US/EU Tank Conundrum; Please Help.

[theatis]

I've been contemplating buying my own tank for some time now but i have been putting it off because it's a complicated decision so i'm asking for some advice here where i hope the questions can be answered.

The basic issue is that i would like to buy tanks in the US where i live at the moment but that i will also be able to take back to Europe where i intend to return at some point in the future. Let me outline my thinking on this and please point out any mistakes.

I think that my best bet to accomplish this is to buy a Faber cylinder and obviate any potential uncertainties in the future such as the ongoing PST saga. I'm looking at the FX-117 specifically. Looking at the TDL site, it comes with a 3/4" valve by SANOSUB. According to the company, the valve is homologated with the 97/23 PED of the EU. So, even though it's not the more usual (for Europe) M25 thread opening, it should still be OK to hydro and viz the tank in the EU, right?

I really hope you guys can settle this for me. BTW, i know that there is the simple suggestion "wait until you go back and then buy tanks" but i'm sick of the Yoke AL80s that are available for rent here. Besides the buoyancy characteristics, i also have to use an adapter on my DIN regulator which pushes the 1st stage so far forward it hits the back of my head no matter how low i place the tank (which creates other issues)!

Thanks and sorry for the long post.

 

[TeddyDiver]

The basic issue is that i would like to buy tanks in the US where i live at the moment but that i will also be able to take back to Europe where i intend to return at some point in the future. Let me outline my thinking on this and please point out any mistakes.

Atleast you need manufacturers certificate about the specific tank meeting EU regulations. Besides that there are some (varying in countries) regulations having hydro and vis when impoted , or colour (yellow cylinder, black'n white colar) etc.
Quite tricky might be.. ,but you can allways sell the tank in states...

 

[Vicente]

Why not just a buy a steel DIN-equipped tank (used or new) here in the US, for diving in the US? Then when you leave just sell it on Craigslist?

I'm not sure there's much value in shipping it all the way back to the EU. A well-cared for steel tank you might lose a little money but you are not going to lose nearly as much as you do with ANY other piece of SCUBA equipment. I see good steel tanks on Craigslist frequently selling for 70-80% of current low-end retail prices. I would just consider the few bucks lost reselling them as a reasonable tradeoff.

I spend a lot more on dive-trips than I do equipment.

 

[rjack321]

Just sell the tank here when you are done with it. The hassles and dangers of having 3/4" tanks and valves in a land of M25 threads is just not worth it.

Faber tanks sold in the US are not marked for EU use as already pointed out. The whole hydro process will be next to impossible too.

 

[JessH]

I know this is a little old but I just wanted to let you know that you can actually find DIN tanks for rent locally. Austin Aqua Sports has a number of Steel 95s which have the Thermo Pro valves on them. these valves are DIN valves with a yoke insert. You just need to take the yoke insert out with an alen wrench, I am sure mike at aqua sports will even do this for you if you let him know that you want a DIN tank. Another nice thing is that they don't mind fully filling these tanks, so you end up with plenty of air.

~Jess