Posted by el buzo viejo on October 14, 2000 at 09:36:53:
In Reply to: Tanks: Buy vs. Rent posted by JRM on October 13, 2000 at 14:21:51:
My son, wife and I were certified at the same time and I bought three steel 75's. After a few times when my son wasn't with us on our boat, I realized that if we had four tanks, my wife and i could do two dives. So, for Christmas that year we bought another steel 75. I have never regretted having my own tanks. Yes, I have to get them VIP'd once a year and hydro'd every five years, but the convenience of being able to take a tank or two out of my garage anytime I want to go diving is well worth it.
As for steel vs aluminum, you will see many more steel tanks among the hard core divers on local boats. That should tell you something. Eventhough aluminums cost a fraction of the price of a new steel tank, the bouyancy characteristics are such that for cold water diving you want to carry as little lead as possible.
Go with low pressure as you can get fills everywhere.