buy or rent tanks?

[Kim]

If you are like me then you can only use your own tanks close (driving distance)from home. I dive locally with my own tanks. If I go to Okinawa to dive I have to rent - it would cost far more to take my own tanks with me. I suppose that adds up to = if you dive a lot locally, get your own tanks: if you have to fly, probably don't bother!

 

[fldivenut]

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

You have to look at it in a longer perspective. Like 5 years, buy tank and $10/year in inspection is $190 for 5 years. So if you if you dive less than about 10 times a year I guess from an economic point of view you should rent. (with gasoline cost and resell value as pointed out elsewhere even less)

However there are convience and quality things to consider too. Old rentals with lousy valves, new tanks in the garage always available.

Then there are dive comfort things too. I don't dive ALU tanks because of their bouyancy "problems". (85cuft LP steel has same size and weight as ALU 80, but no positive bouyancy and holds 100cuft+ filled to 3200psi, a healthy reserve.)

If you dive locally do you research and buy tanks, you'll dive more and get more out of diving, as with your other gear.
--A

 

[SDAnderson]

Reduced to a strictly economic decision, I suspect that most recreational divers will find that renting is cheaper in the long run than owning. Nonetheless, I know that I found it more convenient and safer to own my tanks, if not always the most cost effective decision...

Owning your tanks means never having to call the dive shop to see if tanks are available. If you own your tanks, you can get fills on Tuesday morning if that's the most convenient time for you. It also means that you only need to make one trip to the shop - for fills - instead of two to pick up and then drop off the tanks.

Owning your own tanks also means that you know where they've been and how they've been treated. Anyone who inspects tanks has some pretty frightening horror stories about some of the things they've seen inside some cylinders. Nobody treats rental gear with extra care, if you own your own you breathe easier, figuratively and often literally.

 

[Cudabait]

If you can afford 'em, buy 'em and keep 'em filled. You will dive more just'cause they are available when you want to go.

Regards,

 

[armyscuba]

Buy, Buy, Buy, Their Yours..You Know where they've been..They supply life support to Your body underwater..Rent when You travel if You must..

 

[Boat]

Pros:
Convenience---don't have to make a trip to the dive shop
Availability---dive shops aren't open 24hrs
Reliability---I know the tanks have been maintained
Cost of fills vs rentals---considered on a long term scale
Use without being on someone elses timeline---getting the rentals back on time
Investment---recoupe some cash at some point

Cons:
Will rarely use outside of "local" area diving
Much weight to lug around to and from home
Difficult to travel with---air travel for sure
Cheap cost---for one dive
Recurring cost---Hydro/VIP

It's worth it to me---bought a set of Catalina AL C80's today......

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I bought used tanks at garage sales and from friends. Of couse they had to have a recent hydro and if out of vis, still be recent. Never a problem, and saved me a few bucks.
If you are diving a lot, the choice to dive when you want is a major factor. I can look out the window and decide to go diving, any time day or night and have tanks ready to go without having to wait get atank from the shop.
Ulimetely, the choice is yours. There are a lot of good opinions here in this thread.

 

[Curt Bowen]

You have to look at it in a longer perspective. Like 5 years, buy tank and $10/year in inspection is $190 for 5 years. So if you if you dive less than about 10 times a year I guess from an economic point of view you should rent. (with gasoline cost and resell value as pointed out elsewhere even less)

You forgot that you can always sell the tank and get back at least $80-100 so its only $90 for 5 years