When does buying your own tanks benefit a diver?

[eelnoraa]

I don't think AL80 is such terrible tank as many think. I like them better than LP72 and HP80. And I like LP77 and HP100 more tho.

AL80 contains enough air so that my NDL time and about equal to my bottom time. Anymore air, it is for safety margin. LP72 only gets 72cf of air if they do 10% overfill. In my local experience, that hardly happens. Single LP72 limits my bottom time. HP80 is too short for me and I am only 5'6". I like LP77 and HP100's physical size best. Of course if money isn't issue, I will have HP100. With $$ factor in, I am using 4 AL80 now.

I am with Elan and Dr Wu, dive more than come back to think about tanks. They should be the last piece of equipment to buy.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I would say that overall probably the most popular tank today is the 3442 psi E7 100 CF steel.
They are a hair shorter than AL80's and are similar weight on land but require less weight when diving so that means packing around less weight on land overall which is great.
I have one big water heater tank (3442 E7 120) I use for charter boat diving, a 3442 E7 100 I use for shore diving, and a whole bunch of old school steel 72's that I adore even though they don't hold a lot of air, they are still sweet tanks to dive with. I use them for short shallow dives around my area, 30 to 40 foot dives for around 40 - 45 minutes.

I don't own any Al80 anymore because of the annoying buoyancy characteristics and the added weight I have to carry to offset their lightness underwater.
I dive in thick wetsuits in ice cold water.
If I was living where the water was warm I very well may be using AL80's.

 

[Minion_Diver]

Thank You all for the advice. I am 6'1" 160lbs and in good shape. The money right now aint with me, but I am thinking about buying 2 tanks whenever the money goes come around. but i wanted to get this out there and see from peoples experience what size tanks and whether steel or aluminum tanks are better.

 

[electrix]

My LDS was offering 20 free fills when you buy a tank, seemed like a good deal to me so I bought three.

 

[vondo]

You're still gonna have to have them filled somewhere... I bought my own tanks for a couple of reasons. It is 30 minutes to the dive shop from here, and it's in the opposite direction of the diving, I wanted steel 100s and they only rent al 80s, and I got tired of renting them, and something coming up that made it so I could dive the next day and me wasting my cash.

This is a great answer and is my situation as well. You'll notice that saving money isn't in that list. I probably will save enough in 5 years or so with maintenance vs. renting to pay off the tanks, but not having to run to the dive shop immediately before and after a day of diving is great. I can go later in the week when I've got other things to do in the area.

 

[Petert71]

Bought my own tanks. I know exactly how much weight to use and how to distribute it in the local conditions. Makes my boyancy control much easier.

 

[diveprof]

A friend just did the math. Based on the cost of tank rental and the extra cost of gas for him to make the "double" trips to the dive shop to rent tanks when he wants to do local diving, his breakeven point on buying at worthington steel 100 (world's best all around recreational dive tank) was 46 dives ('course he was making this argument to his wife - though the math looked right to me).

 

[Kiwi303]

renting tanks = $10 each per day
Buying tanks = $500 each for 15L steels + $3 per fill at the dive club compressor

(prices are local, not US)

If you dive 20 times a year, one tank per dive, thats $200 a year rental fees. Buy your own and at after 3 years you're paid free and clear with what you save from the rental costs.


I'm buying my own tanks as I find them cheap, I live in the rural boonies miles from any dive shop, and being able to grab a tank or two from the stash and hop in the car without having to worry about swinging past a shop to pick up tanks, or about returning them, is so much more appealing. To get them filled, just sling the empties in the back of the van when going to town for the fortnightly grocery shop and have them filled while I'm off stocking up on cereal and chocolate.

 

[ajtoady]

I bought my Faber 117's last Dec from my LDS and as yet have not paid for a fill.

 

[ReeferBen]

Although my LDS rents both steel and al, rentals are $10 and fills are $5. I didn't get my own tanks to save money but to avoid trips to the LDS. I can get them all filled and not worry about returning them. If I forgot to return or couldn't get there before the closed the 10 daily rental quickly became $20.

It is easy for me to go diving when I have a bunch of full tanks on hand. The used steel tanks I have, I got for around $200 a piece. In 40 dives I've paid my self back for one, but in reality the convenience alone was worth the purchase price. I have a few lp95's and love them. If the LDS over fills them to 3k I have tons of air to play with also. The buoyancy is great and I can take weight off the belt.

I still have a bunch of Al 80's also, my son dives with them. In a full 7mm suit, gloves and hood he only needs a little weight on the belt, so steel tanks wouldn't work as well for him, he would be too negative. Although I believe some steels are almost neutral when empty.