Somebody was selling 3 steel 120's and I was able to get a deal so................
At what point did you decide to buy your own tanks?
- Thread starter kwest
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I own 8 tanks 2hp 80 4hp 100 and 2 hp119 best scuba investment I bought i got them all used when I thought they were a bargain and steel doesn't often go bad so i could always resell them if need be without to much of a loss not to mention i have what ever mix or size I need in my garage
I don't live in NorCal but I'll contribute anyway. 
Most all of my diving up to this point has been on extended travels outside the US. But I still bought 1 tank to have around the house.
I use the tank to make sure my regulators are in good working order before taking them places where servicing can be inconvenient. Checking them for stable IP in the acceptable range, and taking them for a 20' dive in a muddy pond to be sure everything checks out can save alot of hassle later on.
And having the tank also allowed me to start rebuilding my regulators when needed, which has already paid for the cost of the tank a couple times over versus paying someone else to work on my regs. Gotta have the tank to be sure everything works after a rebuild.
Most all of my diving up to this point has been on extended travels outside the US. But I still bought 1 tank to have around the house. I use the tank to make sure my regulators are in good working order before taking them places where servicing can be inconvenient. Checking them for stable IP in the acceptable range, and taking them for a 20' dive in a muddy pond to be sure everything checks out can save alot of hassle later on.
And having the tank also allowed me to start rebuilding my regulators when needed, which has already paid for the cost of the tank a couple times over versus paying someone else to work on my regs. Gotta have the tank to be sure everything works after a rebuild.
Peter_C
Contributor
Like Jim Lap, I had two tanks before I got through open water. Craigslist is littered with almost new gear that is no longer being used. Keep an eye out for some tanks that are in hydro and vis.
It's more the convenience factor than anything for me. If I get up early in the morning with the itch to go diving, I don't want to wait around for a shop to open.
Soon enough you'll be asking about having your own compressor.
.
It's more the convenience factor than anything for me. If I get up early in the morning with the itch to go diving, I don't want to wait around for a shop to open.
Soon enough you'll be asking about having your own compressor.
.
CA_Diver
Registered
I've managed to pick up a several tanks off Craiglists; they're cheap and in good working condition. You just need to be patient; I've mostly seen AL80, but a good HP steel pops up every once in a while. The only problem is you may end up with a whole assortment of various tanks sitting in the garage. All in all though, tanks have a good resale value and you can probably put them right back on CL for more or less what you paid for, unless you really got ripped off.
Like Kupu, I like having a filled tank in the garage for testing my Regs and BC before an upcoming dive weekend to see if I need to rent anything the night before. Nothing worse than showing up to dive at sunrise or heading up north where the dive shops are few and far between and you BC's no working or reg is free flowing. Just from that stand point its nice to have them, not to mention there are all those attachments you can attach to the LP inflator hose that allow you to use it like it was an air compressor. That is unless you live on the 4th floor of an SF apartment like my buddy does, then I'd hesitate about buying my own tanks.
Like Kupu, I like having a filled tank in the garage for testing my Regs and BC before an upcoming dive weekend to see if I need to rent anything the night before. Nothing worse than showing up to dive at sunrise or heading up north where the dive shops are few and far between and you BC's no working or reg is free flowing. Just from that stand point its nice to have them, not to mention there are all those attachments you can attach to the LP inflator hose that allow you to use it like it was an air compressor. That is unless you live on the 4th floor of an SF apartment like my buddy does, then I'd hesitate about buying my own tanks.
So I owned all my own gear before even the class portion of my OW Class... once certified within the first 30 days I had 3 HP 100's.
The man reason for this was I wanted full control of my gear/trim/weighting/etc.
The man reason for this was I wanted full control of my gear/trim/weighting/etc.
cmburch
Contributor
There was a sale on Al80's about a month after our college SCUBA class, so I purchased a couple for my wife and I. I could not afford steel tanks until several years later. If you know what you're buying then Craigslist is good. Last year, I got a couple of new HP130's from there at a great price!
Owning your own tanks saves a lot of time and hassle. They are ready to go when you are. I drove by the dive shop several times each day, so it was easy to drop-off and pick-up tanks.
Owning your own tanks saves a lot of time and hassle. They are ready to go when you are. I drove by the dive shop several times each day, so it was easy to drop-off and pick-up tanks.
It's pretty much all covered here, great thread.
Generally, between fills, viz and hydro, you're not saving much money with your own tanks. But they really do give you the flexibility to dive when you want to, without having to stop somewhere to pick up and drop off rentals on a narrow timetable. They're also always consistent so you can dial in your buoyancy and get the pressure/capacity you need (a couple of times I've stopped by the LDS and they only had AL80s left to rent). Also, if you have DIN regs, it's sometimes harder to find rental tanks with the right valves.
Buying used is a pretty good way to save money on tanks (all of mine were purchased used), but do your homework first re. viz and hydro status, older tanks with now-nonstandard valve threads and older AL tanks which some shops may not fill.
Generally, between fills, viz and hydro, you're not saving much money with your own tanks. But they really do give you the flexibility to dive when you want to, without having to stop somewhere to pick up and drop off rentals on a narrow timetable. They're also always consistent so you can dial in your buoyancy and get the pressure/capacity you need (a couple of times I've stopped by the LDS and they only had AL80s left to rent). Also, if you have DIN regs, it's sometimes harder to find rental tanks with the right valves.
Buying used is a pretty good way to save money on tanks (all of mine were purchased used), but do your homework first re. viz and hydro status, older tanks with now-nonstandard valve threads and older AL tanks which some shops may not fill.
ranworth
New
Bought two HP 100 tanks right after getting certified. Planned on doing alot of diving which I have done. I like the fact I always have tanks ready to go and that I always dive the same congiuration. It also comes in handy if you meet a diver down in Monterey for a Monday dive and he as no tanks if you know what I mean Kevin!! Don't regret buying the two tanks, will they pay for themselves? Remains to be seen. By the way, I bought the HP 100's based on alot of the feedback from this site. They have been a great choice.
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