best place to buy tanks????

[tplyons]

I compared LeisurePro to my LDS and bought from the LDS.

LeisurePro had a lower initial cost, but after VIP and air fill, cost more. The higher cost from the LDS included everything and ended up being less expensive in the long run.

Speak with your LDS to determine the cost of the VIP and assembly, and add that to the cost from LeisurePro.

 

[Glenn08]

As mentioned in previous posts; where do you intend to get fills ? If you don't buy from the shop where you intend to get fills, you may run into some friction and funny rules. One shop I went to refused to even accept my tanks for hydro-testing because they were too old. (I did eventually find a shop to test my steel and Luxfer tanks = all passed).

 

[blc]

I guess it depends on which LSD you find? I visited seven LDS's in the last two weeks. Out of seven only two had tanks for sale in stock. One only had one 130 HP, which I did not want, and the another did have a few Al's. But it was staffed by teenage girls who did not even know what brand/size they were. I just passed on purchasing till I find a good shop to work with.

I guess most shops are just set up more for rentals than sales these days.

 

[SeaCobra]

If you already have a tank I also recommend getting your own transfill whip. That way if you buy a new tank you can put a couple hundred PSI in it. New tanks bought on line often come from the dealer with a VIP sticker from that dealer already applied. Put the valve on, toss a couple hundred PSI in with the whip, and then take it to get filled. No new vis needed until the one that came with it expires.

This is not a practice I would recommend. I realize there are some pretty silly dive shops out there, but you are better off finding an educated and reasonable dive center. If a customer brought me tanks bought from a reputable on-line retailer that had a current VIP sticker I would still like to take a cursory glance inside - at no charge. I've just seen more than once where I VIP'd a tank the following year and found the silica packets still in the tank.

Which is the other factor to put into your purchasing. When you buy a tank from me you get the VIP and fill (even nitrox up to EAN36). My prices will not be the same as on-line, but then again you get me, included in the price

 

[herbdb]

Check with your LDS. Tanks bought from my LDS get free vis and hydro inspections for life. This adds up over time.

 

[616fun]

That's why I only buy from on line retailers that use it. Any I only use shops for fills that want to see the VIP, they don't care where it's from.

I got turned away from a local dive shop with a TDI vis sticker and my name and Vis cert #. At exact comment was 'that sticker is better than your shop sticker because it has the actual inspectors name and certification number on it!'

Last time I graced the doors of that shop. It's been over 3 years.

 

[SeaCobra]

I would rather a vis sticker with a cert agency (PSI preferred) and inspector number than a dive shop, but I really do not like blank/generic ones. The 1988 and older luxfers I do insist on an eddy current test by myself or a dive center that I know has the unit, knows how to operate it and is certified.