Please help me buy a tank!

[DivingLane]

Hi all,

Just starting out. Got certified here in San Diego and want to start exploring California with my own gear. I’m cheap, but not stupid, so know buying good equipment is very important. I got Edge Hog D3 - DIN diaphragm sealed 1st stage with a Zenith 2nd stage. I have a Sea Quest Black Diamond Back Inflation BCD. Also got an aluminum 80cu ft tank that had Nitrox in it

I’d prefer to get a steel tank, with at least 95 cu ft. Higher cu ft, to help my newly certified, larger 215lb body get decent bottom time.

There’s a bunch of decent looking used tanks on OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace. One guy has an XS Worthington 100 for $280. 2 years out of hydro, looks clean. It has a Pro Valve he says. Is that okay for my DIN regs?

One guy has 2 of these: DOT-E9791-3500 TP5250. DIN Only Sherwood Steel 120CU FT Tank. Hydro and Visual Date is Apr 2024. Great Condition.$200 Each. Thoughts?


Other thoughts for me? Thx all!

 

[JMBL]

May I ask a question first ? How many dives per year do you plan and how ? (meaning will you require the service of dive center or will you be autonomous ?). If it's only a couple of dives each year, I fear it maybe not worth the bother of regular visual inspection and hydro.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

How tall are you?

Pro valves are fine for DIN. Most of us DIN users in the US use them. DIN only valves, also called 300 BAR DIN, are not required.

Worthington X7-100 are awesome tanks. $280 out of hydro seems high. I’d negotiate down at least the $50 or so hydro will cost.

If you’re on the tall side, the 120s may work better.

 

[lexvil]

Best to bite the bullet and buy new HP 100’s with pro valves, get galvanized, save money elsewhere.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Scuba.com and divegearexpress.com are great sources for Faber X7-100 and X7-120 (if you're tall) tanks. You can also check your LDS. Sometimes the tanks are a bit more expensive, but they frequently throw in a number of fills to sweeten the deal. The last tank I bought directly from my LDS they threw in 5 nitrox fills which made the total cost quite a bit cheaper than online.

 

[lexvil]

Piranha is one of the better prices with shipping

FXG100DVB Faber Hot Dipped Galvanized Cylinder "Free Domestic Ground Shipping!"

This is for a limited time and these come with a brand new hydro! These cylinders are finished with an "Industrial Grade Hot Dipped Galvanized" process that is not aesthetically pleasing as a painted cylinder would look like! The finish will change slightly over time but they may never have the...

www.piranhadivemfg.com

If you have a good LDS they may match the price and toss in some fills.

 

[arew+4]

First though, Panzer or Sherman.
I need to dive more.

Sorry for the interruption.

 

[DivingLane]

May I ask a question first ? How many dives per year do you plan and how ? (meaning will you require the service of dive center or will you be autonomous ?). If it's only a couple of dives each year, I fear it maybe not worth the bother of regular visual inspection and hydro.

I’d like to be doing at least 20-30

 

[DivingLane]

How tall are you?

Pro valves are fine for DIN. Most of us DIN users in the US use them. DIN only valves, also called 300 BAR DIN, are not required.

Worthington X7-100 are awesome tanks. $280 out of hydro seems high. I’d negotiate down at least the $50 or so hydro will cost.

If you’re on the tall side, the 120s may work better.

I’m 5’11”

 

[broncobowsher]

One tank won't be enough. If you are doing local dives you will want a pair of tanks. And that will quickly turn into a matched pair of tanks as you will not like how the aluminum behaves so much different than the steel. Southern California, you will enjoy the steels.