What tank

[themayor]

wanting to know what size tank to go with i am a new diver planing on doing the primer course next year. Right now i dive a wetsuit will be going dry at some point most of my diving will be in Pa if that matters also i am 6' 4" and about 260 not sure if that matters either . Single for now maybe get into doubles down the road

 

[rlynch]

I have both catalina and luxford AL80's and for a singles setup it makes no difference in your trim (you are prob in a 7mm wetsuit and will need to shift most of your weight to the cam bands on your rig. (my setup is now completly back weighted)

I would go with which ever cylinder gives you the most free fills, and focus on diving.

(i just came out of Primer with some great insights and some humbling experiances)

 

[eelnoraa]

how about talk to your Primer instructor. They probably know what equipment is best for your location.

 

[gsk3]

I second the "talk to your instructor advice." Also, if you're in the PA area drop me a line (by PM) and we'll hook up some time and go diving.

 

[themayor]

I have a al80 now I was looking for something bigger like a hp100 or 130what will I use more down the road

 

[mathauck0814]

Choosing a tank is all about how much gas you will need for the type of diving that you plan to do. Work with your instructor to figure out what your SAC/RMV rates are and then look at the profiles of the dive sites you have locally. Once you know how much you breathe and what you're likely to dive on you will have a better set of data to determine how big of a tank (or tanks) you'll need.

 

[lamont]

since you're a reasonably big guy diving in colder water, i'm going to be a bit less circumspect and suggest hp130s (or lp104/lp108s) or else hp120/lp96s. the latter tanks are particularly long and might fit your height -- those are 7.25" diameter tanks. the hp119/lp95 tanks that carry an almost identical amount of gas are 8" diameter tanks and are shorter and probably not what you want (hp130s/lp104s are longer with the same 8" diameter as hp119/lp95).

for smaller doubles lp85s are fairly long and might work, but i suspect your SAC rate would appreciate a larger tank for singles to start with.

 

[mikecotrone]

since you're a reasonably big guy diving in colder water, i'm going to be a bit less circumspect and suggest hp130s (or lp104/lp108s) or else hp120/lp96s. the latter tanks are particularly long and might fit your height -- those are 7.25" diameter tanks. the hp119/lp95 tanks that carry an almost identical amount of gas are 8" diameter tanks and are shorter and probably not what you want (hp130s/lp104s are longer with the same 8" diameter as hp119/lp95).

for smaller doubles lp85s are fairly long and might work, but i suspect your SAC rate would appreciate a larger tank for singles to start with.

I agree. I am 6'0 230 and when I dive singles and doubles I dive using my HP130 (Faber 133) Steel Tank(s). I love the negative characteristics of it which requires me to use less lead when diving a single HP130. I use a DiveRite Transplate and my trim feels good with either double HP130's or a single.

I hate diving AL80 as my back tank on singles since I have to wear so much lead.

HTH,
Mike

 

[themayor]

Thanks for the help guys where is my best bet to buy the hp130

 

[Guy Alcala]

Thanks for the help guys where is my best bet to buy the hp130

I agree with Lamont that the HP120 would likely be a better tank for you than an HP119 or 130, given your height (assuming you don't have an unusually short torso). IIRR a Worthington HP120 has 123.0 cu. ft. actual, versus 131.4 cu. ft. actual for their HP130, so the difference is less than it appears. The 120 is just as negative as the 130 when empty, but weighs 5 lb. less. If you ever decide to move into tech diving in doubles, you'll appreciate the extra length of the 120s (for trim) and the 10 lb. lighter weight on your back. But I think the clearest discussion of which factors determine the right tank for you can be found here:

How to Select a SCUBA Tank - Dive Gear Express

Divers who do most of their diving in warm water often prefer Faber Steel tanks rather than Worthingtons or (no longer available new) PSTs, because the Fabers are less negative (some are even positive) when empty. This can be especially important with doubles, as you need to be able to move weight around for trim without winding up too negative. Given your size this may be less of an issue for you than it is for someone like me (6'0", 180 lb.).

Guy