149cf Faber Steel Tank, yay or nay?

[meekal]

also, seems that you would want your buddy to have a similar size tank so you have equal bottom times.

unless you dive on your own boat, not being too too nit-pickly, but what about the OTHER 1/2 dozen or so divers sitting on the boat getting heat stroke while you (and your matched) buddy are down there 50% longer?

sucks when the Capt says "back in 55 minutes" (he DOES have that afternoon charter to get back to the dock for) and you bring back 1/2 a tank of gas.

 

[Rainer]

unless you dive on your own boat, not being too too nit-pickly, but what about the OTHER 1/2 dozen or so divers sitting on the boat getting heat stroke while you (and your matched) buddy are down there 50% longer?

sucks when the Capt says "back in 55 minutes" (he DOES have that afternoon charter to get back to the dock for) and you bring back 1/2 a tank of gas.

Just seems like you could get TWO dives off the one tank. As is, I take two HP100s on my rec dives. Usually, lots of air left over.

 

[fishb0y]

DON'T DO IT!!!!! it won't fit in most dive boats, the DM's will HATE you for having to lug the d@mn thing and you'll need a new spleen after lugging it to the boat.

Awww, poor dive-masters. I know they are always on the top of my list when it comes to my gear choices...

Seriously though... while the single large tank will give you more of a benefit in streamlining.... double 80's will help distribute the weight better, while giving you redundancy (unless you also purchase an H-valve for the large tank)

 

[Jimmer]

Awww, poor dive-masters. I know they are always on the top of my list when it comes to my gear choices...

Haha...I agree with that, screw the divemasters, I lug my own gear, and I think everyone should be able to haul their gear if they want to dive it.

 

[drrich2]

I dive a 130 cf xScuba high-pressure steel tank. It's a bit heavier to carry, but it lets me (a big guy, still pretty new at all this, big air hog who gets about 25" out of an 80 cf tank), stay down a lot longer. The main difference I notice is that when I swim at the surface horizontally (say, snorkeling across the top of the water after a dive, headed for shore), the large, heavy tank kind of 'lays' to one side moreso than an 80 cf tank.

But I love mine.

Richard.

 

[Jimmer]

I dive a 130 cf xScuba high-pressure steel tank. It's a bit heavier to carry, but it lets me (a big guy, still pretty new at all this, big air hog who gets about 25" out of an 80 cf tank), stay down a lot longer. The main difference I notice is that when I swim at the surface horizontally (say, snorkeling across the top of the water after a dive, headed for shore), the large, heavy tank kind of 'lays' to one side moreso than an 80 cf tank.

But I love mine.

Richard.

That's pretty normal with a single tank that big. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess you don't dive a BP/W. I don't have much trouble with my 108's (same size as your 130) flopping back and forth on my back with a BP/W and Single Tank Adaptor. Then I just doubled them up and they never rock around

 

[SparticleBrane]

Is there any macho guy out there to try a double of 149 cf?

We will be very glad to see a picture....

Sure thing. Go:
Here Those are doubled LP121s (same size as FX-149s) with an RB80 in the middle. Plus a few Gavins thrown in for good measure.
Here
Here
Here
Here
And last but not least...here.

 

[loosebits]

60lbs doesn't sound too bad to me, but man-o-man, a 12lb swing is crazy! I think that's more than an AL80.

The ONLY factor that affects the buoyancy swing of a tank is how much air is in it so of course the swing of a 149cuft tank is more than an 80. Every 149 CF tank regardless of what it's made of, be it steel or a hallowed out log (a very LP tank) will have the exact same buoyancy swing.

 

[ams511]

The ONLY factor that affects the buoyancy swing of a tank is how much air is in it so of course the swing of a 149cuft tank is more than an 80. Every 149 CF tank regardless of what it's made of, be it steel or a hallowed out log (a very LP tank) will have the exact same buoyancy swing.

True, but most people who dive doubles probably use a drysuit which gives redundent buoyancy. The OP uses a 3mil wetsuit so if problems happen early in the dive he may have a problem getting back to the surface.

 

[drrich2]

That's pretty normal with a single tank that big. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess you don't dive a BP/W.

Right, I dive a weight-integrated 3X Amer-Sea Cross-Tech (if memory serves on the specific model name) jacket-style BCD.

Richard.