Hand pump for mini scuba tanks: refill at the ramp, the campsite or the pontoon

The OXSEA hand pump is the refill system that goes anywhere. No battery, no lead, no generator: you pump, and the air goes into the tank at 200 bar. It is the reason a half-litre tank can live in a tinny, a kayak hatch or the back of the 4WD.

How it gets to 200 bar

A tyre pump works at a few bar. To reach 200, the OXSEA pump compresses the air in four high-pressure stages, one after the other. A built-in filter cleans the air on the way in, a gauge shows the pressure climbing, and a high-pressure hose connects to the tank.

A fill, step by step

1. Set the pump on firm, level ground, a deck or a pontoon.
2. Connect the hose to the tank.
3. Feet on the base, and pump with long, even strokes.
4. Watch the gauge. The first strokes are easy, the last ones are hard. Stop at 200 bar.

Count on about 20 minutes for a 0.5 litre tank. It is a proper workout in the sun, so take water and share it between two if you can.

Pump upwind of the car, the outboard or a barbecue. What goes into the tank is what you will breathe.

Which tanks it fills

The hand pump fills the 0.5 litre tanks: the OX500 and the OX500Plus.

It does not fill the OX1000 or the OX2000. Those need the 12 V / 220 V compressor.

Where it earns its place

• Trailer boats and tinnies with a single cranking battery you would rather keep for starting the motor.
• Beach and campsite trips, where the nearest power point is a long way off.
• Occasional use. A fill before the trip and one after a job: 20 minutes of pumping now and then is nothing.
• As a spare next to the compressor, for the day the battery is flat.
• Price. The hand pump packs are the most affordable packs in the range.

When to take the compressor instead

• Your tank is the 1 litre or the 2.3 litre.
• You do several dives in a day, such as a full hull clean that takes two or three fills.
• You would rather sit in the shade than pump for 20 minutes after each session.

The compressor fills a half-litre tank in about 12 minutes on its own.

Looking after it

Store it dry and out of the sun, and rinse off salt spray with fresh water. Check the hose and fittings before each fill. If something leaks or the pressure stops rising, stop and contact the OXSEA team rather than forcing it.

Then the dive

Breathe continuously, never hold your breath on the way up, ascend slowly, and fly the Code Flag A: our dive flag guide lists the distances state by state. The safety guide on oxsea.shop covers the rest.