First Tank Purchase...

[Arete]

So, I'm looking to buy my first tank.

I realise the bouyancy benefits of steel, but have only ever dove rented aluminium tanks (80's and 95's). I'm young and fit, and am generally not the person struggling to haul my gear around and I've found I get about an hour's bottom time at around 10-15m with a single 80.

As such I've discovered the cheapest new tanks available to me are Catalina 80's (disclaimer: I talk in Australian dollars) which sell for $199 AUD. The steel equivalent I've found is a 225Bar 85cuft Faber Steel tank for $329 (not sure how HP and LP figure over here, I generally hire Aluminium cylinders filled to between 200 and 240 Bar, dependant on the store. 232 bar seems to be the HP rating on steel cylinders...)

I've had a bit of a look on stores like Scubatoys etc and the S&H costs make buying locally a better option. A bit of a scout on ebay shows me that used in test AL80's go for around $180 and steel for around $2-300, so I may as well buy new.

Anyway I guess I'm wondering if it's worth spending the extra on the steel cylinder, or just grab the AL80 for now, or should I look at bigger/smaller cylinders... Thanks.

 

[Packhorse]

I started out with au tanks but now all 6 of mine are steel. I just brought 2 12L fabers (100cf ) for $360NZ each without vavles for doubles.
As they say in drag racing " there is no substitute for cubic inches". And it applys to diving too. Bigger is better. But it also depends on who you dive with. Whats the point of having a 15L steel when your dive buddy has a 10L. Also steel is good for cold water (thick wet suit and lots of bouyancy) while au is good for warm water. My guess is that Sydney diving would bennifit from steel.
If you are planning on getting a few tanks then a selection of sizes is nice. I have 1x 3L, 2x13.6L, 2 x12L doubled and 1x 10L.

 

[LobstaMan]

Unless you're diving in very warm, tropical waters, you are better off with steel cylinders. With basic care and maintenance(just post-dive rinse and yearly VIP) they'll last a very long time(I still use a steel 72 my dad bought brand new in 1966), take weight off your belt, give you more gas(in general) and they have better resale value. I have several tanks, but my favorite is the HP100. Lots of gas, good buoyancy characteristics, take weight off belt, but a tad expensive. Lots of guys rave about the steel LP cylinders like the 95s, but I have no experience with them.

AL tanks have their benefits too--cheapness, availability, cool neon colors....but go with steel. You won't be disappointed by spending the extra dough--whether it's Aussie dollars, Japanese Yen or US greenbacks.

Good luck,

LobstaMan

 

[ClayJar]

I started out with au tanks but now all 6 of mine are steel.

Okay, my apologies for commenting on a typo, but...

How ungodly negative would an Au tank be? It's so ductile, I wouldn't want to think about how thick the walls would be, and talk about a dense metal! Of course, I also wouldn't want to know how much it'd cost.

Oh, and for those without a periodic table handy, Au is the symbol for gold.

 

[spectrum]

IMO there is a lot to be said for diving an HP 80.....
http://home.gwi.net/~spectrum/scuba_al80.html

However if weight and size are not concerns then the ubiquitous AL80 begins to be an atractive $$ proposition. I think of it as mind over matter; If you don't mind then it don't matter!

Pete

 

[Arete]

Well I've found a 100cuft steel tank, 18 months old, out of test, max fill pressure 260Bar (3770psi) "Boss" brand... guy wants $150AUD ($110US) for it, so I'm going to have a look tomorrow. Any idea exactly what sort of cylinder it's likely to be?

 

[Packhorse]

Okay, my apologies for commenting on a typo, but...

How ungodly negative would an Au tank be? It's so ductile, I wouldn't want to think about how thick the walls would be, and talk about a dense metal! Of course, I also wouldn't want to know how much it'd cost.

Oh, and for those without a periodic table handy, Au is the symbol for gold.

You mean you dont have gold tanks? Total bling bling factor! I also have diamond studed regulators!

Sorry I ment alu as in aluminium as opposed to saying alloy as many seem to say. Arn't the steel ones alloy too

 

[Packhorse]

Well I've found a 100cuft steel tank, 18 months old, out of test, max fill pressure 260Bar (3770psi) "Boss" brand... guy wants $150AUD ($110US) for it, so I'm going to have a look tomorrow. Any idea exactly what sort of cylinder it's likely to be?

When you say its a 100cf how do you know that? I am assuming that tanks in Oz are rated the same as NZ. Ie metric.
WCx BAR= capacity in litres divide that by 28.3 (litres per CF) will give you your cubic foot rating. So working backwards if it is a 100 CF tank @260 bar then it must have a WC of 10.88 KG
Next question is what is the valve rated to. If its only rated to 232 bar then thats all most dive shops will fill it to. Also in NZ 230 bar is the limit set by OSH. It may be the same there.
So now your 100cf tank has become a (10.88x230/28.3=) 88 cubic foot.

My guess is that its a 12L faber.

 

[Arete]

So, I got it for $120 as his "18 months old" turned out to be "the only test date on the tank is 1998" Otherwise it looks brand new.
It's a "Catalina 7051" Working pressure .26MPA, Test Pressure .39MPA 10.9 Litre with a Sea Hornet yoke valve. It also has "K + 9.92" stamped on it... not sure what that means.
So yeah, basically a steel 88. Better than a more expensive AL80 I guess thanks for the help guys.

 

[Packhorse]

You sure its steel? I thought catalina only made aluminium. Got a magnet?