Do you own your own tank just for home use? Cleaning and testing your gear?

[Scratch_Monkey]

I was curious if any of you own your own tank that you just keep at home solely for cleaning your gear when you get back from vacation and for testing before you go on vacation. In addition, having a tank would allow for more practice setting up your gear when you haven't been diving in a while. My diving generally consists of one or (hopefully) two weeklong dedicated scuba trips per year with my wife and we own our own gear. A week before the trip, each day as the trip approaches, my wife and I put on and take off our BCDs, put on our fins and remove them, and we start reviewing pre-dive checklists just so that we aren't totally brain dead on that first dive.

I'm asking because I've read advice that suggests rinsing your regulator while under pressure is safer in order to ensure water doesn't get in the first stage. Plus, while I get my gear inspected every year before we go on vacation (and I can verify performance at the shop before I go), maybe it would be nice to be able to hook up your regulator in the weeks before you leave just for a final sanity check.

I doubt I would every use the tank to actually dive with and think it would be around a $300 investment. Plus the cost of the fill but also I would probably need some sort of regular testing that a shop would require in order to do a fill?

Assuming I can afford the $300 initial purchase and some sort of occasional outlay for occasional testing, does it make sense? Or am I over thinking this?

 

[Ulfhedinn]

I would say... and may be wrong but over 80% of the people on this board own at least one tank. You can find some AL 80 or Steel 72s for around a $100.

Any yes I pressure mine when cleaning (soaking).

 

[O-ring]

Also - if you are just using it to test gear, pressurize for a soak, etc. one fill in an AL80 will last you a loooong time. You prob will only need to get it filled/VIP'd every few years vs. every year.

 

[Open Ocean Diver]

I have several. Use them in the pool, shore diving, cleaning and bench testing.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

One of my tanks is basically my "garage" tank..... I use it along with an old beat-up Conshelf 22 for adding air to truck, trailer, tractor tires and also have an old funnel taped to the octo exhaust port for general "blowing" **** off duties. Also, there are adaptors for the LP inflator hose so you can use it for any pneumatic tool like impact wrench or nail-gun. Just easier and quicker than using the compressor...

 

[Johnoly]

occasional outlay for occasional testing, does it make sense?

Every dive shop will rent you an AL80 air tank over nite for about $12. Take it home, check everything, put it in a full bath tub with your gear for bubbles and anything else. Then bring it back tomorrow. Really cheap and you don't have to worry about all the other fees you described.

 

[mi000ke]

I use a pony to test the IP before each dive and to rinse/soak my (Atomic) regs under pressure after each dive. Pony was cheap and it fits nicely in the bathtub. The local dive-gas shop fills it for anywhere from free to $5 depending on whose on the desk.

 

[GJC]

Renting overnight would be the least expensive way to go, but there is the inconvenience of 2 trips to the shop to get and return the tank.

Consider a smaller tank. 13 or 19 cu ft would be less than $200 new and easier to transport and store than an 80.

 

[broncobowsher]

If you have an AL80 around the house, you may find yourself more inclined to do a little local diving, even if it is just a swimming pool. Which is a good thing for keeping skills up to date.

 

[CycleCat]

I have an 8cf pony I use for pressurizing regs that need to be soaked. The nice thing is it''s as small as a sports water bottle so it's easy to fit in the soaking bin with the regs. I just fill it with a transfer whip from a bigger tank. If I was doing it over though, I would get something bigger.... maybe a 20. That is still small enough but won't run out of air as quickly.