Aluminum 100

[Digger54]

I use em, I like em. They don't mess up my trim. Mine are neutral at near empty and don't require any extra weight. I actually use less weight than with an AL 80.

They're heavy to lug around, but I'm not taking them backpacking, I'm taking them diving.

 

[ClayJar]

If anyone has any AL100s that they want to get rid of, get me a price. I dive them all the time, and I wouldn't mind having a couple more.

Are they heavier above water? Yes. Are they only AL91s if you only get 3000 psi? Sure. Do you have to adjust the cam bands when you go back and forth between them and AL80s? Of course.

The nice thing about them is that I can swap someone's AL80 for an AL100 in order to give them more gas, and the buoyancy change is effectively negligible. (They could, perhaps, remove one pound of weight, but the people I toss AL100s to are not likely weighted to the ounce.) All in all, they're not the best solution for everyone, everywhere, but they are quite useful, indeed, when reasonably applied.

I'd like to know where the "it'll destroy your trim, eat your fries, and run over your Hot Wheels" comments come from. At least with my Luxfer AL80s and Luxfer AL100s, I have never needed any trim or weighting changes between them. Are people switching from Luxfers in one size to Catalinas in the other (the different makes balance differently, I've read)?

 

[FritzCat66]

I had an AL100, purchased it used and took it out very little as my extra for 3-tank dives, etc. Found its 8-inch girth and bulk just not worth it, and given that my steel HP120's have 20% more capacity for otherwise about the same size (but even with nicer 7.25" diameter). I have since traded it to my local dive shop for some other work setting up my pony rig.

If I were buying new I would certainly consider a steel HP100 or HP120 over the AL100.

Luxfer AL100 specs vs. Worthington steel HP100 specs:
Length: 26.2" vs. 24.0"
Diameter: 8.0" vs. 7.25"
Capacity: 98.8 cu.ft. @3300psi vs. 99.5 cu.ft. @3442psi
Weight: 41.0# vs. 33.0#
Buoyancy Full: -4.3# vs. -10.0#
Buoyancy Empty: +1.9# vs. -2.5#

So with the steel HP100 you're carrying much less size, weight, and bulk for the same gas capacity as the AL100. But if you don't mind the size, then you're still better off with the steel HP120 for more capacity:

Luxfer AL100 specs vs. Worthington steel HP120 specs:
Length: 26.2" vs. 28.0"
Diameter: 8.0" vs. 7.25"
Capacity: 98.8 cu.ft. @3300psi vs. 120.6 cu.ft. @3442psi
Weight: 41.0# vs. 38.0#
Buoyancy Full: -4.3# vs. -11.0#
Buoyancy Empty: +1.9# vs. -2.0#

In other words, for about the same size and bulk as the AL100, you could have 22% more gas capacity and end up carrying seven pounds less overall weight with the HP120 (three pounds less raw tank weight, two pounds less lead due to the empty steel buoyancy, and two pounds less ballast to compensate for the AL positive buoyancy at the end of the dive is seven pounds total).

My primary tanks are the steel HP120's and I love them.

>*< Fritz

 

[Wayward Son]

I prefer steel, but have 3 Luxfer 100AL tanks due to cost.

A Luxfer 100AL is 2 lbs LESS buoyant empty than a Luxfer 80AL is.

I don't have any issues with mine in the water, they trim fine. Out of the water, they're big, heavy & a PITA. Mine will be sold as fast as my budget allows me to replace them with steel tanks.

But if you're budget is tight & you want more gas, they can be a way to solve that problem for less money.

 

[Wayward Son]

If anyone has any AL100s that they want to get rid of, get me a price. I dive them all the time, and I wouldn't mind having a couple more.

Are they heavier above water? Yes. Are they only AL91s if you only get 3000 psi? Sure. Do you have to adjust the cam bands when you go back and forth between them and AL80s? Of course.

The nice thing about them is that I can swap someone's AL80 for an AL100 in order to give them more gas, and the buoyancy change is effectively negligible. (They could, perhaps, remove one pound of weight, but the people I toss AL100s to are not likely weighted to the ounce.) All in all, they're not the best solution for everyone, everywhere, but they are quite useful, indeed, when reasonably applied.

I'd like to know where the "it'll destroy your trim, eat your fries, and run over your Hot Wheels" comments come from. At least with my Luxfer AL80s and Luxfer AL100s, I have never needed any trim or weighting changes between them. Are people switching from Luxfers in one size to Catalinas in the other (the different makes balance differently, I've read)?

Catalina 100's are heavier -by some pounds- & have different buoyancy than the Luxfers do. Not sure if the dimensions are different or not.

 

[FritzCat66]

Luxfer AL100 specs vs. Catalina AL100 specs:
Length: 26.2" vs. 27.3"
Diameter: 8.0" vs. 8.0"
Capacity: 98.8 cu.ft. @3300psi vs. 100 cu.ft. @3300psi
Weight: 41.0# vs. 46.2#
Buoyancy Full: -4.3# vs. -7.8#
Buoyancy Empty: +1.9# vs. -0.4#

So, obviously the Catalina 100 is an even larger beast... although it remains negative, even empty.

>*< Fritz

 

[JahJahwarrior]

You'll find that there are divers and there are internet divers. Internet divers have problems with everything, divers find solutions for everything.

I got two aluminum 100s at a great price about a year and a half ago. Dove them as singles for about 9 months. Heavier than 80s and I had trouble getting good fills, i always seemed to have 3k when i got in the water.

Then i doubled them up, and liked them. But again, i was getting 3k fills and i still had to wear lead.

I switched to renting some LP95s because I coud even dive dry without lead, and they were easily manageable coming from the aluminum tanks, and I could get so much more air inot them with a cave fill than with the aluminum 100s.

I have now acquired some lp120s, because I wanted even more airon my back. But the 100s were perfectly diveable and I know many people who swear by them. There will always be the crowd that swears AT them though. My thoughts: if you find them cheap, buy them. But if it's new tanks you are looking at, then stop and go find a used set of steel tanks. But more important than what tank you dive is that you dive. You can argue all day about which tank is best but wouldn't it be easier to just go dive?

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

I owned a pair of 92s, which are basically short 100s. They were great tanks. The only reason I got rid of them was because they were 1988 tanks and Luxfer offered me $50 each for trade-in. Otherwise, I would still have them.

The only negative thing I can say about them is that they won't fit into the racks on some boats, but this is true of any 8 inch diameter tank. On one dive boat, I had to lay them on the deck.

The cost of ownership of AL tanks is definitely less. That's why most dive ops use them. I have both AL and steel tanks, and they both have their purpose and applications. For the type of diving I do, I perfer AL for ocean and steel for caves. That's not to say I won't break out the 104s for something deep like the RBJ.

 

[marchand]

There is nothing wrong with AL100s. They trim the same as an AL80 (from the same manufacturer). They are less buoyant than and hold more air than an AL80. They make a great set of doubles for ocean diving because they are easy to swim up if you poke a hole in your wing.

But, if you can afford steel tanks, get them. Steel tanks when properly cared for will last longer than you. They are negative when empty, and you can get a lot more air into them, especially the LP tanks (depending on where you live).

Someone said earlier the LP steel and AL tanks are similar in size, weight, and buoyancy. This is not true. LP steel tanks are negative when empty, unlike AL, which is all the difference in the world.