Rumours and Rumours....

[Ontario Diver]

I have heard a nasty couple of rumours and wonder if anyone can "confirm or deny"....

1) Faber isn't going to ship tanks to North America in the new year.

2) PST is sending all of thier steel tanks to the military and since there is a "shortage" of tank steel and they had some problems with galvinaizing- this will be *all* of thier tanks.

3) A new "unnamed" company will be starting up making steel tanks in the USA.

Once again, I heard theses as rumours and do not know any facts.....

 

[underwater daphne]

then why create more rumour?

 

[flounderboy]

The dive shop I use still gets fabers
I just saw 4 lp 108s arrive

Mark s

 

[Ontario Diver]

then why create more rumour?

Looking for someone who does know something so they stop being rumour.

If I don't hear anything, then I may ignore them.

 

[weekender]

then why create more rumour?

why not mention a rumor? as long as a person identifies a rumor as such there is no harm. the worlds markets trade on rumors daily. "buy the rumor, sell the news." i never understood why some people get all bent out of shape when a rumor is mentioned. its beyond common in business. by mentioning it, its exposed. then it can be discredited or verified. to me this is healthy and im always glad when people are willing to discuss what they are hearing on the street(be it main street or wall street).

 

[underwater daphne]

because rumours cause more rumours and then everyone is confused. but never mind. do what you want. i was just asking.

everyone knows the game where you form a line. the first whispers something into the second persons ears and this is how it goes on til the end of the line. i don't think what comes out in the end is very useful.

 

[Tiny Bubbles]

I went in to my LDS just the other day to buy a new tank, and they told me they couldn't get ANY steel tanks until December, at the earliest. So I had to get one from a well-known online store. It will be here Monday.

-Tiny-B.

 

[yknot]

I have heard a nasty couple of rumours and wonder if anyone can "confirm or deny"....

In some cases, a rumor is just a premature fact. This one sounds more like BS. I have no connection to the dive industry but will try and respond to what you have heard, using my past experiences in the industrial manufacturing segment of the economy and also as a capitalist.

1) Why would Faber quit sending tanks to the US? Would this include those sold by OMS? I bet they sell more steel tanks in the US than in Europe anyway. Has there been some action on the part of the DOT? I've never seen a manufacturer voluntarily withdraw from the US market.

2) Since when is the military a large consumer of dive tanks? Not to detract from the importance or severity of our ongoing Iraqi conflict but the demands for material don't appear to be causing shortages of other items in our economy. Scuba tanks aren't made from the same material as tank shells anyway and they are a durable product, not required to be stockpiled. Does desert warfare require scuba gear?

3) Would be nice, but doubtful. I doubt enough steel tanks are sold to warrant the investment in the required tooling. Each tank size would need a certain amount of unique equipment. If the market demand where there, then someone would have stepped in already. BTW, where is this "unnamed" source getting steel from if the military is buying all of PST stock?

Part of any stock shortages is the way steel is made and used in the US. Assume that the new type PST tanks use a different steel alloy than the previous. It might even be a "custom" type used only by PST in their tanks. More and more steel made today is usage specific. Steel producers can't switch between alloys and stock sizes easily. If GM called in an order the same day as PST, who do you think will get supplied first?

 

[Rice]

At my LDS yesterday they called PST about availability and next tanks would be available in January. He ordered 12 119s. Prices are rough right now but demand is driving them higher for the near future.

 

[DiverRick69]

Not to detract from the importance or severity of our ongoing Iraqi conflict but the demands for material don't appear to be causing shortages of other items in our economy.

Guess again. Common building materials like OSB that cost about $8 before Iraq have almost tripled in price since, and that was before hurricane season. All because most of it is going to Iraq. It's still on the shelves, but it is having a serious effect on the economy.