71.2 cuft tanks

[AfterDark]

I just found a galvinized 72 w/ a SP adjustable J valve w/ pull rod and plastic bac-pack for sale. Last VIP sticker 1974. Price $10.00. Also 2 galvinized 90's for $100.00 per tank. I'm waiting to hear from both parties.

Well I made the deal for the 2 90 cuft tanks 3000psi + rated. They were hydro'd this year and ready to go! The 2 for $175.00 not a bad deal huh? The owner of the 72 replied to my work email so I didn't see it until 11:00PM EDST Tuesday night but he left his phone # and I'll be calling him in the AM. After the deals are done I'll have 4 72's
2 90's and 1 104, all but the $10.00 72 are + rated and that one maybe too I just don't know yet. Diving them as ID's I'll have buko air capacity! I haven't been this excited since Christmas morning as a kid

 

[duckbill]

In Texas we'd rather just shoot them.............

Now, that must be from another John Wayne movie. Am I right?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

This is a photo of me using a steel 80 cubic foot tank, which I believe was a 2475 psi fill. It was one of my first tanks, the first being a used 38 cubic foot tank with a 1800 psi fill.

This tank was from about 1966 or so. It was out several years before the aluminum tanks made their presence known.

The USD twin 72s were known for corrosion problems, as some of them were painted without any galvanization below them. Probably because of this, the steel tanks started getting a bad name. But I like the size and feel of the single 72, and have two of them now. So far as being balanced, they really are quite nicely balanced. I have taken one off in the pool, and used it in front of me (finswimming style) without any buoyancy issues.

SeaRat

SeaRat,
That photo looks a lot like the terrain at Silver Springs FL. from Sea Hunt.
I always enjoy your vintage photos so much. I've saved several of the ones you've put up in the past (If that's OK). I like to go back and look at them. In fact I have a whole special file dedicated to all sorts of vintage photos. Seeing them makes me want to get out the Nikonos and load it with Tri-X B/W film.

We should start a "Post your vintage photos" thread, U/W or topside. I love seeing them.

 

[elmer fudd]

One thing I find handy with the 72's and other low pressure tanks are a couple of big HP tanks and a transfill whip. I've got 4 HP119's. So what I'll do is pick the one with the cruddiest fill or just the one I want to use up and use it to top off all my LP tanks. I'll start with the 2250's and work my way down to the 1800's. When I'm done, I've got great fills in all my low pressure tanks and I'll haul that 2/3 full 119 in with me to the dive shop to get it topped off. Usually since it's already mostly full, it doesn't heat up that much and it gets a great fill.

 

[oldmossback]

Now, that must be from another John Wayne movie. Am I right?

Nope!.......I think John Wayne got his film quotes from his visits to Texas and learning the Texas culture here............

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

One thing I find handy with the 72's and other low pressure tanks are a couple of big HP tanks and a transfill whip. I've got 4 HP119's. So what I'll do is pick the one with the cruddiest fill or just the one I want to use up and use it to top off all my LP tanks. I'll start with the 2250's and work my way down to the 1800's. When I'm done, I've got great fills in all my low pressure tanks and I'll haul that 2/3 full 119 in with me to the dive shop to get it topped off. Usually since it's already mostly full, it doesn't heat up that much and it gets a great fill.

There is mention in the New Science of Skin and Scuba Diving on how to do this.
I thought of picking up some very large HP tanks and transfill whipping my 72's from cascaded HP tanks. They charge the same at the dive shops for large HP tanks or 72's so I figure I could probably get 15 or more fills in the 72's for the price of ten by doing it this way. Sometimes I don't even use a third or a half of an HP tank on a shallow shore dive so in this case it would make sense to use a 72.
Depending on what a tank to tank equalizer costs it may not be long before it pays off.

Add:
Also, I am going to aquire a set of twin 45's in the near future (I think they are), 1800 psi w/ a USD one piece manifold. The dive shop will charge me 2 fills for these because they're doubles, it doesn't matter that some singles hold more cubic inches, they don't care. As far as they're concerned there are two tanks period. A transfill whip would definitely be the way to go with these.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

SeaRat,
That photo looks a lot like the terrain at Silver Springs FL. from Sea Hunt.
I always enjoy your vintage photos so much. I've saved several of the ones you've put up in the past (If that's OK). I like to go back and look at them. In fact I have a whole special file dedicated to all sorts of vintage photos. Seeing them makes me want to get out the Nikonos and load it with Tri-X B/W film.

We should start a "Post your vintage photos" thread, U/W or topside. I love seeing them.

ZKY,

I don't mind at all. The photo in question was of me in Clear Lake, the headwaters of the McKenzie River in the Oregon Cascade mountains east of Eugene, Oregon. It is as clear is the Silver Springs, but it is a constant 37 degrees F (year-round). It is a very interesting lake in color too:

The diver above is wearing twin 72s, and I was wearing twin aluminum 72s (the old floaters).

There is a lot of talk above about topping off the tanks using a HP 90 or 100 cubic foot tank and something called a transfill whip. I haven't seen one of those, but where there's a will, there's a way. I did the same thing when I was making a calculation of what my twin LP steels actually were (I determined through a calcualtion that they were twin 45s, based upon the pressure changes from a full AL 80). But with a two-tank connector and a regulator you can do the same thing.

SeaRat

 

[Paladin]

ZKY,
The shop where I get my tanks filled charges $8.00 to fill one of my single tanks and $12.00 to fill my doubles.

JCR:

I have one of those yoke connectors and I use it the same way to transfer air between tanks!

 

[JarLog1979]

wow thats a thought isn't it

 

[elmer fudd]

There is mention in the New Science of Skin and Scuba Diving on how to do this.
I thought of picking up some very large HP tanks and transfill whipping my 72's from cascaded HP tanks. They charge the same at the dive shops for large HP tanks or 72's so I figure I could probably get 15 or more fills in the 72's for the price of ten by doing it this way. Sometimes I don't even use a third or a half of an HP tank on a shallow shore dive so in this case it would make sense to use a 72.
Depending on what a tank to tank equalizer costs it may not be long before it pays off.

Add:
Also, I am going to aquire a set of twin 45's in the near future (I think they are), 1800 psi w/ a USD one piece manifold. The dive shop will charge me 2 fills for these because they're doubles, it doesn't matter that some singles hold more cubic inches, they don't care. As far as they're concerned there are two tanks period. A transfill whip would definitely be the way to go with these.

I've been an avid airgunner for years, so I already had both a din and a yoke fill adapter for charging airguns. One day it occurred to me that I could string the two of them together and use them to top my tanks off with. I insert my banjo adapter pressure gauge in the yoke fitting to get a more accurate reading.

Most of the shops around here will give you free fills if you're a regular customer. Getting good overfills on old tanks is a lot more hit and miss. By topping them off myself I know I've always got a decent amount of air.

Scubatoys has got a great deal on tank equalizers/transfill whips.
Tank to Tank Equalizer reviews and discounts, IST