Buying A Dive Bottle

[precious 6]

Hi all,

 

Looking to get myself a dive bottle, as fed up with pumping ;-) have found these, anyone had any dealings? they seem a lot cheaper than most but I don't want to end up with something that will let me down. anyone have any recommendations, I am looking for either a 3ltr or 4ltr as my space is limited

 

http://www.godive.net/go-shoot/charging-kit/3-litre-300-bar-charging-kit-with-mde-valve.html

 

Thanks in advance

 

Dave

[4sight 31]

Depending on how little you use your air rifle, the 3l is a good liftable bottle for carrying around. If you use your kit every week on a regular basis, unless you live next door to the place that is going to refill it, go for a nice heavy 7l bottle from Best Fittings or GoDive, many more fills.

Dave

[clubshot 22]

Most Filling stations charge the same to fill 300Bar - 3 -12 Litre bottles

 

Depends how far you are from a Filling Station

 

Also worth asking what price local filling station can offer -

 

Big issue is Test date is from Manufacture not Sale -

 

BOB/R

[villaman 9,983]

I paid £250 for a 12l 300 bar for bottle, gauge and filled with a 5 year test brand new , My local dive shop were cheaper than Best Fittings and with a better gauge + whip

[Mr Muddy 141]

I recently bought a 7L 300bar for scuba diving and that godive side was the cheapest I could find a new one. The one I got sent was about 4 months old if I remember right.

There’s no reason the MDE (Midland Diving Equipment) valves would ever let you down.

I hope that helps.

[moxy 617]

I can't see the point in getting any bottle less than 12 litre in size, unless you live next door to the dive centre / gun shop etc, you will spend more time travelling to get the swine filled. For me it's around an hour and half round trip. I have better things to do than sit in traffic.

If you can't afford a larger bottle at the moment, keep pumping and save until you can. You won't regret it.

Keep an eye on the evilbay and local dive centre classifieds. You may pick up a bargain. Ok a dive cylinder has a shorter test date but a valve replacement inc test is only £60 which will convert it to a surface only cylinder.

[Mr Muddy 141]

One thing worth knowing is that very few dive shops can fill a tank right up to 300bar (you usually get closer to 260) unless you leave it with them to fill it, let it cool, top it up, let it cool and so on.

So you might want to go for a 232bar tank which is both cheaper and lighter.

 

Edit: best check the 232s are compatible with the valves to fill guns first though. I couldn’t tell you one way or the other I’m afraid

Edited October 21, 2014 by Mr Muddy

[moxy 617]

One thing worth knowing is that very few dive shops can fill a tank right up to 300bar (you usually get closer to 260) unless you leave it with them to fill it, let it cool, top it up, let it cool and so on.

So you might want to go for a 232bar tank which is both cheaper and lighter.

Unless you go first thing in the morning and their charging tanks are up to full capacity. Or go on a quiet day

[4sight 31]

One thing worth knowing is that very few dive shops can fill a tank right up to 300bar (you usually get closer to 260) unless you leave it with them to fill it, let it cool, top it up, let it cool and so on.

So you might want to go for a 232bar tank which is both cheaper and lighter.

 

Edit: best check the 232s are compatible with the valves to fill guns first though. I couldn’t tell you one way or the other I’m afraid

 

If they only fill a 300bar to 260, then they will only fill a 232bar to 190, based on your figures.

[moxy 617]

Most 232 bottles are a DIN fitting. 300 bar are an A clamp (unless purchased as a surface cylinder).

All fittings are available for both to make sure your regs fit.

[Mr Muddy 141]

I do a fair bit of diving so I know a bit about this; to get a tank up to a full 300bar you do have to fill it, let it cool, top it up. Some dive centres put cylinders in a tank of cold water which helps and it’s not the same for a lower pressure 232bar fill - you can just fill them straight off.

 

But look, don’t take my word for it, ask in the dive centre and I'd hope they say the same thing.

 

I just want to help answer precious’s question – and I hope I’ve been some help. I don’t know about gun filling valves, and I never pretended I do, but I have bought for Godive and I’m happy with my purchase.

 

P.S. If you’re genuinely interested; you can only get 300bar with a DIN for diving. You can have a 232bar with either DIN or A-Clamp (yoke).

 

Atb.

[moxy 617]

P.S. If you’re genuinely interested; you can only get 300bar with a DIN for diving. You can have a 232bar with either DIN or A-Clamp (yoke).

 

I'm assuming new cylinders?

Because I have 3 300 bar Diving cylinders here with "yoke" fittings which convert to DIN. All of which are too old to convert the valve to a DIN only.

I also have a couple of 232's DIN, again too old to convert to a surface only valves.

 

Your right in what your saying about filling quickly and cooling.

[jamesS410 106]

Out of interest does any body know how much pressure a 3l cylinder loses as it cools if its filled rapidly (ie in less than 5 mins and not cooled in water whilst it is filled)? I'm on pretty good terms with my local dive shop owner and he's happy to fill my cylinder to 310 bar working on the theory that by the time its cooled it will be somewhere close to the 300 bar I'm after. I have no way to check the pressure back at home and it seems to last me long enough shots wise but when the cylinder is warm to the touch as I leave I have it in the back of my mind I'm coming away with less air than I've paid for

[Mr Muddy 141]

Thanks Moxy, I didn’t know that about old cylinders, so that’s really interesting.

I also have an old 232 15L that I was hoping to convert to a surface only as soon as get a PCP – I’m hoping that’s still possible.

 

Since I’ve been diving (about 5 year) you can only buy – or at least get an air fill on - a 300bar tank for diving that’s fitted with a 300bar DIN. The 300 DIN’s have got a deeper thread, so it won’t even fit the DIN-to-clamp inserts.

I think the reason is; if the thread on the DIN goes it will just lose air, if a clamp breaks at 300bar it will smash the back of your head in.

 

Sorry james, I don’t have an answer to that one, but you typically lose 5bar just by getting off a boat into cold water. So the cooling down definitely makes a huge difference.

[treecreeper 1,136]

Won't lose enough pressure to justify leaving it for them to fill slowly and going back again unless you live next to the dive shop.