133 for doubles? how common is it?

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Have you considered 117's? Similar to 133's except they're a bit shorter (still 8" diameter).I have a pair and love them, but I don't use them in doubles so I can't give you any input on how they are in that configuration.

I like that tank. I believe they are even shorter than the HP 100s but weight wise they are five lbs lighter. Overall they make more sense than the HP 100 except the 100s being 5 lbs lighter on your back.

 

[manni-yunk]

I have (2) sets of 130s. They were actually my favorite set of doubles and over the last year my tank of choice. Now that Im on the CCR, I will be selling a few sets of 120s, 95s, 100s, and eventually the 130s but I will likely keep one set of the 130s forever.

 

[WarrenZ]

I liked my 133s when I was using them last year for everything except the carrying them around part. I actually used them all weekend on one fill several times last year. Gotta love diving with singletank divers.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

I have (2) sets of 130s. They were actually my favorite set of doubles and over the last year my tank of choice. Now that Im on the CCR, I will be selling a few sets of 120s, 95s, 100s, and eventually the 130s but I will likely keep one set of the 130s forever.

Did you ever use your 130 doubles in wetsuit? How was that experience?

 

[manni-yunk]

Not that I remember. I may have in the quarry, but nothing specific comes to mind. I know I never did in the ocean where I spend 98% of my dive time.

 

[WarrenZ]

133s in a wetsuit is doable however they would be hard to swim up if you had a wing failure when they were full. However with a lift bag or double wing it is doable.

 

[Jack Hammer]

I use 3342 doubled 130s with aluminum plates without issue. They are heavy out of the water compared to the 3442 100s. I prefer the 100s for weight and comfort. Most the people I dive with use 130s so I use them more than I prefer. In the water both sets feel about the same to me.

 

[kensuf]

the DSS Kydex plates will support the double 130's, did it with PST 130's which are even heavier than the fabers. PST 104's were the cave diving tanks of choice and realistically still are for doubles and the 104's were even heaver than the 130's. If you need the gas, you need the gas, and the Fabers are much easier to handle than the PST's

Depends on what year 104's you have. I have three sets of "classic" 104's and one set of "modern" 104's, and the modern's are much heavier.

FWIW -- the E8-130's (HP 133's) are essentially the same tank as modern 104's. They have the same internal volume and similar exterior dimensions and weighting, the only difference is the E8's are DOT approved for 3500 psi where the 104's only get that treatment if you can find a shop that does cave fills. Personally, I think they're great for cave diving where you want more gas, but I wouldn't want to jump off a boat in them, that's where 85's or double AL 80s shine.

 

[kensuf]

133s in a wetsuit is doable however they would be hard to swim up if you had a wing failure when they were full. However with a lift bag or double wing it is doable.

Double wing is the way to go if you can't get yourself a drysuit. Trying to use a liftbag to help get you to the surface only reliably works in a controlled environment, like a class, and even then it fails more often then not.

Remember, don't hook up the power inflator for your backup wing. If you have a stuck inflator, you need to identify what is stuck quickly.

 

[tbone1004]

sorry, they were modern PST E8-130's for 3442 PSI. They never made them to 3500... Either way, they're heavy as all hell and the DSS Kydex plate was perfectly fine with them. With an AL plate the bolt holes will get rounded out eventually because the bolts are steel and the plate is aluminum so that's an obvious fact. With the Kydex or the Dive Rite XT Lite plate, you have stainless steel on the spine, so they won't round out. They will flex a little bit, but they're designed to, and even the Kydex has enough tensile strength that you could drill a single hole in the kydex and hang a set of 104's from a quick link and it wouldn't fail.