U S Divers tank 1964

[superstar]

A co-worker of mine found scuba gear at a yard sale. He bought it cheap knowing he could sell it to me. This very sweet tank was part of the buy. The inside has some type of coating in it. Who manufactured tanks for U S Divers back then? What is the coating inside?

 

[Luis H]

That looks like a PST. The inspection agency/ hydro station certification symbol is from Cocharn Labs.

The interior coating was often an epoxy paint. It is probably the dark brown or dark blue type. If it looks smooth and there are no signs of blister you don't have to do anything to it. If there is any rust under the coating you need to tumble and remove at least the affected areas.

The worst thing about those coating is that they are kind of thick and dark, which makes it hard to judge if there is any rust under the coating.

There was also a white coating that is a lot easier to inspect since it shows any imperfections a lot easier.

The other issue with that tank is that it is not galvanized under the yellow paint. It is not as big of an issue where you are (if you only dive in fresh water), but I would avoid any salt water diving with it. I would also wire brush any spots the paint has cut (like at the hydro numbers) and touch it up with a paint stick.