Purchase own tanks?

[yeroks]

I appreciate all of the feedback from everybody. I did find 2 places selling Steel 80s for 200 bucks in Florida. Pretty good deal I thought at the time and I guess it was.

 

[spectrum]

To make it worthwhile you need to dive.
Having them enables you to dive on the spur of the moment.
There is relationship.

Collectively my wife and I have been making 150 local dives per year
Local cylinder rentals are $10. per day. Fill stations are few and far between and not at dive sites so that means 1 cylinder rental per dive, same day refills are unlikely. Our yearly rental outlay would have been $1500.

We bought 4 HP80s and 2 Hp100s(used) for a total outlay of $1120.

VIPs $15/cyl/year = $90.
5 year Hydros will be a rounding error cost.

Air Fills average $3. each so thats $450 per year.

If all of the above stays steady then we're looking at:
1500-(450+90) = $960 ROI/year
The 6 cylinder investment was paid off in a little over a year!

The big variables are local fill costs, local rental costs and most of all how much you dive. Logistics are also huge. rentals mean you must visit the rental source on each end of the outing. I can batch process at our convenience and save some travel time and money.

Also as mentioned cylinders steel do pretty well on resale so if your decide to hang up your fins you can cash out.

Pete

 

[burnsfamily382]

so if you go on a boat charter and bring your own tanks along will the charter give you a reduced rate (usually i have been quoted an "all-in" price which includes air)?

Joe

 

[HowardE]

I hope this is not a dumb question but I'll ask anyway. My brother lives in South Florida and most divers have told him they own their own tanks to save money. Since most dive trips are 2 tank dives do divers that bring their own tanks bring 2 apiece??? I'm guessing they must since the 2 boats I went out on in FL did not have onboard compressors. I just don't see the advantage of investing 200 each (for steel at least) for a total of 400 and then have to pay to get yearly inspections and hydros every 5. Any thoughts from the community?

Steel Tanks cost more than $200 each, but I have 4 steel 100's so I don't have to run and get fills every day.

Considering that most dive ops rent AL80's for $10-15 for nitrox tanks (per dive). That takes only 20 dive trips per year to pay for a set (2) of tanks I've already done close to 20 boat trips this year. Also consider that since I'm diving nitrox, and since I have a steel 100... I usually get about 15 minutes MORE bottom time than the average diver on the boat (per dive).

BTW - nitrox fills can be had for $5-6 per tank. So if you look at it that way, you're saving $10 per dive (or more depending on where you go) So even still; it's easy to reap the benefits of owning your own tanks in less than a year. Not to mention that there's shore diving as well.

 

[spectrum]

so if you go on a boat charter and bring your own tanks along will the charter give you a reduced rate (usually i have been quoted an "all-in" price which includes air)?
Joe

I think it all depends on the operator and logistics. What you usually dive makes a difference too. If you are used to a highly negative Faber you may not want to mess with an AL80. In some cases you may be able to get your cylinder filled free in lieu of using their cylinder if you ask and the locations work out. While they advertise prices with air they may have a standard BYO markdown.

 

[burnsfamily382]

another question then....

i have my own steel 100 (air) and have just received my nitrox certification. if you were in my position and looking at owning 2 tanks would you

a) sell the air tank and buy 2 nitrox tanks
b) buy one nitrox, keep the air and plan 2 tank trips appropriately
c) convert(?) the air tank to nitrox...can that even be done?

excuse my ignorance if i have asked a stupid question. i am a dork diver.

Joe

 

[PerroneFord]

Air tanks and nitrox tanks are the same. There is no difference.

 

[HowardE]

another question then....

i have my own steel 100 (air) and have just received my nitrox certification. if you were in my position and looking at owning 2 tanks would you

a) sell the air tank and buy 2 nitrox tanks
b) buy one nitrox, keep the air and plan 2 tank trips appropriately
c) convert(?) the air tank to nitrox...can that even be done?

excuse my ignorance if i have asked a stupid question. i am a dork diver.

Joe

C - You can have your "air tank" O₂ cleaned, and "converted" to nitrox. If the shop you're getting nitrox at "banks" their gas instead of Partial Pressure fills, then you don't need to do this; just go fill em up.

 

[Wildcard]

The question is not real clear. If your doing all charter boat dives then no, just use the provided air. If you are diving out of a private boat or shore diving on your own, then yes, buy your own tanks. You can always resell them and with air ready to go you will get more diving in.

 

[Stu S.]

I appreciate all of the feedback from everybody. I did find 2 places selling Steel 80s for 200 bucks in Florida. Pretty good deal I thought at the time and I guess it was.

Hey, Yeroks. Is 80 cu. ft. enough? My daughter uses them (HP steel) and she weighs in around 112 pounds.

The aluminum 80 was a good size when it was invented. We had no Nitrox or computers to give us extra bottom time. The dive tables told you "time to go" before you got short on air. Most computer and Nitrox divers probably have more bottom time than gas when using an 80. I regularly used a 120 a couple of years ago, and ended up with plenty of extra air after each dive. Great if you are a cave or wreck diver.

For many of us regular size men, 100 cu. ft. is the amount of air we need to have a safe amount left when the computer says "time to go". Are you able to try a few different sizes?