Tank storage for high-rise dwellers

[2airishuman]

Thanks for the replies

In thinking about this further, might an RV be a useful option? Given that you have the means to consider two homes and a luxury sport like SCUBA diving, perhaps an upscale RV would provide you optimal flexibility and forego the need for a second home.

All things we've considered. Had an Airstream for 10 years and averaged 20 nights a year in it but have decided to move on and sold it last summer. A major factor was declining availability of campsites.

I have a sailboat. Finding marina services that are suitable and reasonably priced is a major problem on the Atlantic coast in Florida. So is dealing with hurricane risk in a cost effective way. Combine that with the inflated housing costs in the Keys and we get priced out.

Lots of possibilities. Maybe a bigger sailboat and stay on that during the winter and keep a home base in Minnesota. I'm pretty sure we'll end up in a condo on the Minnesota end whatever we do. Tired of having to drive everywhere and be committed to yard maintenance and snow removal, so the next step is closer to everything and with other people responsible for the exterior.

 

[_Ralph]

Some possible life changes coming up due to kids graduating from high school. We may sell our house and get two modest condos or townhouses so we can split our time between Minnesota and Florida.

We are looking at high-rise condos at least on the Minnesota end for reasons of overall cost, amenities, and more reliable ability to leave unattended for a winter without surprises the following spring.

What to do with the dive cylinders I'm planning to keep in Minnesota? Do apartment/condo managers, in practice, go all hazmat and insist they be removed from the property? What about the storage lockers run by places like UHaul and Public Storage?

I have 20+ cylinders but some of them would go to Florida.

I’ve found self storage places do not let you keep pressurized vessels of any sort (propane, map, etc)

Will they search you locker randomly? Most likely not...

Just casually ask your building manager. Bring up you’d like to store your sports equipment inside, which includes scuba tanks. I’ve never had an issue....

For the actual storage...
I use 4 sections of ikea wire racking for most of my tanks (haven’t put doubles on it....)

Stores my CCR, sorb, DPV, and ~20 single cylinders, with some extra flare items as well..

2x high, 2x deep with a board at the back so I don’t push a cylinder thru the drywall. Ranked up 36”x30” of footprint by roughly 6ft high

Attached a photo... I’m between dives so not all gear is pictured, but should give you an idea (AL30/40/80, LP85, HP130, 2/3L tanks)


_R

 

[arbby]

Hurricanes + mobile homes + zero feet above sea level = suboptimal.

I don't know. If you're a few feet above sea level and there's a hurricane don't you want your house to be mobile?

 

[lowwall]

This is a photo of Mexico Beach in the panhandle after Michael in 2018. It was mostly mobile homes.

There's plenty of pictures like that of single family homes after Andrew and other hurricanes. Evacuations and hurricanes are part of the risk of living anywhere in coastal Florida. Anyway, it's a heck of a lot easier to replace a mobile home than to get a house rebuilt after a hurricane.

I'm not from the Briny promotion board, but I had the same reaction as above when my friends moved there. But I've spent some time there and enjoyed it (my kids too) so I thought I'd offer it as an option.

 

[scubadada]

Thanks for the replies



All things we've considered. Had an Airstream for 10 years and averaged 20 nights a year in it but have decided to move on and sold it last summer. A major factor was declining availability of campsites.

I have a sailboat. Finding marina services that are suitable and reasonably priced is a major problem on the Atlantic coast in Florida. So is dealing with hurricane risk in a cost effective way. Combine that with the inflated housing costs in the Keys and we get priced out.

Lots of possibilities. Maybe a bigger sailboat and stay on that during the winter and keep a home base in Minnesota. I'm pretty sure we'll end up in a condo on the Minnesota end whatever we do. Tired of having to drive everywhere and be committed to yard maintenance and snow removal, so the next step is closer to everything and with other people responsible for the exterior.

I've had a townhouse just north of Boynton Beach for about 8 1/2 years. Of course, I bought at the bottom of the recession. I'm 3 miles from Boynton Harbor Marina, 15 miles from West Palm and BHB, 30 miles from Jupiter. I could go south to Pompano or Fort Lauderdale, but never do. This is the perfect location for me

 

[ScubaBunga]

This is a photo of Mexico Beach in the panhandle after Michael in 2018. It was mostly mobile homes.

Actually very little of that was trailer park. Most were beach cottages, including several that were two story multi unit condo buildings. Even large commercial and restaurants were completely wiped off the coast. Basically anything without current building code standards. I vacationed in that area almost every year for 30 years. I hope it recovers. That hurricane ripped the st joes ( t.h. Stone) state park in half. Removed 30’ dunes for a 20’ deep channel. The channel filled back in after about 8 months and I hear they are shoring it up to reopen the camping area at some point. It was nice to see at least the new building codes can stand up to such a monster of a storm. Gives me hope for tropical (and safe ) retirement.

 

[broncobowsher]

Get a copy of the bi-laws from the HOA of where you are looking to move to. No restrictions, you are good.
They are personal positions, not part of your occupation.
A folding wagon, tanks in the bottom, rest of the gear on top. They will know you are a diver but not see the actual tanks. I do this when I go to hotels.

 

[Rickk]

I don't know. If you're a few feet above sea level and there's a hurricane don't you want your house to be mobile?

He has his dive gear with him. He will be able to dive his living room.

 

[greeniguana]

Actually very little of that was trailer park. Most were beach cottages, including several that were two story multi unit condo buildings. Even large commercial and restaurants were completely wiped off the coast. Basically anything without current building code standards. I vacationed in that area almost every year for 30 years. I hope it recovers. That hurricane ripped the st joes ( t.h. Stone) state park in half. Removed 30’ dunes for a 20’ deep channel. The channel filled back in after about 8 months and I hear they are shoring it up to reopen the camping area at some point. It was nice to see at least the new building codes can stand up to such a monster of a storm. Gives me hope for tropical (and safe ) retirement.

Actually, I never said it was a mobile home park. Not sure why you want to argue semantics. Are people just supposed to demo their trailer and put up 20 foot high 150mph rated cement bunkers? With what? Grants? Donations?

I've lived here all my life, not just vacationing.

 

[O-ring]

Many years ago I lived in a condo and owned multiple sets of doubles and deco bottles. I was on the 3rd floor and kept them all out on my covered porch/sunroom. When I needed to load up for a dive trip I would go down and borrow the suitcase/valet carts from the lobby (the ones they put suitcases and hanging clothes on in hotels) and load them up with tanks, crates and dive bags and then take the elevator down to the parking garage and load up my car. Nobody ever gave me any grief about it.