And on another note. Remember I'm a newb to this and read as much as I can. What level of PADI certification is needed to get 21% EAN tanks?? I thought normal air we breath is 21% Oxygen 1% Misc and the rest Nitrogen. Is this because 21% EAN is certified amounts?? I think I answered my own question. But in OWS this was not talked about.

This is almost as bad as owning a boat. It is always something you need to buy. Bad part is I really like that the Wife enjoys it. Just buying everything for 2 has hurt the girl friend money. I sure do miss her!!!!!!

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I own my own steel tanks and I'd have it no other way. I can get custom mixes and if for some reason a hot diving weekend shows up and there are no rentals of EAN (%higher than 21), then there's no worries, I can surely get some fills. Also, have you ever been out to a dive site and then not get to use your second or third rental tank? Most places charge you for the rental of the tank based on you leaving the shop with it, not on your ability to get underwater and reduce pressure in said tank. If you own the tanks, no worries, you are out nothing as you can just put it in the house and use it next weekend or whenever you dive again.

Also, I prefer steel over aluminum for the buoyancy charateristics. I've finally shed all the weight from my weight belt even in my 2 piece farmer john. There's more capacity in a steel tank as well and no short fill concerns as the lower pressure steel tanks at 2640 psi has many cubic feet more air  than an 80 at 3000 and most of the time you'll find your steel tank to contain more a "few" more psi than the 2,640 you expected.

Get some Steel 95's or 108's and I bet you'll never feel the need to be a tank rental guy ever again. Fritz, Jim and the bunch will surely hook you up. You'll be needing them for the upcoming Guns and Hoses, I'll bet?

Just my opinion, yours may vary.

I do what the voices in my regulator tell me to.

Carolina Skiff 1655 DLX Yamaha F50TLR

If you're going to go with steel (which would be my preference) check out the steel 119's that MBT is now selling. They are about the same physical dimension as an LP steel 95, but are rated for a higher pressure, allowing more cu. ft. of air without going with a bigger/heavier tank.

The hold a good deal of air and are better on the bouyancy.  They sink. A Aluminum tank will float when empty.  You can reduce the amount of weight on your weight belt.  With the doubles I dont need any at all.  I may slip a pound or two into a pocket to drop if necessary but if cave diving dont use any.

(no need to drop weights in a cave.....lol)

"Mors Ab Alto" (Death From Above)

http://blmoore.com/

NUmber one, steel. As said, yes, they are heavier to cary to the boat, but the overall weight of your "rig", bc, tank, weights, will be the same. 6 more pounds or so in the tank means 6 less pounds or so of lead.

Now, I am sure everybody has a different opinion, but LP (low pressure) Heres why. And it was the guys at MBT that made me aware of this when I was determined to get HP tanks. If you get HP tanks, you are not going to be able to walk in, get yuor fill quickly, and scoot. Not if you want the full 3400 and some odd psi. Getting up to those pressures creates a lot of heat, and when they fill em to that, they need to let em cool down, which during that time the psi also drops, then top em again, and maybe a 3rd time to get you with that much psi.

I bought 2 steel LP108's from MBT, and I love em. They are about the same height as an aluminum 80, so your not getting slapped in the back of your knees from a long tank hanging down.

As far as justifing price, it will depend on how much you dive, and if your content with 80's, which most times is all that will be available for rental. I know you just outlaid some cash on other gear, nothing says you have to buy tanks NOW. You can laways wait a bit.

And a little extra cubic feet of air goes along way towards your bottom time. Heres why.

With an 80 cubic foot, if you follow the "rules" and head towards the surface when you have 1000 psi left, that equals about 27 cubic feet of air left in your tank. Lets say by the time you check your reg and inflators, get in the water, swim to the anchor rope, wait for others to drop in, then get down to the wreck, you burned 300 psi and are at 2700 psi once on the bottom. That is 8 cubic feet of air you used to get down. That means yuo only have a total of 45 cubic feet of air for your actual fun part of the dive, your bottom time.

Now, if you have a 120cubic foot tank, take out the 27 and 8 cubic feet for getting down and up, you know have 85 cubic feet for your bottom time! Even though you didnt double the size of your tank to a 160 cubic foot, you did almost double your pleasure...double your fun!

Check your PM's bout a little other info on LP 108's

Also, your right, 21% "nitrox" or "EAN" is just plain air. You can get your Nitrox cert any time now that you got your OWC.

Hope we can go diving when your here man!

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This is good information, and precisely why I recommend checking out the steel 119's. If you get an LP fill in it (due to time constraints, or whatever), you'll still have 95 cu ft., or thereabouts. If you're going to drop off the tanks, or don't mind waiting around a little longer for a fill, then you get the full 119 cu. ft., but you're only lugging around a tank the size of an LP 95.

I was trying to keep him outta trouble Felix. Hell, you know I got hp 130's!

I do what the voices in my regulator tell me to.

Carolina Skiff 1655 DLX Yamaha F50TLR