I have three tanks i can bring, i dive with a steel 120 and have two alum 80’s. but there should be shops in Mystic that rent, fill. I highly recommend steel, but you should get a feel for AL if because that is usuall what shops rent out. It is inportant to feel the extra buoyancy at the end of a dive and know how to compensate so you arent thrown off when you rent gear and tanks. Try different wetsuits/ thickness etc. and see how that changes your buoy.
We should keep in touch, my trip to Mystic is coming up Sep 16-18. Where abouts is Middlebury CT? Central/western?
I have two dive lights and two dive tank lights (just have to find the second). If you want to do night dives, then you should get at least a primary light (for simple shore dives) and a tank light. LLBEAN has some nice tank lights if you live near a store. They look like lightsabers and come in various colors. I have one of their red and one blue.
You can pickup a used AL tank for a little over $100. New they are around $169. Steel tanks will put you back about $400, you can get two new or three used AL for that money, and have just as much fun, or bring air for a friend. A good shore dive at max depth 35-45 feet when you settle your breathing will take 45-55 min. 25 foot dives will last longer :)
I am also going to dutch springs with my wife the end of september. They have lots of sunken vehicles to look at.
What size suit/BC do you take?
Glenn