I haven't been on the Vision, but I've heard good things about it. You should have a great time.
There are a number of places that rent steel tanks in SoCal, although I don't know the Santa Barbara area as well. Somewhat depends on where you are based, since your profile doesn't really say where you're from. It's worth checking in with the Peace Scuba Center in Ventura... I have a vague recollection that they have some steel tanks for rent. If you make it as far down as L.A., Hollywoodivers has a few HP steel tanks they rent if you check ahead of time, but that's a good 2 hours South of Santa Barbara.
I'm not overly familiar with Santa Barbara diving (although wine tasting is another story!), but you might want to check in with the
Beach Crabs... they're based out of the Oxnard/Ventura area, IIRC, and so may be more familiar with the SB area.