Tanks?? New/Used or Rent???? Which is better?

[Jim Lapenta]

I have at present 8 main tanks-4 steel 72's, 2 lp95's, and 2 hp 80's. Along with a 19 cu ft pony and 40 cu ft stage. Add to that two argon bottles for my dry suit and you have a little money wrapped up in them. However I did what many have suggested and bought used except for my 19 and the 2-80's. My 72's were 75 bucks each from the shop. My 95's I got when I met a guy in Key Largo who was getting out of cold water diving and did not need them anymore. Price- 200 bucks for two 95's with bands and manifold. I sent him 300 because it was such a good deal. Plus 68 dollars shipping from minnesota to pa. Now since I work for a shop I get free air including nitrox, do my own vis's, and the owner does not charge me for hydros. So for me buying was really a no brainer. I always have at least 4 filled at any one time and so there is no waiting whenever I want to go. Plus even though we are switching to steel for our rentals we had mostly aluminum and I prefer to dive steel. Our rental al's we sell off as we add the steels for 100 bucks. This includes new hydro, vis and fill. Buy a couple and we can deal a little more. I'm probably going to end up with one for a stage deco bottle to add to my 40.

 

[Dive-aholic]

$2 to rent a tank?! Wow. It's $5 here, or $10 to rent a HP tank. (Add $5 to each for fills.)

At $15 per filled HP tank I am thinking it makes sense to buy sooner than I hoped.

$2 is the difference between renting and filling your own.

You said buy them, I say dont buy them, based on the dollar and cents.

Based on convience we both say buy them. So yeah in a way you did....

Okay, I see that now. I thought you were saying to buy them based on dollar and cents, too.


BTW, between my wife and I and the tanks I have at my mother's back east, we own 26 tanks right now.

 

[Cali_Rec_Diver]

Well so many people responded with what I was thinking. The money adds up either way, just depends on how you look at things I suppose. However as most people have said and knowing myself for last minute planning I can see how having your own tanks would be worth the price. Thanks everyone for all the advise. I will check out some of the lds's when I return in a couple of months. I should be back just in time for some nice summer dives. Good thing as I lost my wetsuit just when I came back from japan.

ok enough from me today. I have a four letter word to attend to.
thanks again everyone.

 

[kidspot]

It all depends on you and your diving habits - the "spontaneity" factor is a big one in my book.

I can rent a tank (filled no less) for $2 - $5. Buying turned out to actually be more expensive than renting (vis, hydro etc.), but I really like having my own tanks that I can keep ready for diving whenever I want. I keep a couple with EAN32 and the rest with air so I have some versatility on each dive I do. If a buddy calls me up at 10pm and wants to do an early morning dive ... no problem "let's go" or if I want to hit the water right after work, no need to run to the dive shop first, just pack the car and go.

What you do just depends on you

Aloha, Tim

 

[plot]

I wish I had this "spontaneity" factor... living 3 hours or so from the nearest halfway decent dive destination kills that theory though.

I still plan on buying 2 tanks come spring for the simple fact that it's nice to have a second bottle handy and renting two every trip out can get pricey (especially since, as I said, 3 hours from the nearest dive destination... for me that normally equates to a weekend trip leaving on friday, home by sunday. 3 days of rental fee's racking up in the process).

as for used vs. new... this thread has a lot of good reasons supporting buying new. I want to support my LDS though on my tank purchases so if they can deal me some used ones with current hydro, thats the route I'll personally tank. If it wasn't for my LDS, I'd go for new online.

 

[Dive-aholic]

I wish I had this "spontaneity" factor... living 3 hours or so from the nearest halfway decent dive destination kills that theory though.

I do, too. I still own my tanks. The closest shop to me is a 45 minute drive and they have limited hours. Being 3 hours away, I like to leave early, so I'd either have to pick up tanks the day before, or pick up tanks near the lake. I'd rather just have my own and fill at my convenience. I also sometimes just pick up and drive the 3 hours!

 

[Tortuga James]

There's not really a compelling financial arguement to purchasing your tanks but the convienience and spontenaity it allows are well worth it.

I really thought about this alot. Where I rent tanks in Morehead City (to dive from my boat or a friends) it is $8 to rent, $6 to fill. Add in the annual inspections, and I say it is a wash. My reasoning is that it would simply save me one trip to the LDS if I had my own tanks, to get filled. If I did that after the dive, I wouldn't have to stop in before diving. And with your own tanks, you don't to worry about returning them after the dive, and you can get fills when it is convenient. But then you have to worry that the tank will slowly lose max pressure, and if you don't check before leaving, get to the dive site with 2500psi. If you do check and it is low, you have to go get it topped off.

Personally, I like stopping into the shop in the morning before diving, to catch up on conditions, etc the last few days from the Captains.

That is a long way to say that I still feel like that owning tanks would only save me the hassle of returning to the LDS in the afternoon. I just don't think there is a financial case to be made.

Ken
www.lulu.com/krosemond

 

[kidspot]

if you're losing 500psi due to your tanks just "sitting" I'd say something is leaking or it's way too long between dives

I was given a tank that had been sitting for 15 years and the pressure was still over 2500psi (lp steel tanks)

 

[Dive-aholic]

I really thought about this alot. Where I rent tanks in Morehead City (to dive from my boat or a friends) it is $8 to rent, $6 to fill. Add in the annual inspections, and I say it is a wash. My reasoning is that it would simply save me one trip to the LDS if I had my own tanks, to get filled. If I did that after the dive, I wouldn't have to stop in before diving. And with your own tanks, you don't to worry about returning them after the dive, and you can get fills when it is convenient. But then you have to worry that the tank will slowly lose max pressure, and if you don't check before leaving, get to the dive site with 2500psi. If you do check and it is low, you have to go get it topped off.

Personally, I like stopping into the shop in the morning before diving, to catch up on conditions, etc the last few days from the Captains.

That is a long way to say that I still feel like that owning tanks would only save me the hassle of returning to the LDS in the afternoon. I just don't think there is a financial case to be made.

Ken
www.lulu.com/krosemond

Tanks shouldn't lose pressure from just sitting. As long as the valve is closed, the air is trapped.

I understand your point about not owning tanks. Some of us don't have the convenience of being able to stop at the LDS on the way to or from the shop. Usually the shop doesn't open early enough. And, for me, the shop is almost an hour's drive away.

 

[GA Under Water]

Glad I have 3 LDS with 10 min of my home, WHEW driving an hour to a shop would stink