Visual Diving Cylinder Test
A detailed 2.5‑year inspection of your scuba cylinder, checking internally and externally for corrosion, damage, and wear to keep your tank safe and dive‑ready
Discounts For Clubs & Schools
We offer group discounts on multiple items for clubs or schools and we can also collect and drop off your school / club bulk servicing (minimum of 10 items) as well. Please feel free to contact us to book your kit in for a service.
Keep your scuba tank safe, compliant, and dive‑ready with our Visual Scuba Cylinder Test at Diving Academy, your trusted Cylinder Testing Centre covering Swindon, Reading, Bristol, Oxford, Basingstoke, Bracknell, and Cheltenham.
In the UK, all scuba cylinders require a visual inspection every 2.5 years to ensure they meet strict safety standardsbefore filling and use. Our qualified technicians carry out a comprehensive internal and external examination of your tank, checking for:
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Internal corrosion or rust
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External dents, scrapes, or damage
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Thread condition and valve wear
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Signs of moisture or contamination
If your cylinder passes the inspection, it will be officially stamped and logged, keeping it legal for fills at dive centres across the UK. If any issues are detected, we’ll advise on repairs or servicing to get your tank safe for use.
At Diving Academy, we are an authorised cylinder testing and servicing centre with convenient coverage across the South of England, making it easy for divers, diving centres, schools and dive clubs and from:
Swindon • Reading • Bristol • Oxford • Basingstoke • Bracknell • Cheltenham
to keep their scuba equipment compliant and reliable.
Book your Visual Scuba Cylinder Test today and dive with confidence, knowing your tank has been checked by our professionals.
Testing Requirements
Scuba Diving Cylinders
Every cylinder that’s used for Scuba diving (or compressed gases) should be tested and inspected periodically. A hydrostatic test needs to be carried out every 5 years and a visual test needs to be undertaken every 2½ years.
If the cylinder is to be used for Oxygen/Enriched Air, the cylinder should be O2 cleaned, which needs to be undertaken every 15 months. Certificates will be supplied following the cylinder Visual and Hydrostatic Inspections along with IDEST cylinder stamping.
Surface Use Only
Cylinders used for surface use only – i.e. BA, Airgun and Paintball cylinders need to be tested every 5 years. If a cylinder has a diving compatible valve in must be tested as a diving cylinder as it could always be used in seawater for the purpose of Scuba, unless it’s fitted with a surface use only valve.
All Cylinders
All attachments, lifting bars, handles, straps, wings, backplates and bungee cords should be removed before submitting your cylinders for testing, due to corrosion on some of these items removing them can take time which may incur a small charge for our time.
If a cylinder fails the test it will be destroyed.
IDEST Information
- BS EN ISO 18119:2018, +A1:2021 Steel and Aluminium; or BS EN 11623:2015 (Composite) ASSET CP11:2022
- Valves have been serviced to BS EN ISO 22434:2022
Our cylinder testing is carried out by independently trained IDEST technicians to standards set out by the HSE. All work is carried out to manufacturer’s specifications using genuine parts by manufacturer and ASSET trained servicing personnel.
Diving Academy Services, currently trading as DM Scuba Services testing facility is periodically inspected by IDEST engineers to make sure the methods and statements laid out in our documentation are adhered to. Our engineers are also periodically assessed in their competence. Feel free to ask each engineer for their certification as well as the centre documentation.
Servicing times do vary but we aim to have your equipment serviced and returned to you within two weeks. However, this time may increase if parts are unavailable or if demand for servicing is unusually high during the peak seasons of the dive calendar.
Please advise us in advance should you require a faster turnaround time.
Certificates will be supplied following Cylinder Visual and Hydrostatic Inspections and Non Destructive Aluminium testing along with IDEST cylinder stamping.
Please Note:
- Cylinders for surface use ie Charging Airguns and Paintball Cylinders need to be tested every 5 years, dependant on valve;
- Our policy is that a cylinder with a diving valve in must be tested as a diving cylinder as it could always be used for the purpose of SCUBA, unless fitted with a surface use valve
Please Note:
Equipment brought into the shop for servicing or testing, not collected within three months of notification of completion of works, Diving Academy Services will have the right to sell the equipment to re-coup the expense incurred for the repair / service / test, at their own discretion.
Diving Academy Services is approved by all our suppliers to carry out servicing on their products, and we will only use genuine parts and service packs to ensure this does not invalidate your warranty.
If you use unauthorised technicians who are NOT approved by suppliers, this could invalidate your warranty.
