Bringing tanks on charters?

[Cichlid]

If you were doing a trip and the charter included tanks and fills in the price, would you bring your own tanks? Like if you had steel 100's and you were driving there. Is it usually even allowed?

[Black-Gorrilla]

most allow it, as long as it's booted.
if i dive AL80's (which i do) and the charter provides them in the cost... then no, i wont take my own... but if i dive a steel 100-120-130-etc... then sure.

[thesmoothdome]

Normally, the boats want to know ahead of time that you'll be bringing your own tank so they can remove their tank from the boat.

[ian]

Also, most boats don't have compressors that will produce the pressure needed to fill an HP steel (or the regulator is set to 3000psi to make it easier/faster/more convenient to fill everyone's tanks as quickly as possible). Do the math...

If the boat provides the tanks, I use theirs. It saves me lugging the bloody things aboard!

[mike_s]

Originally Posted by Cichlid

If you were doing a trip and the charter included tanks and fills in the price, would you bring your own tanks? Like if you had steel 100's and you were driving there. Is it usually even allowed?

oh heck yes. I took my steel tanks on my last liveaboard. Well worth taking.

Most any charter that includes tanks has AL80's. A steel HP100 or larger gives you more capacity and better weighting.

I think the Nekton uses LP95's. So if I was going on their boat, I'd most likely just use their tanks. Why? the LP95 is a good tank and most likely they are running their compressor at lower PSI so taking a HP tank wouldn't be the best for the situation.

Yes there are some boats that don't have adequate compressor systems to fill HP tanks. Some even charge more if you take your HP tanks. I think one of the flower garden boats charges you $10 per fill for a HP 100 or larger. I don't think anyone would like this.

Most people don't like dive charters trying to micromanage their tanks. There is no reason to.


Best thing to do is to check with the boat you're planning on going on and see what their policy is so that there are no "surprises"

[Zenagirl]

You're right, the Nekton boats have Steel 95 tanks and they're usually filled to around 3000psi. I think the lowest fill I had on our last trip with them was to like 2800psi.

[wxboy911]

I use what is on the boat-the last charter I went on was a plane ride away so the tanks would have been more trouble than they were worth. Its easier to use the tanks on the boat and bring a little extra lead if your used to a steel tank.

[meesier42]

depends on the charter, In the OBX you are expected to bring your own tanks, and many of the charters aren't associated with a shop and therefore don't even have them to rent.

[Black-Gorrilla]

some of you are reading "charter" and thinking Liveaboard?

[mike_s]

Originally Posted by Black-Gorrilla

some of you are reading "charter" and thinking Liveaboard?

hmm..> I think you're right. (maybe I thought Liveaboard also).


A rarely use the charters tanks. (liveaboard or "day boat".).

About the only place that they are common to be included in the US is the Keys. Most other locations the charter(day boat) does not include the tanks. (Of course most keys operators have a tanks/no-tanks price also).

About the only place that you see 100% rental tank use (or included with charter) is in island operations such as about any island in the caribbean. Why? it's just not practical to fly with tanks.