Should I buy my own tank?

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I bought my own tanks, but then again, sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and decide to drive 700 miles to dive a reservoir 2000 feet up in eastern Tennessee. It's hard to be that spontaneous if you have to wait for a shop to open to rent tanks.

Additionally, if you decide to take a week driving a couple thousand miles and diving in five states (none closer than three states from home), and if that week is a holiday week when most shops will be closed, and if only one or two of those sites will even have air fills, much less rental tanks, well... renting tanks for a week or two at a time would probably add up. :biggrin:
 
We have 4 tanks.

It will get us through the average diving day. :)
 
Given the lack of details in your profile, an easier question to answer is should anyone buy their own tank?

Here are a few situations where tank ownership could be recommended;

  • A diver who needs bigger than 80cft
  • A diver who lives and dives far from any tank rental location
  • A diver who needs to be able to dive on a moments notice
  • A diver who dives doubles
  • A diver who just has to have either HP or steel tanks but lds doesn't rent either

Here are a few reasons most divers just rent;

  • Annual visual inspection cost ~$15/tank
  • 5-year hydro inspection cost ~$25/tank
  • Initial cost of a tank ~$100 (used) - $300+
  • Low cost of tank rentals vs air fills
  • Air transportation issues

For example, If I bought 2 used 80's for $200 (7 mo vip & 3 yrs hydro remaining) my 3 yr cost is ~$300. If I get 200 fills at $3/fill in those 3 years that brings my total cost to $900. If I had just rented at $5/tank my total cost for those 200 dives is $1000, so it makes some financial sense. On the other hand, if fills are $2 and tanks are $3 (fill card or tank card) it's $700 vs $600 with rental being cheaper.

With regard to tank rental cost, you can not just compare that to the cost of the tank, you have to consider fill cost also. In the areas where tank rental is high, is fill cost high as well? Here in the Islands it is not uncommon for local divers to pay in advance for 250 fills, or 250 rentals, but either way the difference is only $1-$3. Nitrox is another story; my lds charges $10 for any nitrox fill and $10 for any nitrox tank rental, so renting their 100cft w/EAN36 is the same cost as filling my 30cft w/EAN32. :confused:

Financially, regular used tanks (63's & 80's) could pay for themselves in a few years / few hundred dives. New big tanks could take 10 years / 1000 dives to pay off, but if you are in any of the top catagories, cost may not be your only decider. With regard to flying, the valve needs to be removed for air transport, neccessitating a VIP before use at your destination. Full size tanks also may be charged as extra baggage. I only know of some researchers and imagers who transport pony tanks by air, then sell them to the locals before returning home.
 
Here are a few situations where tank ownership could be recommended: A diver who needs bigger than 80cft; A diver who lives and dives far from any tank rental location; A diver who needs to be able to dive on a moments notice; A diver who dives doubles; A diver who just has to have either HP or steel tanks but lds doesn't rent either.
Yes, it is useful to base tank ownership on frequency of diving. But halemano points out some things that may be even more pertinent. If you find you prefer a bigger (than 80cf) tank, and/or a steel tank, you may have difficulty renting them, and ownership is a way to go. A financial argument (for or against) can be made on the basis of diving intensity, and is more relevant for AL80s, which are the most common (US) rental. (Of course, if we really want to save money we won't rent, won't buy, won't dive.) In the long-running 'most regretted purchases' thread, AL80 tanks are frequently mentioned, BTW. My personal odyssey - I first bought an AL80 (for all the WRONG reasons), then a new HP120, then a 2nd (used) HP120, then an AL40 for a pony. I ultimately doubled up the 120s, and now use the AL80 and AL40 as deco bottles, which works perfectly! I recently bought some used, double AL80s, so I have come full circle.
 
As stated earlier, a tank holds value better than any other piece of gear. Look what the used ones sell for on eBay. My buddy bought a couple of HP-120's used and sold them two years later for more than he paid for them. Try to sell a used mask or wetsuit and you won't recover much of the purchase price. Own a BC ten years and pitch it out. A ten year old tank may be worth almost what you paid for it.

Considering the resale value of a tank, ownership is a bargain.
 
Lots of great points already made.

I think it all comes down to "convenience" vs. "cost" when considering purchasing tanks. Here in Hilo, a tank rental is $8, and a tank fill is $5. So it would have taken a lot of dives recoup the cost of purchasing tanks... but we wanted the convenience of being able to dive on the spur of the moment, and ended up buying 4 tanks (two new, two used)... and "re-enlisted" an old steel 72 for one of my kids that I had stored in a closet for many years!

As a testament to the longevity of tanks, that 72 was the tank I bought when I was first certified at age 18 in 1976! The last time I had used it was in the mid-'80s. I took it to the LDS, had it initially checked out, got a thumbs-up from the dive shop, so I had it tumbled, hydro-tested and inspected, replaced the blowout plug on the the still -good original US Divers tank valve and it was good to go. It was fun to able to use a piece of equipment that got me started in diving as a teenager now that I'm, well, "older" :)
 
Another point aginst owning a tank is if all you do is dive from charter boats, most boats provide tanks, tank fill, and weights. So, why lug all the extra weight around if it will be there when you arrive?

Exceptions: boats that don't provide tank, you dive doubles, you choose not to dive an aluminum 80, etc....
 
Halemano's post pretty well covers the pros and cons.

Rather than doing a comparison of costs, another approach is to simply look at what effect rental vs. owning will have on your diving. If you plan your diving well in advance and/or rentals are convenient then owning may not help you much. OTOH, if the hassle of going off to get a rental tank (or two) keeps you and your buddy from diving on the spur of the moment, then buying tanks is the way to go. You need to do a bit of research to find out where and how much rentals are, and then find out how much air fills cost and how long they will take -- i.e. do you have to make two trips, just like with a rental, or will they fill for you while you wait.

If your normal dive trip is 2 dives, then you should figure on buying 2 tanks per diver.
 
If you have a Compressor,i woud say yes.

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E.L.7*
 
In my opinion it is all about convenience. Not just being able to dive spontaneously, but also not having to hassle with return of rentals. I found this was the biggest objection for me as I was having to take time off work to return tanks after each weekend to avoid additional rental fees. My time is worth more money in this respect than the $3.00 I save for each dive. That is why I own my own tanks.

'bob
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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