how many tanks

[in_cavediver]

Tanks - you can never have enough. Between the wife an I, we have

2 PST LP104's (doubles)
2 Faber LP 85's (doubles)
2 AL 80's (doubles)
3 AL 80's (singles)
2 Faber 45's (Deco bottles)
1 AL 13 (argon)
1 Medical E tank (Oh crap emergency)

We want these:
2 more 130's as doubles, 2 more 85's as doubles, 2 130's or 149's for sidemount, a set of AL 40's and a few more 80's for stages and yet another set of dbl 80's. That doesn't even count bank tanks and a compressor..........

Let see, have 13 tanks, want 11 more and I'd say we'd be set for diving.

As for own or rent. If you dive locally, its usually more convienent to own a couple. If its all vacation diving, skip them.

 

[TSandM]

I got by quite well for a while on two tanks, and my husband had two tanks. Then we resurrected three old 72s from my father-in-law's house. Then I got given two Al80s. Then I borrowed (and subsequently bought) a set of doubled 72s, and another set of doubled 72s, and didn't like them, and bought a set of doubled 85s, and I'm hankering after another set . . .

Tanks are addictive. Like the Kliban cartoon about the cats . . .

 

[Puddle Pirate]

I have 8 Al 80's only have to fill them every other week. :14:

 

[spectrum]

How many of you cylinder junkies (I'm getting there) got PSI certified to do your own VIPs?

Pete

4 PST E7-80s
2 PST HP-100s

 

[fishmunger]

I have 1 LP 95, 3 steel 72's, I AL80, 2 AL63's. I'm going to sell the aluminum soon and buy 5 more steel 72's.

Nate

 

[do it easy]

How many of you cylinder junkies (I'm getting there) got PSI certified to do your own VIPs?

That class has saved me so much $$$. I could buy a tank each year for what I spend in parts to rebuild them.

 

[SparticleBrane]

I'm hoping to take the VIP class at some point...
Between my girlfriend and myself we have 6:
double 119s (mine)
double Al80s (mine)
2 72s, singles (hers)

In a few months she's probably going to pick up a few more.

 

[BKP]

As a new diver, perhaps you should rent 'til you figure out the kind of diving you're going to do...

-You live in Florida, so drysuit diving is doubtful (you won't need an Argon bottle).
-If you're just starting out, you'll want to dive until you've lowered and stabilized your SAC (surface air consumption) rate -- that'll give you a better idea of the size tank you're comfortable with.
-You won't (shouldn't) be doing deco dives for a while, so don't worry about stage/deco bottles right away.
-If you *must* buy your own tank, steel is definitely the way to go. Better buoyancy characteristics, longer life, better resale, and higher capacity in smaller cylinders. ie: an HP (high pressure) 100 is the same diameter, shorter, and only slightly heavier than a standard Al80. However, at full pressure, it holds 23 more cuft., (Al80 only holds 77cuft at 3000psi), and allows you to shed about 6lbs. of weight on your belt or BC.

Only downside is steel is more expensive.

Good luck... safe diving...

 

[Isaac-1]

5 tanks, 1-50 3-80's & a 92 plus a small 3.4 cfm portable compressor, probably adding a couple of more in the next year.

 

[JGBrown]

who wants to do a 1-dive day?

Me!
Cause I get off work at 6am, sleep till 2, have a dive and go back to work for another 12