Aluminium cylinders in UK waters

[Connor_grant98]

Hi all,

I currently use 2×12L steel for my sidemount setup, I was thinking about getting 2 ali80 cylinders to use instead, what are your thoughts on this ? Would you recommend or not recommend I make this choice ? I currently dive in a neoprene drysuit with 4kg in fresh water and 6kg in the sea if that helps

Thanks very much

 

[Compressor]

First of all welcome to ScubaBoard.

Surprised that there are no answers. I don't side mount dive yet so take my advice with some grain of salt. Adding 2 AL80 will add significant buoyancy to your rig not only from the start of the dive (from where you are now). The tanks are -0.63 kg at the start each then go to about +2.0 kg at the end. With a neoprene drysuit, you will have to add more weight to your setup.

Now I don't do side mount so don't know if you want those tanks to ride up under your arm like we like AL40 do?

It all has to do with a balanced rig. How balanced will you be when you change config.? Perhaps borrow or rent a pair and try it first before changing system.

Of course there is the other issue of carrying enough gas for the dive. The AL80 can only carry so much gas compared with other higher capacity steel cylinders esp. when overfilled.

 

[MinimalMayhem]

Hi all,

I currently use 2×12L steel for my sidemount setup, I was thinking about getting 2 ali80 cylinders to use instead, what are your thoughts on this ? Would you recommend or not recommend I make this choice ? I currently dive in a neoprene drysuit with 4kg in fresh water and 6kg in the sea if that helps

Thanks very much

I started with Alis but switched to steels (fabers) because it meant I could wear less lead on my harness. Plus I just clip the steels off and forget them (no mid-dive trimming required). The Alis are now used for deco/stages.

The alis are nicer when they're about neutral, makes it easier to tidy up at the end of a dive (take them off while swimming etc.), but overall I prefer the steels.

 

[Doby45]

Cold waters = steel. Can you dive aluminums in cold water, sure. Is it the smartest way to go about skinning that cat, no.

 

[rjack321]

There are lots of people in Washington (state) and British Columbia (Canada) diving AL80s sidemount. With a razor type harness its almost imperative. I don't know what kind of undergarments or lead they are using, but for long shallow dives its not a bad way to go. For trimix depths (40+m) its a mess since the volume isn't great and you need suit gas and deco bottles etc. At that point you are better off backmount (and with steels) unless its genuinely small cave.