The staff at the Lead Hill Boat Dock, now known as Sugarloaf Harbor Marina, are instructed to smell all tanks that are brought in for filling. If the air has any kind of an odor, they will not fill it. This policy is in place, because there has been a problem with air on the lake, for the past two years. The Corps has been made aware of it. They have smelled the air in question, and the air from Sugarloaf. It is strongly recommended to the customer, that they have their tanks cleaned before further use. If you were overlooked in getting an explaination as to "why" you should not be breathing questionable air, then you are a minority. They are not required to give explaination, it is done only as a courtesy.
As a diver, you should have this knowledge already, expecially one W-I-T-H over "450 dives".. This information is given to all who take an open water course. Divers breathe compressed air, the air should be dry, clean and odorless...
As far as wanting "ALL THE AIR FILL business", you couldn't be more wrong. Being in the industry myself, it is our job to train and encourage divers to dive. 'Clean', compressed air is a necessity for divers, and SHOULD be easily accessable. Otherwise, divers lose interest and look for another hobby. Not too good for the industry, right? I can promise you also, there are no profits in selling air. Compressors are expensive to run, they require annual maintainance, filters are very expensive and have to be replaced often. More often when the weather is hot and humid.
FYI: A tank should be filled at 300 PSI per minute, 600 PSI max, that is what is considered safe. In, or out of water. See Charles' Law...
"Corps regulations regarding placing a tank in water while filling??" They don't exist. I know what the Corps requirements are for marinas that provide air to divers. They require a sizeable insurance policy, they require an Instructor to be on staff, they require an Air Trace Report to be posted and visible to the public, and, they require the facility to provide clean compressed air to divers. They require the facility to check the inspections on the tanks before filling them, and they require the facility to check for C-cards before filling.
Filling a tank in a water bath really does not affect the fill more than ten percent by volume. It does not add to the safety factor. To help educate you, I have included an article posted on the following website: You should read it before commenting publicly on a subject you lack knowledge in.
http://www.fillexpress.com/library/tankfill.pdf
In closing, I would like to say this; The person in charge of air at Sugerloaf Harbor Marina, is more than a "seasoned diver". This person is in no way irresponsible and certainly does not take short cuts when it comes to diver safety, much less "turn a blind eye". This person is an Instructor who believes that divers should continue to educate themselves after they leave the classroom, and dive responsibly.
So, if your tanks were turned away, as many were this season, it was done for three reasons; One, there was something wrong with the remaining air in your tanks. Two, by filling a 'possibly' contaminated tank, they include themselves into the equasion of where the problem lies. Three, they were being "responsible" regarding your safety.
When you take your tanks to be filled, do you look for that air report, check to see if there is indeed an Instructor on staff, do you smell your air? Are you asked to present your C-card?
