Should I continue to rent tanks?

[Wheatondiver]

Should I continue to rent tanks? One shop rents steel. Another rents aluminum. My son and I have all the other gear (BCD, regs, wetsuits). The shop that rents the steel has a two day minimum - $15.00 per tank for the two days. The shop that rents alumimum will rent per day for $9.00 per tank per day. One quarry that we dive does not have any air fill. Some other locations that our club dives also does not have air fill. If we planned on diving more than once, we would have to run out and get an air fill. That would be a good surface interval if we ever decided to so.

This year 2007 we have done two dives requiring renting tanks here and plan on 3-4 maybe 5 (depending on temperature) more before the end of 2007.

At what point should I think about purchasing our own tanks?

 

[Web Monkey]

Should I continue to rent tanks? One shop rents steel. Another rents aluminum. My son and I have all the other gear (BCD, regs, wetsuits). The shop that rents the steel has a two day minimum - $15.00 per tank for the two days. The shop that rents alumimum will rent per day for $9.00 per tank per day. One quarry

Buy tanks! It might or might not be cost effective, but you'll get to dive more if you know that you have some full tanks sitting in your garage, and don't have to make a trip to rent them, then bring them back.

As long as you have some tanks in the garage, you and your son can go diving any time the spirit moves you, and you can't put a price on memories.

If you have patience, you should be able to find a great deal on used steel tanks. Assuming they pass hydro and vis, they should outlast you. I know we have steel tanks hanging around from the 50's and 60's and they're still perfectly good and get used all the time.

Terry

 

[Matt S.]

Agreed on all counts.

I own one steel tank and am awaiting delivery of my second. The prices were good: a 100 for $250 and a 119 for $275.

Does it make sense financially? Well, my LDS rents tanks for $10/day, and of course they come filled. Just a fill is $5. So, every time I use my tank, I save $5. The $250 tank will be paid off in 50 dives, less than a year for me. Oh, add a few more dives to cover yearly vis and hydro every 5 years. It still works out.

But as much as the savings, there is the convenience factor that Terry mentioned, and it is huge. Filled tank in the garage, my gear in bins ready to go... That means diving on short notice. And no trip back to the dive shop as soon as I get home, I can go get a fill at my convenience.

And there is one other good thing about owning my own tanks--I can get big, fat steel tanks, which I can't rent. My LDS can only rent me a steel LP 80, or a HP 80 tank for $5 more. My tanks are 100 and 119 with DIN valves, exactly what I want. Are you renting exactly what you want, or just what's available?

 

[cwkline]

Wheatondiver,
My initial response would be, that depends. I don't know which quarries you are diving, but I'm guessing Hydes in Westminster. I'm also not familiar with any shops in your area, but you might want to consider renting till you can find the tank that will fit you type of diving. I used to dive steel 120's, but now find myself using steel 80's. I get about 1 1/2 hours as long as I stay 60 feet or above. But I dive warm water now, and in cold water was only getting about an hour with the 120 and then would get cold. I also have to agree that used might be the way to go. Keep looking and you can probably find a deal. Ask at your shop, sometimes they get consignment stuff.
Safe Dives
Charlie

 

[spectrum]

At what point should I think about purchasing our own tanks?

When the lack of cylinders on standby in your dive locker causes you to miss dives is big factor IMO.

Miserable logistics that have you driving all over creation to fetching and returning cylinders is number 2.

For the number of dives you describe the payback will not be quick once you factor VIPs and the 5 year hydro but you should come out ahead over time. If being able to dive on the spur of the moment results in more dives then it's a win-win.

Owning also sets you up to dive the cylinders of your choice.

Working your way to 2 cylinders each will let you settle in for a 2 dive day without making an air run.

Pete

 

[ReefHound]

Does it make sense financially? Well, my LDS rents tanks for $10/day, and of course they come filled. Just a fill is $5. So, every time I use my tank, I save $5. The $250 tank will be paid off in 50 dives, less than a year for me. Oh, add a few more dives to cover yearly vis and hydro every 5 years. It still works out.

The payoff is even quicker if you count the gas and time to make two trips to the LDS when renting compared to one trip to fill a tank you own.

 

[Matt S.]

True, but probably more true for other people than myself. I'm lucky in that I can get fills right on my commute, so the extra time/gas is negligible.

 

[Shasta_man]

Also depends if you have some place to put them...

At that rate of dives, it seems to be a considerable time to pay off.

The determining calculation is how easy to rent and return, how many dives are you talking and do you have storage space at home for a permanent resident.

 

[TravisD]

We're still new to this, but got tanks (1 per person) when we bought the "rest" (yeah, right) of our gear at the beginning of the year. It's made it MUCH more convenient to dive -- we're close to the quarry (Hyde's) so going to rent tanks meant driving a ways for pickup and drop-off so it wasn't really convenient -- even though Undersea is on the route that my wife takes to work, hours don't always match up.

The decision that we had to make halfway through the year was if we should get two MORE cylinders or not. We quickly rationalized that being able to get in two dives on one quarry entry fee was worth it.

Having air on-hand makes it a lot easier to pick up and go dive - I'd guess that we've probably been in the water twice as much this year than if we were still renting tanks. Just this past Sunday, we didn't thing we were going to be able to get wet due to necessary yard work, but around noon we realized we had some time so it was just a matter of throwing the gear in the truck and 10 minutes later we were suiting up.

Some other things to consider on both sides: Tanks are an additional maintenance expense - VIP's yearly, Hydro's every 5. Still relatively small change in the grand $scheme of the activity though.

Tanks, especially steels, will probably hold value much better than any other piece of gear. If you buy tanks, don't abuse them (leave empty, bad fills, etc), they already have a significant lifespan (check elsewhere for people still happily filling and diving tanks from the 50's and 60's). Even a lowly AL80 should be easily good for 10 years or more. You'll probably recoup 75% or more of the purchase cost to resell a steel tank that's had a recent Hydro if you decide to get rid of them after a year or two.

They're also one of the few things that you won't take with you on a trip. Great for local stuff, but useless if you fly and dive elsewhere.

 

[Hoosier]

Except the travel cost, prove it how much you can save with your own tanks.

It is a long way to offset the initial cost actually? Don't forget to count an air fill cost every tank you have and VIP cost every year.