Aldora's steel tanks - brand/weight?

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BalekFekete

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Location
Philadelphia, PA
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Hi everyone -

I'm starting research on a potential first Coz trip and am looking at Aldora due to their steel 100/120s. For a relative air hog like me, that'd be a Godsend. :)

Question tho'...anyone know what brand they use or how much they weigh in the water? I'm diving a SS Freedom Plate and a VDH 23# wing and am wondering if I'd need to source out the larger 35# to dive with the heavier tank.

TIA!
 
I’m not sure exactly what they weigh but they are definitely a heavier tank. In fact I don’t need any weight whatsoever when using them! Love that. I have used them with multiple BC’s though and each time they fit/work just fine, I’ve never needed a special or altered BC. Maybe try emailing them directly? GL!
 
Use that Google-fu! In 2014, Dave Dillehay, then-owner of Aldora, said:

At Aldora we have both Worthington and Faber HP tanks, in 80cf, 100cf, and 120cf. Worthington stopped making tanks last year thus we have gone to Faber for recent purchases. All have valves that are convertible from DIN to yoke and it is now rare for us to change out the regulator inlet fittings for our customers (that was the case 20 years ago when the HP tanks were only available in DIN) although we still have DIN adapters for almost all regs.

As to capacities and buoyancy characteristics, the difference between the various HP tanks are so small as to be of little significance for most divers. With all of our HP tanks, a rule of thumb is to drop 4 lbs of lead compared to an aluminum 80. As you may have noted from earlier discussion, the HP tanks have exactly the right kind of buoyancy to get you down quickly and yet not bob to the surface at the safety stop. To me that is nearly as important as having 25-50% more air molecules!

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers


Aldora tank buoyancy

It's easy enough to look up the buoyancy characteristics of a Faber HP 120.
 
Hi everyone -

I'm starting research on a potential first Coz trip and am looking at Aldora due to their steel 100/120s. For a relative air hog like me, that'd be a Godsend. :)

Question tho'...anyone know what brand they use or how much they weigh in the water? I'm diving a SS Freedom Plate and a VDH 23# wing and am wondering if I'd need to source out the larger 35# to dive with the heavier tank.

TIA!
A 23 is fine. A full HP120 is 11 pounds negative. Add in a 5 pounds for your steel BP and you are at 16. That allows you to add an additional 7 pounds of lead without requiring a larger wing. I can't imagine you would need that much lead unless you wearing a 7mm or 5mm plus hooded vest.

When I dove with Aldora, I used the 120 with a steel BP and a 3mm. I required no extra weight (I was actually a couple of pounds overweight at the end of the dive due to the remaining gas) and was fine with my 18# VGDH wing.
 
It kind of depends on which 120. Between those two manufacturers, there are 5 tanks.
upload_2021-6-1_16-35-37.png

Credit: @tmassey
 
They are Faber and a 23# wing is just fine even with a 120, deco tank and SS back plate - I do it with no problems with a 3mm suit and vest
 
It kind of depends on which 120. Between those two manufacturers, there are 5 tanks.
View attachment 662628

Credit: @tmassey

Missing the Faber MP 120 3498# with +, 48.3# empty weight, buoyancy -16.22 to -7.22. Defiantly not a warm water tank.
 
I have dove their HP120 tanks with a 22 pound HOG tropical wing, aluminum backplate, and a skin with no issues whatsoever.

Tell Jorgito and Sharif Jay from Oklahoma says hello. Ask Jorge to point out the ultra rare Cozumel Pollo Pescado!!!

Safe travels, please drink several Bohemia Obscura's for me...it only the best beer in the world!!

Jay
 

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