When does buying your own tanks benefit a diver?

[halocline]

What size tank would you recommend for someone who is just getting into diving?

Small and cheap! I'd buy used tanks, either AL80s, AL63s, or LP72s. Everyone's going to talk about H100s, and they are nice tanks, but unless your local diving is fairly deep and/or you don't mind spending $300 or so on a tank to start with, there are less expensive options that will get you going. Once you own a tank, you'll like the convenience so much that you'll almost certainly get another or a few more. It can really add up if you're buying new steel tanks, and there are lots of used tanks around.

Because most of my local diving is very shallow and warm, I end up using the LP72s more often than anything else. They cost about $50 each. Used AL 80s or 63s should be under $100; just research enough to make sure you're not buying one that's made out of the older alloy. You'll never get those filled, and many shops are cagey about any older AL tanks. So, best to stick with newer for AL....say manufactured after 2000 (just as a completely arbitrary number). It really depends on the attitude of the dive shop; they own the compressor. For example, I have no problem getting 2500 PSi fills on my 72s, but if your shop is skittish about going above 2250, you have 65s, not 72s.

Once you get more experience with your local diving, you can find tanks that really suit your diving perfectly; but that will probably involve spending more. Another advantage of smaller steel tanks for local diving is that they're great to carry around, only 26lbs each. AL80s weigh more and you have to carry more lead to sink the tank. Their main advantage is cost, and IMHO to a newish diver that's a big consideration.

Have fun!

 

[Scott L]

I would reccomend learning about diving. Forget tanks for a while.

Dr. Wu, do you want to tell us about your signature picture? :huh:

 

[Dr Wu]

What is it about God's creation that confuses you?

 

[Doc Harry]

I am still diving in... an area that has a dive shop...

Yeah, but your local dive shop in Morgantown is rather clueless. I took a steel cylinder in to them to ask about tumbling. Can you beleive that the dive shop asked me, "What's tumbling? Why would you want to tumble a scuba tank?"

In your specific case, the best reason to buy some cylinders is so that you don't have to deal with your local dive shop. Your local fire department probably has SCBA units and therefore can fill your tanks with air.

When you need VIP or hydro, take your tanks up to Jim Gazica at Washington Scuba in Washington, PA. Jim is very knowledgable and his scuba services are top notch. Washington Scuba is only about 30 minutes north of you, and you'll get much better service.

When I moved to that area there was no local dive support, so I bought my own compressor and a dozen cylinders, and do all of my own cylinder inspections and maintenance. If I need anything that I can't do myself, I will bypass the shop in Morgantown and do the 90-minute drive to Washington Scuba.

 

[scubafanatic]

Assuming you plan to travel (fly) to dive destinations, where you can't be bringing your own tanks, it might be a good idea to consider purchasing AL80's afterall, so you can practice at home with the exact same tanks you'll be issued on your vacations....just sayin'.

 

[DwayneJ]

Owning tanks allows diving 24x7 and tanks can be specifically configured to meet your dive requirements. Worst case, a dive store may not have the tanks you need when you need them. Al 80's and steel HP 100's are very versatile. The HP 100's can be doubled up with a manifold.

I primarily have been using a HP 120 and a HP 100 as my 1st/2nd dive tanks. I use a 2nd HP 100 together with my 1st HP 100 for side mount diving and both HP 100's can be doubled up with a manifold to make a twin set. I have an AL 40 and AL 80 I use for backup gas when CCR diving. All my tanks have DIN valves.

Dwayne

 

[AnotherNewguy]

I'm still very much in my reading and learning stage of diving but wanted to emphasize something to anyone browsing like me - the steel tanks are amazing if you want to shed weight from your BC. As a fairly fluffy fella', I was diving just short of 30 lbs and dropped to 16 when I rented a steel last weekend. Not having ~15 lbs of weight in the BC to carry around was a great difference and the 30 lbs on my front with a buoyant tank on my back was just insanely frustrating. I'll be looking for steel tanks just because it was so much easier than the AL80s we were using.

And at the $4 a lb the local dive shop charges for weights (I had just been borrowing to avoid buying), I save enough by not needing the weights to put towards a tank.

 

[elan]

If you were needing 16 lb with a steel you will likely need 22 not short of 30 with aluminum unless you were diving some weird steel tank or you were diving salt water with al and fresh with the steel. The diffence between them is usually in a range of. 4-8 lbs

 

[AnotherNewguy]

If you were needing 16 lb with a steel you will likely need 22 not short of 30 with aluminum unless you were diving some weird steel tank or you were diving salt water with al and fresh with the steel. The diffence between them is usually in a range of. 4-8 lbs

I was wondering about that myself while reading through this, actually. I must've been overweighted before and just didn't know it. It was the same dive conditions.

I wonder why my dive shop folks suggested such a change though. The dive shop owner told me to go all the way down to 10 as the tank should weight me an extra 15 lbs. He used the 15 lb figure so if it's actually only 4-8, he was insanely off. Things to keep my eye on in the future, I guess.

 

[Akimbo]

As you have read, there are a lot of factors in the calculation. Basically, a rental tank requires two trips to the dive shop — rent full on one day and return the next versus one trip between dives for the fill. Rental options are much more limited if you have human factors issues such a size, weight, or capacity. It also makes a huge difference as to how often you dive. There is a fixed operating cost for hydros and inspections whether you dive once or 500 times a year. The same consideration goes for how many times you have to make that extra trip to return a rental.

Then there is where you dive. Many dive boats supply air and bottles, as do dive resorts. On the other hand, if you dive in remote locations where there are a couple of days of round-trip travel and no dive shops, rentals can get costly. Having to time passing a dive shop on a trip in both directions during business hours can be difficult.