All of us asdivers by definition must purchase or otherwise obtain compressed air for our operational needs.  For most of us, we must buy air, enrichedair, or some such breathing media from a local dive shop.  In each case, most divers will agree thatclean air is important to their safety. While many divers assume the airthey are breathing is clean – it’s not always true. One year ago in theMaldives 1 diver died and 9 others were hospitalized when the air they werebreathing was severely contaminated. Why? The dive operator was too cheap toproperly maintain their compressors, had not properly trained their staff andfailed to observe basic safety precautions.

The air youbreathe needs to be clean; even more so if you are diving. The compressors thatfill your tanks need to have good, clean, uncontaminated air supplies. The airintake hose needs to be located in a position that provides this. The exhaustfrom engines, from people smoking, from cooking all need to be taken intoaccount. In addition the splash from the ocean and rain needs to be avoided.Even then the air is further purified through filters that remove impuritiesand moisture.

 One of thebiggest fears is carbon monoxide (CO) build up. This can come from exhaust andcigarette fumes. The highest acceptable limit for CO in scuba tanks is 10 ppm(parts per million). In the above mentioned incident – the tanks were tested at150ppm! The intake hoses were cracked AND were directly in the line of exhaustfrom the boats engines.

 Compressors usefilters to rid themselves of impurities. Some compressors run on electricengines and some work on combustion engines (typical of portable compressors).The two kinds also have different filters to meet the different demands.Needless to say the compressors on that liveaboard werefitted with the less expensive filters that were not intended for theircompressors.

 How often mustcompressor air be tested? The Occupational Safety and Health Administraion OSHAin the USA defines minimum compressor testing frequency for commercialoperations as once every 6 months (29 CFR 1910.430(b)).  The Environmantal Protaction Agency (EPA)also require testing at least every six months for their compressors. InCambodia there are no local protocols in place.

So, are all thedive shops you may come across testing their air? The short answer is anemphatic “NO.”  Dive shops, like the restof us, have fallen on hard times due to the economic downturn.  Shops are closing right and left, and thosethat are surviving are making hard choices with their bottom line which canimpact your safety.

Here are some quotesfrom cold-calls to separate dive shops in EPA Region 10 2009 in the US:

“Yes, we meet CGAgrade E air except for the CO2 reading, which I admit is a little high.”

 “I don’t rememberwhen we did our last air test.  It was atleast a year ago.”

 “Our last airtest was seven years ago.  We would behappy to do another one if you are willing to pay for the cost of testing.”

 “We did our airtest regularly up to last year when we stopped. We decided that since the results were always the same, there was noreason to continue with the regular testing.”

 (Personalcommunications, EPA Region 10 divers and various dive shops, 2009).

 So how should theDive Centre avoid problems? Dive staff and the boat crew need to be aware ofhow to change the filters, which filters to use and how often to change. Thereshould be a log of servicing as well as an hour meter tracking how long the compressorhas been running. Regular inspections of the equipment as well as frequentfilter changes are required for compressors to operate correctly. If these guidelinesare not followed – the air youbreathe can be bad!

 So when choosingyour diving holiday and boat – do some research! Are the staff trained? Howoften is the compressor (or any equipment) serviced? Is the compressor (andequipment) serviced by factory trained and certified technicians? Where is theair intake? Or to look at things differently – do you choose the cheapestparachute? If two dive operators offer the same service – but one issignificantly cheaper – where are the savings? If you would like to be verythorough – ask to see the service log books and records.

 To ensure thatyou also try to avoid problems before diving, smell and taste the air in thescuba tank before ever breathing from it underwater. All divers are trained totest their tank in this manner during their open water course, but rarelyperform the check after certification. However, be warned that the most commoncontaminants found in compressed air are carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.These are both odorless, tasteless gases. Report any unusual odours or flavorsto your dive guide. When in doubt, do not dive with the tank.

So how safe is your dive operator?

At ScubaNation we have 3 fully qualified Gas Blenders on staff for both regular air and Nitrox.We have all records of the servicing performed and we appreciate our guestsasking to see them.

We have a full-time compressor technician trained toservice and inspect our compressors as well as the scuba tanks.This means our tanks are visually and hydrostatically tested to Europeanspecifications.

The air in our tanks has been passed as fit to dive with by US Navy andthey are cleared to rent our gear when in Cambodia. 

We also have CO2 and CO meters which we use to test our airevery week so you can be sure when you dive with us there should be no problem with your air.