At what point do you buy a tank?

[rk288]

Lot's of excellent advice here. I live near Lake Erie and don't do that much cold, greenwater diving anymore. But, here's another vote for the "Convenience Factor".

The 4th of July...my son and I thought it would be good to go to the local quarry and jump in. Nice...cool, refreshing, fun, free and easy...

We have 4 Al80s and probably could use 2 more since there are some 3 tank days offered by our LDS. I bought those tanks new but probably would look at the used market next...

 

[aquaregia]

I don't think buying tanks is the right way to deal with being broke. It's good for when the dive shops are closed. It might save you money, but it's a big outlay for a pretty long term payoff. Keep in mind that if you want to oxygen clean the tanks that'll add to the cost, perhaps significantly depending on the local customs.

I own 11 tanks and I still rent relatively frequently, sometimes for selection, sometimes for nitrox and sometimes just because my car's full.

 

[BVickery]

I don't think buying tanks is the right way to deal with being broke. It's good for when the dive shops are closed. It might save you money, but it's a big outlay for a pretty long term payoff. Keep in mind that if you want to oxygen clean the tanks that'll add to the cost, perhaps significantly depending on the local customs.

I own 11 tanks and I still rent relatively frequently, sometimes for selection, sometimes for nitrox and sometimes just because my car's full.

Excellent point about the Nitrox and O2 clean stuff. Right now owning Nitrox tanks is going to be to expensive for someone like me, but normal tanks will easily be in budget AND will let me get in a lot more dives/year.

 

[boulderjohn]

Excellent point about the Nitrox and O2 clean stuff. Right now owning Nitrox tanks is going to be to expensive for someone like me, but normal tanks will easily be in budget AND will let me get in a lot more dives/year.

Getting tanks O2 clean might not cost much at all. If you buy the tank new, they come that way. If you buy a decent used tank, it won't take too much at all. The person who does a vis for you should be able to do it at a very reasonable additional cost.

EDIT: Here is a thread on this topic.

 

[aquaregia]

I've known people who have had to get o2 cleanings more than once a year, at $50 a pop. It shouldn't be that way, but it seems like sometimes it is. There's enough banked 32% where I'm from that I can avoid the issue.

 

[Splitlip]

Never seen it as an issue here. 11 years.

 

[BVickery]

Getting tanks O2 clean might not cost much at all. If you buy the tank new, they come that way. If you buy a decent used tank, it won't take too much at all. The person who does a vis for you should be able to do it at a very reasonable additional cost.

EDIT: Here is a thread on this topic.

I understand that, but my current diving skill I'm not even close to NDL times so Nitrox is kind of wasted on me for the moment and may be for over a year til I get my SAC rate better. Things of course can change, and got no problems shelling out the $40 when it will be needed.

 

[Tardigrade]

Ahem---a poem for you, my Canadian neighbor---

I own more tanks than pairs of shoes.
More regulators than purses.
I have more exposure suits than coats.
More fins than silly verses.

Love,
A Lady:kiss2:

 

[Frosty]

one more vore for convenience- I get small "windows of opertunity" to dive. I sure as heck don't want to waste some of that time heading to the lds for rentals.
Currently we have 4x 12litre steels and 2x 15 litre steels

 

[Culcuhain]

There is nothing quite like this....
Monday on the way home from work drop off the tanks(5 now) (LDS is on the way)
Friday on the way home from work pick up the tanks ($6 a fill and average pressure is 3150 in an AL80, after cooling)
Saturday if I get the urge, throw dive box, tanks, chair and ez-up into truck, hit the QT for ice, snacks, sodas and go diving....

tank fills at the lake are $8 and hot filled to 3000... they cool off to about 2800...

just something to think about.