When to buy tanks?

I dive with a full kit but still rent tanks. It's been tough to justify buying tanks when fills are only slightly less than renting a full tank. However a few times recently buds have called with a last minute dive invite. I couldn't go because I didn't have filled tanks in the garage ready to go.

Those of you with your own tanks... Is the convenience worth it? Do you ever wish you hadn't bought tanks?

Also, it seems like tanks are like potato chips, you can't buy just one. Diving singles you'd need at least two for a "normal" 2 dive morning... cha-ching

I have two AL80's I wish I never bought.
I have two steel's one HP100 I use and one H80 my lovely bride uses. They are terrific.

Having your own tanks is the best way to go. Cost effective NO! Dive efficient YES!

For a regular sized male nothing smaller than a HP100 and steel all the way. Aluminum works great for stage bottles. Two tanks should get you by...for now.

Oh and diving Nitrox is very nice, and easy to get in Monterey.

I've got two tanks that I bought used, both AL80s. You're correct in that you'll have to have two tanks for your typical two-dive outing. Each tank cost me $90, no tax. New, they're about $300 each, at least they are here.

You will also have to add in the cost of maintenance - the annual sticker change (vis) and the five-year hydro test. That works out to about $40 / year in maintenance costs. ($50 hydro over five years + $30 vis each year) The difference in cost between a rental tank and buying air is $3/dive here. This means that you will have to dive at least 14 times a year in order to break even on just owning the tanks, without factoring in the cost of actually acquiring the tanks themselves.

Let's assume that the tanks are good for ten years, adding an additional $30 / year. (A rough approximation - but give me a break, it's past my bedtime.) That works out to requiring 24 dives each year in order to break even financially. Some people will do that in a month. It's a logistical nightmare for me to fandangle a dive, so I tend to get in about 12 a year.

Would I buy the tanks again? Used, yes, it's a reasonable price. If I had to spend the $600 on the two tanks, then I'd have to think about it pretty carefully. I'd probably go for steel to get more air and lose some lead, but I'm not concerned enough to spend the horrifying cash required.

Owning your own tanks does require extra stops at your dive shop and requires advance planning for your dives. (I tend to fill them after a dive, but sometimes the shops aren't open and then I just plain forget to get them filled.)

The price difference wasn't the consideration when I purchased, but the convenience of having to pick them up, and drop them off was. If I dive on the weekend, I needed to either rush back on Saturday or drop them back off Monday. If I'm ALSO diving on Wednesday night, (our local quarry does this in the summer) I have to go back Tuesday, to pick them up for Wednesday, THEN drop them back off again Thursday (to avoid "late" fees) Having my own, On a Saturday, I can still stop by on my way home after the dive to get them filled (or not) OR get them filled wherever I'm diving (both local quarries have fill stations) If I'm NOT diving the weekend (and diving Wednesday evenings only) I have two filled, so I use one THIS Wednesday, and the other NEXT Wednesday, and don't need to stop in the shop but once every two weeks. With the crazieness of my normal evenings, that's a HUGE consideration! Also, if you rented, and arrived at the dive site, then for some reason the dive was called, you STILL have a tank full of air to dive with another day (and don't blow the rental fee).

I also like having them to take with me when we go to Florida since a lot of operators DON'T have anything more than al80's, and to me that's not enough of a contingency for a deeper dive.

Yeah, I though about the VIP and hydro costs, but the convenience benefits seem to outweigh the monetary issue. (plus, if I ever decide to double them....)

Owning your own tanks is nice. I have one, a steel HP80. It is my wife's, but I tend to keep it filled and ready to go. She liked the smaller size of the tank, so I got her one for valentine's day
I wish I would have just got her an HP100, it's still smaller than an AL80. Then I would have more justification to buy one for myself. It's still a big chunk of change, but you can't beat the convenience factor.

I own almost 20 tanks for my own use, in various sizes from the tiny 6 for argon to aluminum 80's and steel 72's.

aluminum 80's and steel 72's make great sidemount tanks and they are considerably cheaper than the larger steels. If money wasn't an issue hp100's would be nice to own though.

Most of mine were used except my first 4 80's and my 3 al40's. Everything else was used and I splurged and put all new DIN valves on each tank but its still worth owning IMHO.

Peter_C:

Cost effective NO! Dive efficient YES!

Click to expand...

That pretty much sums it all up in six words.

Where I live, a Catalina AL80 can be purchased new for about $160, yearly inspection is $10-$15 and fills are $5-$8. Tank rentals are around $10.

openhelix:

Those of you with your own tanks... Is the convenience worth it?

Click to expand...

Yes

openhelix:

Do you ever wish you hadn't bought tanks?

Click to expand...

No

openhelix:

Also, it seems like tanks are like potato chips, you can't buy just one. Diving singles you'd need at least two for a "normal" 2 dive morning... cha-ching

Click to expand...

I have nine that are always filled with various mixes so I'm ready for any dive when that last minute call arrives.