buy or rent tanks?

[Al Mialkovsky]

My wife and I have 15 tanks of our own ranging from 19 to 120's. I am an instructor and could get tanks whenever I wanted for no charge. But having my own tanks here at home makes life easy. There are times I'll use my tanks instead of the shops for a private class or specialty since the 40 mile round trip isn't cost effective these days.

My wife and I each dive hundreds of dives a year. So we get our use out of them. I think a person that isn't diving much should save their money. There's an average cost of 150 for an aluminum plus the yearly vis and of course the hydros. Do the math and you'll know if the extra few bucks for renting is worth it.

But I think it makes sense to have at least one tank of your own, just in case you get the urge to dive in some local puddle on the spur of the moment.

 

[FengShui]

I was just at my LDS asking about rental prices on tanks. For me it would be $8 a day rental for a full tank, refills are $4. With AL80's going for about $150, if I were to rent more than about 40 tanks a year it would pay to buy. If I wanted a steel tank I would have to be renting more than 80 times a year. That is a lot of rentals. I just convinced myself that I really don't need to buy a tank.

This is only true if you don't expect the tanks to last more than a year. Since a scuba tank can last a good 20-30 years before it fails a hydro, you have to amortize the costs over the entire 20 year period, presuming that you're going to be diving that long. $150 for an AL80 is pretty high. You can get AL80's for $99 fairly often here in LA. Another thing to check with is local scuba clubs. Many clubs have deals arranged with the LDSs that allow members to get a certain number of free fills every month or year. That can change the math signficantly.

Also, don't forget to add in the eventual resale value of the tanks. Steels seem to hold value better than AL80's, although you can usually get $50 on ebay even for a pretty old AL80.

 

[The Wanderer]

I was just at my LDS asking about rental prices on tanks. For me it would be $8 a day rental for a full tank, refills are $4. With AL80's going for about $150, if I were to rent more than about 40 tanks a year it would pay to buy. If I wanted a steel tank I would have to be renting more than 80 times a year. That is a lot of rentals. I just convinced myself that I really don't need to buy a tank.

Joe

When you figure in the value of your time and the expense of two trips to the LDS instead of just one for a fill, then your expenses add up to more $$$ than you may realize.

 

[Don Burke]

I am currently using two borrowed tanks. The cost of nitrox fills, added with the yearly inspection cost makes me wonder if it would be easier to just rent tanks instead of buying my own.

I think the rental fee is just about what a fill costs...and as long as the shop is reputable, the tanks should be current on required inspections.

Pros? Cons?

All advice and ridicule is very much appreciated.

For owning, figure in the cost of the visual every year, a hydro every five years, sometimes making two trips to the LDS, and the difference between what you buy the tank for and what you sell it for.

For renting, figure in the PITA factor for not being able to get the size tank you want sometimes, the cost of taking full tanks of nitrox back when dives get blown out, and the PITA factor for not being able to keep filled tanks ready to go diving on short notice.

Around here, there is a few dollars of difference between renting and filling.

My personal break even was about thirty dives a year.

 

[JDostal]

I looked at tanks as the last thing I should buy.

Renting an AL80 at my shop ran about $7. Getting a fille on one is about $4.50. I dove those for awhile when starting out. Eventually my need for bigger tanks won out, and I bought e8-130's. Overall, it is nicer to have your own tanks, but when you are starting out I'd say just rent 'em. Look at them as something you don't buy until you need them, or you've got all of your other gear.

The downside is that you have to dive AL80's, or whatever the shop has. 80's don't have a ton of air, and their buoyancy kinda sucks. I like my steel tanks!

 

[DBailey]

On average how much are the annual inspections and hyrdo tests? I understand that it will vary from location to location.

 

[JDostal]

At my LDS, Hydro is 18, Visual is 6.

 

[seabat]

The wife and I have DIN fittings on our regs. We each have a steel tank with the same fittings. Most of the rentals we have used have the yoke fitting. We have adaptors. Not much of a reason but still a consideration for us.

From my wife's side, her tank is one of the shorter ones and is easier to use for her size. Rental tanks come in what ever size is available.

Ditto what others said on having to change bcd straps for different sized rentals, availability of rentals, late returns, and return of a unused tank due to aborted dive trip, and adding that if you are use to steel tanks and end up with aluminum rentals, you may have to adjust your weights.

After buying tanks the only time we rent is either on a boat trip or if we want to do a multi dive shore trip. Our last rental was $25 for two tanks. Figuring $12.5 for renting one tank, minus $7 for a typical airfill, and $325 for buying a steel tank (HP) gives approx. 60 dives before the tank is "paid" for. Conveniently forgetting cost of vip's and hydro I figure I have had 35 free dives already

 

[stratboy]

Thanks for all the responses!

I'm pretty sure I'll end up buying my own when I have to return my borrowed tanks. I also like the idea of using the same gear for every dive. I'm still a newbe, so for me, being familiar with my gear makes me feel safer.

 

[Don Burke]

Thanks for all the responses!

I'm pretty sure I'll end up buying my own when I have to return my borrowed tanks. I also like the idea of using the same gear for every dive. I'm still a newbe, so for me, being familiar with my gear makes me feel safer.

Be sure you have made up your mind on which tank you want before you buy.

Owning a tank you don't use is more expensive than anything we have talked about so far.