What tanks for keeping on sailboat?

[napaheck]

Hello all,
I apologize if this has been covered. I spent an hour reading old theads but did not find anything specific.

My wife and I are getting ready to do some extended cruising and diving on our sailboat. I am looking at picking up 4 scuba tanks for the first season. I was planning on just aluminum 80s, but I thought I would ask if anyone has any exprice keeping steel tanks stored outside on a boat. It just seems like I would be asking for trouble because of the corrosion issues… but the buoyancy profile of steel is so much better.

Being a larger guy I may buy two 100s and two 80s for my wife.. I should also mention that this diving will all be west coast diving from Monterey to the Channel Islands
Thanks,

 

[rjack321]

Do you have access to (enough) fresh water to rinse them off after dives and any rough weather?

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Hello all,
I apologize if this has been covered. I spent an hour reading old theads but did not find anything specific.

My wife and I are getting ready to do some extended cruising and diving on our sailboat. I am looking at picking up 4 scuba tanks for the first season. I was planning on just aluminum 80s, but I thought I would ask if anyone has any exprice keeping steel tanks stored outside on a boat. It just seems like I would be asking for trouble because of the corrosion issues… but the buoyancy profile of steel is so much better.

Being a larger guy I may buy two 100s and two 80s for my wife.. I should also mention that this diving will all be west coast diving from Monterey to the Channel Islands
Thanks,

No corrosion concern if you can find Hot Dip Galvanized steels. I wouldn't want to keep painted steels on a boat and stored outside. My preference would be (1) HDG Steels, (2) Aluminum, (3) Painted Steels (a DISTANT 3rd).

 

[johndiver999]

I think the steel tanks should hold up fine if you keep them out of the bilge. We have galvanized steel tanks that have spent many months (cumulative time) on the deck in salt spray with very little corrosion - but I do admit I rinse them at the end of the day. If you are anal, I bet you could throw a coat of wax on them once a month and keep them really nice. Gray (non-painted) galvanized tanks seem better than painted ones.

 

[Tracy]

I use cheap tanks for leaving on the boat. I use old vinyl coated steel 72s. Should they eventually be ruined, I am out very little money.

 

[grantmac]

Hard to beat some old steel 72s

 

[Still Kicking]

No corrosion concern if you can find Hot Dip Galvanized steels. I wouldn't want to keep painted steels on a boat and stored outside. My preference would be (1) HDG Steels, (2) Aluminum, (3) Painted Steels (a DISTANT 3rd).

Aluminum tanks do not hold up well in a perpetually damp environment. Water gets trapped under the valve and galvanic corrosion starts eating away. Eventually the oring won't seat properly and you get fizzing. Sometimes it can be polished out; sometimes not. See it frequently with hull cleaner tanks.

If you keep Al tanks on the boat, bag and tape off the valves to keep them dry. Also rinse and dry after diving of course.