Visual Inspections Using Visual Plus

Florida Down Under uses the Visual Plus cylinder inspection devise to visual all tanks that pass through our dive center. See Repair Section for price of the inspection.

Don't accept a visual inspection unless it includes Visual Plus inspection. Make sure that the dive center doing the inspection is using the Visual Plus equipment. Safety is most important. Certainly you do not want anyone injuried in a cylinder explosion. It could be YOU or a loved one that is injuried.

The Visual Plus "inspected" Decal must be affixed to the inspected tank so that it is over part of the current visual inspection decal.

Any scuba tank brought into our dive center for a fill, if manufactured with the suspect alloy or is over 10 years old, must have a Visual Plus inspection before filling. There will be NO CHARGE to you if the tank is within current Hydro and visual dates.

Visual Plus is a non-destructive devise which utilizes eddy current to detect neck and shoulder cracks, folds, or similar imperfections in aluminum gas cylinders.

Eddy current detection has been used for quite some time in the aerospace and aviation industries.

An electromagnetic wave is introduced into the metal of the cylinder near the area that is desirable to inspect for imperfections ( in the threaded area ). The wave causes currents to flow in a circular manner in the metal. They are called eddy currents because the flow is circular. An imperfection can increase the path that the currents have to flow and to make the material appear higher in resistance in that region where the imperfection is present.

Trip Franklin and Al Franklin have been trained by the manufacturer in the use of the Visual Plus machine.