Buying a tank for a newbie

[gryffin]

My husband and I will be getting our OW certification this winter. We live across the street from a lake and have beach, dock and boat access to it. We are discussing whether or not it would be a good location for practicing in the summer between drive trips.

The closet dive shop to us is over an hour away, so it would seem that to do this we would want to have our own tanks. What type/brand of tanks should we be looking at for this purpose?

Or, is this a bad idea entirely?

Thanks-

 

[diversteve]

What lake is it? Do people dive there. We have 3-4 beautiful lakes in our area but only one is divable - the rest are too shallow or too murky even in deeper water. One too scary since it's shallow and there's a lot of powerboats on it all the time. Maybe ask about your lake in the appropriate regional forum here for options - if it's diveable somebody probably does.

Since you mentioned the dock, assuming people fish off it you'll want both own monofilament line cutters of some sort - Z-Knife's are a good option since the blade is sheathed. If it's a pretty calm lake, kicking up the silt is another issue as the viz can go from average to nothing in a few seconds if you do. One lake I've dove nearby once has 3-4' of it before you hit anything solid.

Since you mentioned the drive ask your local fire station if they can provide fills also. They might be willing/able to - you might have to provide a fill adapter since I believe there's a difference in valves used for scUba vs. scba.

I'd really build some dives before striking out on your own first. And wait till then before you buy tanks. Once you do the clock starts on inspections and you're paying for each one. It's not a lot but can be 1/4 of the tank price yearly or more when you hit the hydro window. I can't help much with choices since I don't own tanks - I travel to dive for the past 20 years.

The most standard tank you'll find at most dive resort locations in the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico and elswhere is an AL-80 with a yoke valve. Buying a tank I might opt for a convertible or "Pro" valve since it's DIN with a yoke insert so the tank can be used with either type of regulator. DIN is a better connection for local use but Yoke is much more popular everywhere except specific areas like cave country in FL.

I'd really wait though at least till and probably past certification. There's a very small group of people that fail certification - sometimes for un-anticipated reasons besides medical. My buddy teaches - he probably has 1 in a 100 students fail. Or quit because they don't like it, can't complete the skills etc. Anything you buy now once wet is worth 50% of what you paid for it. Actually once you carry it out of the store that's sometimes true also.

 

[tomfcrist]

Check craigslist and buy used AL80's. Make sure they are from this century and in hydro. Going rate is 60-100 bucks used. Buy as many as you need. If I were in your position if buy 4-6 tanks, just to minimize the number of times I have to drive an hour to get fills.

 

[Caveeagle]

If you want to dive nearby and don't want to be dependent on rentals, then you should buy your tanks. Lake diving?? Where and how's the water clarity? My guess is that most lakes will get pretty boring.

Your 'go-to' tank is the Alum 80. Catalina and Luxfer seem to be the most common brands. I dive mostly steel tanks, so you should google both those brands to make sure you know what your getting.

Steel tanks give you some advantages with buoyancy in that most are near neutral when empty, so you can dive with less weights on you.

I have bought most of my tanks used. You can find good deals if you are careful. Buy only from trusted sources or, have them VIP checked by a shop before you hand over the cash. Take the Hydro/VIP status into account on the price. Any older / out of Hydro/VIP tanks are a crap shoot. You could score a great deal, or you could be buying trash. When in doubt, have a look inside. Or ask the seller to pay for the inspection, and you will buy if they pass.

You may also want to know how hard they have been used. Over pumping LP steel tanks is pretty common down here in FL. Although steel tanks are pretty durable, you should know if they have been 'stretched' a lot, you reduced chance of passing Hydro. folks seem to have there favorite brands, but: Faber steel tanks seem to be in high demand. PST are also pretty common.

 

[timz]

If u have a tank, make sure someone can get it filled.

 

[2airishuman]

Gryffin,

I'm in a very similar situation and have been pondering the same question. I'm not an expert but can share the wisdom I've received and the results of my own "thought experiments:"

* After a month of shopping, it is my experience that it is not practicable to buy used cylinders in geographical areas where there isn't much diving.
* Divegearexpress.com has the lowest prices I've found on cylinders , and has an article on choosing a cylinder that I found helpful.
* Aluminum cylinders are cheapest and are the traditional choice for beginning divers.
* High pressure steel cylinders cost around 50% more. The outside dimensions of the tank are smaller than aluminum tanks of similar capacity, which leads to better trim and requires less lead to be carried.
* Low pressure steel cylinders are not a good value in the sizes you will want.
* If you and your husband are of average build, you will probably want 80 cf aluminum cylinders, or 80 or 100 cf steel cylinders.
* If you are of smaller than average build then you would want to consider 72 cf aluminum cylinders or 80 cf steel cylinders.

While the usual advice is to get some diving experience before choosing tanks, so that you can refine your tastes, it is difficult to find shops that rent steel cylinders.

Hope this helps.

 

[herman]

Thinks to keep in mind, not only do you have to pay for fills but the tanks must be visually inspected (aka VIP) each year and every 5 years have a hydro test, all of which cost money and depending on how much you dive may not be worth the price. Pretty much any tank will work for your needs but be aware that there are aluminum tanks made pre 1990 that have issues. Many if not most dive shops will not fill them so when doing a search for used tanks, be sure to understand the manufacture date and material (3AA is steel, 3AL is aluminum). Older steel tanks are not normally a problem but aluminum tanks older than 1990 can be a headache.

 

[gryffin]

I did a quick search and found a couple of references to scuba diving in the lake- one is regarding an old train wreck that at least one diver used to visit. The other is regarding a volunteer scuba diving team that removes invasive plants- the group welcomes new divers interested in volunteering- so this might be a community service oriented way to get some dive time- the group helps new divers get the required advanced certification from the state.

At a minimum, it is a group that dives the lake frequently- and can probably give me the info I need on the conditions of the lake for diving, as well as if they get fills at the fire station.

 

[67macoshark]

I did a quick search and found a couple of references to scuba diving in the lake- one is regarding an old train wreck that at least one diver used to visit. The other is regarding a volunteer scuba diving team that removes invasive plants- the group welcomes new divers interested in volunteering- so this might be a community service oriented way to get some dive time- the group helps new divers get the required advanced certification from the state.

At a minimum, it is a group that dives the lake frequently- and can probably give me the info I need on the conditions of the lake for diving, as well as if they get fills at the fire station.

Could you clarify the statement in bold? Is the "advanced certification" required by, or supplied from, the state?

It is likely that someone in that group will have a tank or two that goes unused, and would part with for a good price.

 

[WarrenZ]

I would once the weather warms up rent a couple of tanks and give it a test dive and find out if your lake is worth diving. If it is then buy a few tanks cancel the gym membership and have fun. I wish I had access to the water that easy where Im at.