something that definitely can be tasted before you can feel any ill effects?

[Brian of Aquanauts]

Originally Posted by SilvaFish

Just a quick question - if I dived on air that could have been tainted, yet to me it tasted fine, could it make a diver feel like they've been hit by flu - ie tired, a bit achey (but no headache)?

Did one deepish dive at Stoney today on air, and TBH, I am feeling absolutely crap now.

Or is it something that definitely can be tasted before you can feel any ill effects?

possible, but that sounds like it could be something more serious. Tired and achey could just be from diving and using muscles you haven't for a while, but feeling fluey and "like crap" could be a sign of DCS or you could have flu.

I have dived oily air a couple of times abroad and never felt bad after the dive, except nearly vomming while breathing it there were no after effects.

I'd phone a diving Doc, FYI DDRC is on 01752 209999

[Dangerous Dan]

Originally Posted by Brian of Aquanauts

cheers Dan, you can have a few more free fills of "student" nitrox for that.

Bri

What, even though im not a pikey student any more???

[SilvaFish]

Originally Posted by Brian of Aquanauts

possible, but that sounds like it could be something more serious. Tired and achey could just be from diving and using muscles you haven't for a while, but feeling fluey and "like crap" could be a sign of DCS or you could have flu.

I have dived oily air a couple of times abroad and never felt bad after the dive, except nearly vomming while breathing it there were no after effects.

I'd phone a diving Doc, FYI DDRC is on 01752 228825

Number in my phone now, thanks; I do recall wanting to vomit at 20m and feeling a bit paniccy too.

[Arfie]

Just to add a bit of balance, I've had a few free fills at Go-Dive and the lowest has had 220 bar in it and no problems (that I spotted) with the air quality.

Not sure it ever works out free as the temptation to buy shiny things while waiting is too great.

As it's a 60 mile round trip, the free fills aren't worth it (with SDS only 5 mins away) unless I'm heading down that way anyway.

Arfie

[Woz]

Well hopefully it is an isolated incident and luckily they weren't o2 clean. But the air tasted horrible.

Brian's air is as sweet as the top of an Alp.

Just check it next time you get a GD fill before leaving the shop.

[Digger]

Ha ha ha ha ha. Call them and tell them your problem. You know what they told me? Our compressor was serviced 11 hours before my bad fill. It can't be the gas you got from us. I loved that one. I'd forgotten to put that on the "reasons why Go-Dive can fuck off" list.

Why not ask Pete to get your tins analysed, have a look at what's actually in there? Might be worth doing as a straw pole test to see just how bad it is! You never know what might have found its way in. I'll wager 0.5% CO2. Sweepstake anyone?

Digs.