The Commercial Diver Network
Alaska Air required I dump my bailout bottles and remove the valves prior to accepting luggage. One would think in all of Nome there would be somewhere to fill your bailouts. Been looking for a couple days now, none to be found. Ideas or contacts anyone???? Needed ASAP
Thanks,
DiverJohn
Comment
TSR in Nome can fill bailout bottles. http://www.nomefix.com/dive-shop/ 907-434-1913
Just another note on bail out bottles and flying; Coming back from Dutch Harbor , Alaska I got a big surprise as I was waiting for my return flight between Maui and the Big Island, Hawaii. Over the pa system I hear my name called to come to the desk so I comply only to be informed that I had hazardous materials in my luggage? WHAT! yes you have a bailout bottle in your luggage that still has a valve on it. My reply was that I had personally empied all of the air out of ir. I asked did you check that out by opening the valve to verify that ? Answer we don't do that and we are confiscating your tank and harness plain and simple. Bye this time it was time to catch the next plain home and I did so with out my bailout fuming not a happy diver.
Ok here is the punch lines here I should have not only drained the tank of all air but also taken the valve completely out-that's the rules for flying. End results I finally got my tank sent back to me at my expense by FedEx BUT IT TOOK ME 8 WEEKS ON THE PHONE TO BAGGAGE TO MAKE ALL OF THIS HAPPEN- SO BEFORE YOU FLY TAKE THE AIR OUT OF YOUR BAILOUT TANK AND THE VALVE OUT BEFORE FLYING. SAVE YOURSELF ALOT OF GOING THRU AIRPLANE HELL.
Im in Nome as well.....did you try the hardware store down by the river...They might have a way to fill it...or just find a compressor and rig up somthin.
Hey John, Just want to add a note here as one who has spent 9 yrs diving for urchins. on hookah and have seen More divers get hurt, bent, paralized for life, embolised and die from having to make an unexpected emergency ascent to the surface.
Be it a hardhat or scuba regulator failure,malfunction or it just coming apart, hose fitting parting, compressor stopping, air hose just cut off, or just because they were not wearing a emergency air bail out bottle while underwater working.
I know a lot of us think were invincible however a back up air system is an absolutely safety necessity. Spending untold hrs underwater even in shallow water can and will get you bent or worse. Many tables say your ok but our bodys are in fact sponges sucking up nitrogen. Just like a coke bottle if you come popping to the surface the gas nitrogen will come out of a blood solution and back into a gas and bingo!! your it! Your bent.
Ever give any thought as to where the closest Recompression chamber might be and what it would take to get you there?
Just putting it out there guys you really need to gear your community up to wear and be able to fill emergency air bail out bottles and wear them. Just a word of safety advise from one who has seen plenty of divers pay the price of not using them. The choice is yours the grim reaper is watching and never takes a holiday. Dive safe an live long.
Hey John, just noticed the date of your post. I'm headed that way in a few days, are you still working that area? If so how did you get around the bailout air issue? WHo did you contact there?
Call me on my business number 256-553-0420
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