Expert: Drew Wilmoth - 2/4/2007

Question
Hi Drew,
I am moving to Georgetown next fall and am wondering if I buy a couple scuba tanks in in the US, can they be filled in the Caymans? It seems like a no-brainer but I bought some US cans previously and tried to get them filled in Canada and they wouldn't fill them because they didn't have Canadian DOT stamps on them.
How much is a fill in the Cayman's for a 80cf tank? Roughly speaking?

Answer
Scuba cylinders with DOT markings from the United States can be filled in Cayman given that they are 1) within 5 years of last hydrostatic test and 2) current within one year on a visual cylinder inspection.

Few divers in Cayman actually own their own tanks.  The cost of a rental is generally priced the same as an air fill, CI$6-8 (US$7.50 to 10) or very nearly so.  Additionally many of the shore diving operations have a policy prohibitting tanks other than their own.  Finally, some dive shops do not fill their cylinders on site and several will not fill cylinders which are not their own.

The going rate to purchase a Al80 is from CI$50 to CI$75.  You can occasionally find them in garage sales or listed in one of the free classfieds.  It may not be worthwhile to import your own cylinder as shipping can be quite expensive.