Steel tanks: How much haze are you comfortable with?

[PfcAJ]

surface rust is not a disqualifying factor. Anything you do to further clean it is simply a matter of personal preference. A bigger question to me is....why are you using a steel 72? #toooldtouse

Nothing wrong with old steel 72s that pass hydro and VIP.

Perpetuating diving myths don't help anyone.

 

[Bob DBF]

A bigger question to me is....why are you using a steel 72?

Aside from being cheap and plentiful, sometimes an old steel 72 is the right amount of air for the dive.



Bob

 

[Tracy]

surface rust is not a disqualifying factor. Anything you do to further clean it is simply a matter of personal preference. A bigger question to me is....why are you using a steel 72? #toooldtouse

Why do ignorant people feel the need to pass on their ignorance?
There are few tanks I like to dive better than a 72, similar capacity to a aluminum 80, but cheaper, lighter on land, and heavier in the water.
Why do you think a steel 72 is too old to use? They have no set lifespan. I have many of them going clear back to the late 50s.

 

[scubafanatic]

Nothing wrong with old steel 72s that pass hydro and VIP.

Perpetuating diving myths don't help anyone.

...actually, it does help those wanting to buy 72's on the cheap!

 

[Brandon]

Nothing wrong with old steel 72s that pass hydro and VIP. Perpetuating diving myths don't help anyone.

I'm sure he believes it helps him... he owns a dive shop in a difficult market. His other favorite is that "your life support equipment should not be older than your car."



Dove my USD 72s this weekend; original hydro dates are 1965. I'm with Bob - plenty of dives out there for which a 72 is the right amount of gas. Especially so with a stout fill.

For the OP - I don't worry about flash rust all that much. Cleans out really easy with a tank whip; I like the one that uses green scrubby pads.

-B

 

[Captain Vanoy]

I have a late 70s set of double 72s with a more modern manifold that gets dove on a fairly regular basis. Not as much as my double hundreds or my singles but sometimes i don't need that much gas and still want redundancy.