Big Heavy tanks!
- Thread starter jordaof
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You can get a 15l tank. They're pretty common and great for single tanks diving. 18l and 20l usually aren't used for single tank diving as they are pretty heavy and very long.
It's normal to use more air as beginner, it gets better with time.
Look on a local facebook scuba group for used 15l tanks. Should be easy to find one.
Are your 12L tanks supposed to be filled to 232 bar? You mention them going from 200 to 70 quickly. Perhaps check the rated fill pressure and be sure that you are actually getting proper fills. Simple way to get more gas.
Not every steel tank is rated for 230 bar and many places just fill to 200.
CT-Rich
Contributor
I did love the comments about a big tank is tech solution to a skills problem... Of course it is. So is a rebreather, you can't get four hours out of your twin eighties? I scuba because I can't free dive for poo.
My go to tanks are 120s. More air, longer dives is never a bad thing. I would much rather worry about my NDL than my gas pressure. Personally steel 120 trims better than my kid's AL80. The were annoyed when my old 72 had to be retired. I have a crappy SAC because I am a big guy with big lungs (6' 7", 240 lbs). No skills are going to fix that. If you are able to handle a big tank (strong or big enough), have at it. Your SAC will go down with experience, but diving doesn't have to be a pissing contest. And no one wants to be the first back on the boat.
On vacation, I always ask if they have AL100s because I will use the gas. I know there will be some 100 lb waif that could two dives off of a 63, but I am not her....
My go to tanks are 120s. More air, longer dives is never a bad thing. I would much rather worry about my NDL than my gas pressure. Personally steel 120 trims better than my kid's AL80. The were annoyed when my old 72 had to be retired. I have a crappy SAC because I am a big guy with big lungs (6' 7", 240 lbs). No skills are going to fix that. If you are able to handle a big tank (strong or big enough), have at it. Your SAC will go down with experience, but diving doesn't have to be a pissing contest. And no one wants to be the first back on the boat.
On vacation, I always ask if they have AL100s because I will use the gas. I know there will be some 100 lb waif that could two dives off of a 63, but I am not her....
This is going to be confusing to the OP.
The tanks OP is asking for are not like your 120s. He was asking for 18l/20l tanks for single tank diving.
Your HP120 aren't considered big tanks here. Those are like 15ls and pretty much standard. The tanks he's asking about are about the size of US LP120 and weight well over 50 lbs.
15l liter tanks are great for single tank diving, 18l and 20l are not, even for bigger guys. I have 18l SM tanks for longer cave dives... they're a major PITA to handle and carry around.
You absolutely do need bailout. However, it's calculated as a one-way option, not 1 / 3rds as would be for OC.
Also, if doing big penetrations beyond the distance you could realistically swim with your onboard bailouts (or if in very adverse conditions, syphons, restrictions), you would stage bottles along the route.
Again, this is only asking the question about the "enormous" (my quotes) 18 or 20 litre tanks which you're unlikely to choose over a CCR which you have available to use.
I guess this is more a comment about how things have changed in say, the last 10 years, from open circuit to the use of rebreathers which have almost unlimited range compared with open circuit.
N.B. this is basic scuba. For readers not familiar, diving has changed quite significantly in the past 10 years especially for technical diving (deep diving or underground diving).
Nothing has changed in the last ten years when it comes to BO or rebreathers.
You have no clue about cave diving and I'm not going over this nonsense. It's OT too and has nothing to do with question.
I just gave an example why Euro 18l tanks are not like US HP120 and aren't great for single tank diving.
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