If you can swim up a 15 you can swim up an 18. I used twin 12ltr steel diving wet for years and never had a problem swimming them up. If you have to drop the belt your going to become buoyant at 20 feet. You won’t hold a stop.
18L Steel Tank - advice needed
- Thread starter David Novo
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Seams I'm in the minority here but I love 18L tanks, especially the long ones, wide ones feel dumpy on my back. I use them for 50 meter dives with air deco. I'm a bit shorter than you, 183 and they trim out nicely with valves in my reach. Faber ones float more than a 15L once you go bellow 100 bars so you will need some more weights but any normal sized wing should be more than enough to carry you up during the first few minutes of the dive (are you diving wet or dry?)
EireDiver606
Contributor
@David Novo
The only reason you want a 18l is (a) more gas (b) you don't want to go to twins yet.
I (and any diver with a logical brain) would highly suggest you progress to doubles because (a) more gas than 18l (b) better trim (c) better stability (d) ability to do shutdowns.
If you want to progress with your diving, moving to doubles is inevitable anyway. I was in the same boat as you, I thought they were only used for "advanced" diving but when I tried them on for the first time, I realised that there is a lot of stigma from less knowledgeable, less experienced divers who see diving doubles as heavy, clunky, imbalanced, awkward, and more difficult to dive with even though they have never dived doubles themselves or maybe had a single bad experience. None of these claims are true and don't listen to anyone who tell you to dive a 15l and pony instead of a set of doubles
In fact, I fell in love with D12s having previously dived 15l tanks all the time. They give you a more stable platform but are slightly harder to move and manoeuvre but this honestly, this is hardly noticeable. I and many other technical divers dive twins all the time (preferred over the option of a single tank) but this does not mean they are only for advanced diving nor should they chosen over a single tank for a rec dive unless you need a the gas or just prefer diving twins. They are equally suitable for recreational divers.
I would also highly recommend that you spend some quality time with a knowledgeable instructor who can guide you through a few twinset dives.
Feel free to ask if you want more advice.
The only reason you want a 18l is (a) more gas (b) you don't want to go to twins yet.
I (and any diver with a logical brain) would highly suggest you progress to doubles because (a) more gas than 18l (b) better trim (c) better stability (d) ability to do shutdowns.
If you want to progress with your diving, moving to doubles is inevitable anyway. I was in the same boat as you, I thought they were only used for "advanced" diving but when I tried them on for the first time, I realised that there is a lot of stigma from less knowledgeable, less experienced divers who see diving doubles as heavy, clunky, imbalanced, awkward, and more difficult to dive with even though they have never dived doubles themselves or maybe had a single bad experience. None of these claims are true and don't listen to anyone who tell you to dive a 15l and pony instead of a set of doubles
In fact, I fell in love with D12s having previously dived 15l tanks all the time. They give you a more stable platform but are slightly harder to move and manoeuvre but this honestly, this is hardly noticeable. I and many other technical divers dive twins all the time (preferred over the option of a single tank) but this does not mean they are only for advanced diving nor should they chosen over a single tank for a rec dive unless you need a the gas or just prefer diving twins. They are equally suitable for recreational divers.
I would also highly recommend that you spend some quality time with a knowledgeable instructor who can guide you through a few twinset dives.
Feel free to ask if you want more advice.
- Messages
- 17,334
- Reaction score
- 13,743
- # of dives
- 100 - 199
D7x300 is?
D8.5x232 is?
18x232 is?
Also, D4, D6, D12. I've seen them all and dived with buddies carrying them all. Some carry more gas than a single 18, others... don't.
OP
David Novo
Contributor
Me too, one of the limitations just happens to be budget.
I am considering it but it is likely that I will have to choose between 15L or 18L beforehand as the boat standard is 12L. Hence, I am checking what the general consensus is regarding 18L. For now it is not boding well...
I am not sure if I can swim up either the 15L or the 18L without dropping weight. Never tried. I am not doing any deco dives with obligations beyond minimum, so in an emergency and if needed, it would be better than drowning.
Wet. Do you feel it hard to balance (does it roll you)?
Actually I am fully convinced of the benefits of twins for rec purposes. I am just not willing to make the investment at this point (tanks, drysuit - makes no sense to buy aluminium tanks for Portugal, doubles wing, another first stage). On top of that, it would make 2-dive boat trips hard to manage (one pair of twins would not be enough for both dives).
lucca brassi
Contributor
I'm so happy , I have rid of Faber 18 lit boiler , I can't tell you
I am considering renting a 18L Steel Tank for a liveaboard and would like to know the general consensus on this. I am going with a 13L wing, a steel backplate and a 7/8 mm semi-drysuit.
18 lit are super buoyant ( cca +3kg ) and neck heavy . Big difference between empty and full , special with 7-8 mm neoprene drysuit . You will struggle always between two extrems : too heavy and cork floating in that combination period.
I am considering renting a 18L Steel Tank for a liveaboard and would like to know the general consensus on this. I am going with a 13L wing, a steel backplate and a 7/8 mm semi-drysuit.
18 lit are super buoyant ( cca +3kg ) and neck heavy . Big difference between empty and full , special with 7-8 mm neoprene drysuit . You will struggle always between two extrems : too heavy and cork floating in that combination period.
@David Novo
Re: Twins for recreational dives
Are you SURE a twinset wouldn’t cover two recreational dives? I know plenty of people who get two recreational dives out of one twinset. I’ve done it myself plenty of times.
Re: Twins for recreational dives
Are you SURE a twinset wouldn’t cover two recreational dives? I know plenty of people who get two recreational dives out of one twinset. I’ve done it myself plenty of times.
OP
David Novo
Contributor
I stand corrected: I did the math and 2x12L 230 bar will give me more bottom time than 2 independent 15L at 200 bars (the ones I usually get with the spot on the boat - never did a shore dive and it is not common around here), as all the remaining air from the first dive can be used on the second.
Neverthless, a drysuit + twins + doubles wing + second first stage should be more than EUR 1.800. Hard to justify for local dives at this point (10-15 local dives a year). Both the drysuit and twins are not really useful for my dives abroad.
On top of this, still had to factor tanks maintenance costs, fills and carrying them around.
I know you said.you didn't want to discuss your high gas consumption rate but I'm.going to anyway.
According to your profile, you've done less than 100 dives, so the reason your consumption is high is probably because you're not very comfortable, balanced and in trim in the water.
That being the case, about the worst thing you could do is take a huge tank in that will make your trim worse. Twins won't be any better either.
Your consumption will come down the more you dive and the more comfortable you are in the water. That will happen quicker with simpler kit
According to your profile, you've done less than 100 dives, so the reason your consumption is high is probably because you're not very comfortable, balanced and in trim in the water.
That being the case, about the worst thing you could do is take a huge tank in that will make your trim worse. Twins won't be any better either.
Your consumption will come down the more you dive and the more comfortable you are in the water. That will happen quicker with simpler kit
OP
David Novo
Contributor
Significantly different from a 15L steel?
Similar threads
