OX500
The simplest
0.5 L held in your mouth by a silicone mouthpiece, with a built-in gauge. For checking a propeller, freeing an anchor or learning to breathe underwater in the pool.
up to 8 min
Best for Pool, short jobs, a first tank
Breathe underwater without a full scuba rig
An OXSEA mini scuba tank is a reserve of compressed air at 200 bar, 0.5 L or 1 L, that you refill yourself.
It earns its keep under a boat hull, while snorkelling, in the pool or exploring close to the surface. This page covers the range, what it is for, how you refill it and the safety rules.
An air reserve you fill yourself
- 0.5 L or 1 L at 200 bar
- Up to 8 minutes of air from a 0.5 L tank, about 15 minutes from 1 L. Real time depends on your breathing, the depth and the effort.
- Three ways to refill
- Manual pump, 12 V / 220 V mini compressor, or a transfer from a dive cylinder. No dive club, no filling station.
- No diving certificate needed
- The tank is meant for shallow water, with no licence. The safety rules still apply: breathe continuously, ascend slowly.
- 24-month warranty
- Every tank is checked before it ships. After-sales supplies spare parts, and the OXSEA School videos show the maintenance.
Three tanks, one aluminium body
Same working pressure, same refill methods. They differ in volume and in how you wear them.
OX500Plus
The most versatile
The same 0.5 L, plus a harness, an external regulator and an external gauge: in your mouth or on your back, hands free under the hull. Works with the OXAIR mask.
up to 8 min
Best for Boats, snorkelling with the OXAIR mask
OX1000
The longest lasting
1 L on your back, about 15 minutes of air, for longer jobs under the hull or at anchor. Refills with the mini compressor or from a dive cylinder: the manual pump cannot fill it.
about 15 min
Best for Longer jobs, shallow exploring
Air time depends on your breathing, the depth and the effort.
Where a mini scuba tank makes sense
Under a boat hull
A line round the prop, an anode to check, a fouled anchor, something dropped at the mooring: jobs of a few minutes, within reach.
OX500Plus packs
Snorkelling
With the OXAIR mask you breathe through the snorkel at the surface and the tank takes over as soon as you go down.
Packs with the OXAIR mask
Swimming pool
Learn to breathe underwater in calm conditions, with the 0.5 L tank held in your mouth.
OX500 packs
Shallow exploring
Stay longer near the bottom with 1 L on your back, no diving course required but the safety rules from our guide always apply.
OX1000 packs
Three ways to fill the tank
The gauge tells you when working pressure is reached. Never go past 200 bar.
0.5 L only
Manual pump
About 20 minutes for 0.5 L, no electricity, at anchor or on the beach. It cannot fill the OX1000.
0.5 L and 1 L
12 V / 220 V mini compressor
About 12 minutes for 0.5 L and 20 minutes for 1 L, from the boat's battery or a shore socket.
0.5 L and 1 L
DIN or yoke transfer station
About one minute from a standard dive cylinder, if you have one to hand.
Four rules before your first dive
Breathing compressed air has its rules. These four fit in four lines, and our safety guide explains them with sources.
Read the safety guideBreathe continuously and never hold your breath.
Ascend slowly, exhaling as you go.
Stay near the surface: the tank is for hull work and snorkelling, not for depth.
Never refill past 200 bar, and only with clean air and filters in good condition.
Read on
Comparison, air time, refilling, use on board: our guides cover each point with their sources.
Guide5 min read
Mini scuba tank comparison: OX500, OX500Plus or OX1000, which one should you get?
A mini scuba tank comparison of OXSEA's three models: refilling, time underwater, how you carry them and price, reviewed to help you find the one you need.
Guide9 min read
Mini scuba tank safety: where the danger lies and how to avoid it
Mini scuba tank safety: where is the danger? Ascent, refilling, upkeep, transport, contraindications. The real risks and the precautions, with sources.
Guide9 min read
Mini scuba tank for boats: getting equipped to work under the hull
With or without a 12 V battery, which mini scuba tank for boats should you carry? Models, refill times, stowage on board and the safety rules to follow.
Tip9 min read
How to choose a mini scuba tank: the questions to settle before you buy
Refilling, time underwater, mouthpiece or back harness, pressure gauge, spare parts: the questions to settle before you choose your mini scuba tank.
Tip8 min read
Mini scuba tank air time: how many minutes will you really get?
Mini scuba tank air time: up to 8 min from 0.5 L, about 15 min from 1 L, close to the surface. Two methods for estimating the time you will really have.
Tip8 min read
How to refill a mini scuba tank: time, budget and precautions
Refill a mini scuba tank with a manual pump, a mini compressor or from a full-size tank: fill times, budget for 20 refills, air quality, mistakes to avoid.
What people ask before buying
Contact usHow long does a mini scuba tank last?
Up to 8 minutes for 0.5 L (OX500 and OX500Plus), about 15 minutes for 1 L (OX1000). You get those figures near the surface, breathing calmly. Deeper or out of breath, they shrink.
Do I need a diving certificate?
No, neither to buy one nor to use it near the surface. A try-dive at a club is still a good way to learn to breathe underwater with an instructor. Rules vary by country: check what applies where you dive.
What is the difference between the OX500 and the OX500Plus?
Same 0.5 L volume, same air time. The OX500Plus adds a harness, an external regulator and an external gauge: you wear it on your back, hands free, or in your mouth. It also takes the OXAIR mask, which the OX500 does not.
How do you refill the tank?
With the manual pump (about 20 minutes for 0.5 L, not compatible with the OX1000), with the 12 V / 220 V mini compressor (about 12 minutes for 0.5 L, 20 minutes for 1 L) or from a dive cylinder with the DIN or yoke transfer station, in about a minute.
Can I take the tank on a plane?
Yes, completely empty, head open or removed, and declared at check-in. Ask your airline before you fly: each one applies these principles its own way.
What about the warranty and after-sales service?
Tanks and refill systems carry a 24-month warranty. After-sales is at sav@oxsea.com, and the OXSEA School videos show routine care: rinsing, filters, seals, the burst disc.
Ready to come aboard
Pick the pack that matches how you will use it, or email us if you are torn between two models.