Buying first set of singles tanks with the intention to double them up later

[GearheadExplorer85]

Hi everyone:

I'm looking for advice on buying my first set of tanks. Up until now, I have always rented AL80s from a LDS. But I have decided that owning a couple would be nice for the sake of convenience. However, I'm stuck in analysis paralysis deciding between AL80s or HP100s. I like them both, but they both have pros/cons.

1) If I want to buy a pair of tanks for single tank diving with the intention to double them up down the road, which ones would be better for me to start with?

2) Would it be more sensible to dive single steels now and get a separate set of AL80s later for a dedicated doubles rig (assuming I stick with wetsuit diving)?

To help you answer, I'll give some background on where I am now and what I'm looking to do in the future.

My aspiration is to just extend my bottom times while staying within recreational depth ranges. Open water is plenty thrilling enough for me. I have no desire to penetrate wrecks and caves. Long-term, I would love to build a set of backmount doubles set for redundancy. I'm mainly a wetsuit diver, like the simplicity of wetsuits, and prefer warmer-water diving. However, I do want to do a few Great Lakes trips at some point. I know a drysuit is the proper tool for that job, so I'm not ruling out the possibility of drysuit training (not sure if I want to own one).

Here is what I've gleaned after reading many older threads about AL80 vs HP100:

HP100
Pros: Close to the same size as an AL80, more capacity, need to carry less weight, will outlive me if they are properly maintained
Cons: Need to pay close attention to weighting to avoid being overweighted, more expensive, need a drysuit or redundant buoyancy when doubling them up, not optimal for wetsuits when doubled (seems to be the general consensus but there are some who disagree with this notion)

AL80
Pros: Already trained on them, I'm used to how they work with my BCD, cheaper than HP100s, better for thinner wetsuits in warmer water, less of a swing in buoyancy when going from full to empty
Cons: Less capacity than HP100s, have to carry more weight with thicker wetsuits/drysuits, get butt-light when close to empty, dive shops stop filling them after a certain age

Cheers!

---

Location
BC, Canada

Current Diving Activity
I do most of my diving in the spring/summer months. In the winter, I never do more than a couple of dives per month. I don't see myself going deeper than 100 ft unless there is something that I really want to see.

Current Rigging
Aqualung Balance Jacket BCD (40 lbs lift)
Aqualung Titan LX Supreme Regulators (with yoke 1st stage-->thinking of converting to DIN)
7/7mm Farmer John Wetsuit (may replace this with a 7mm full wetsuit soon)
Weight 30 lbs (20 ditchable)

Current Certification
PADI Open Water (I'm taking my AOW next weekend)

Future Training Interests
Recreational: Navigation, Deep, Night, Nitrox, S&R, Rescue, Solo, and possibly Drysuit
Technical: Intro to Tech and AN/DP

 

[Still Kicking]

Hi everyone:

I'm looking for advice on buying my first set of tanks. Up until now, I have always rented AL80s from a LDS. But I have decided that owning a couple would be nice for the sake of convenience. However, I'm stuck in analysis paralysis deciding between AL80s or HP100s. I like them both, but they both have pros/cons.

1) If I want to buy a pair of tanks for single tank diving with the intention to double them up down the road, which ones would be better for me to start with?

2) Would it be more sensible to dive single steels now and get a separate set of AL80s later for a dedicated doubles rig (assuming I stick with wetsuit diving)?

To help you answer, I'll give some background on where I am now and what I'm looking to do in the future.

My aspiration is to just extend my bottom times while staying within recreational depth ranges. Open water is plenty thrilling enough for me. I have no desire to penetrate wrecks and caves. Long-term, I would love to build a set of backmount doubles set for redundancy. I'm mainly a wetsuit diver, like the simplicity of wetsuits, and prefer warmer-water diving. However, I do want to do a few Great Lakes trips at some point. I know a drysuit is the proper tool for that job, so I'm not ruling out the possibility of drysuit training (not sure if I want to own one).

Here is what I've gleaned after reading many older threads about AL80 vs HP100:

HP100
Pros: Close to the same size as an AL80, more capacity, need to carry less weight, will outlive me if they are properly maintained
Cons: Need to pay close attention to weighting to avoid being overweighted, more expensive, need a drysuit or redundant buoyancy when doubling them up, not optimal for wetsuits when doubled (seems to be the general consensus but there are some who disagree with this notion)

AL80
Pros: Already trained on them, I'm used to how they work with my BCD, cheaper than HP100s, better for thinner wetsuits in warmer water, less of a swing in buoyancy when going from full to empty
Cons: Less capacity than HP100s, have to carry more weight with thicker wetsuits/drysuits, get butt-light when close to empty, dive shops stop filling them after a certain age

Cheers!

---

Location
BC, Canada

Current Diving Activity
I do most of my diving in the spring/summer months. In the winter, I never do more than a couple of dives per month. I don't see myself going deeper than 100 ft unless there is something that I really want to see.

Current Rigging
Aqualung Balance Jacket BCD (40 lbs lift)
Aqualung Titan LX Supreme Regulators (with yoke 1st stage-->thinking of converting to DIN)
7/7mm Farmer John Wetsuit (may replace this with a 7mm full wetsuit soon)
Weight 30 lbs (20 ditchable)

Current Certification
PADI Open Water (I'm taking my AOW next weekend)

Future Training Interests
Recreational: Navigation, Deep, Night, Nitrox, S&R, Rescue, Solo, and possibly Drysuit
Technical: Intro to Tech and AN/DP

Buy aluminum 80s made 1990 or later and they will outlive you.

Put a 10lb V weight in between a set of Al 80s and they trim out nicely.

If you end up diving doubles a lot, you will probably get a second set ... then look at 100s.

Having said all that, if you are just taking AOW you are getting waaaay ahead of yourself. Buy the tanks you want to use now and worry about what kind of doubles you need if/when you come to that point.

 

[macado]

Steel HP100s are great single tanks and they make a nice set of smaller doubles. AL80s are great for warm water but you're going to be much better of with steel tanks for cold water diving. More gas, smaller package, less lead required. HP100s are an all better, more versatile tank and are going to be much better for "local" diving.

LP85s would be an even better choice but unfortunately a lot of shops aren't going to fill them over ~2600psi so that makes HP100s a better option for most people.

While you said that you're mainly a wetsuit diver given your location and the desire to dive the Great Lakes you'll likely end up in a drysuit sooner rather than later as your diving evolves unless you plan to stick to exclusively warm water.

This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion and will anger the internet but you can dive absolutely HP100 doubles in full 7mm wetsuit at shallow modest depths however I wouldn't go any larger this. I know plenty of people who do it, did it, and still do it. Carry a lift bag or large dSMB for some sort of redundancy buoyancy. Yes it's not the most balanced rig in the world which should ultimately be your goal but it's going to be safer than attempting HP119s/HP120s+ in a wetsuit.

 

[Badger7]

You might consider the opposite - keep your eyes open for good set of used doubles, drain them, disassemble them, get a fresh VIP and then put the valves back on with plugs instead of the manifold. You can dive them as single tanks for as long as you want, only downside is the tank valve will be on either the left or right every other dive. If you want to turn them back into doubles, you've got all the parts, and if you never get there you can always sell the bands and manifold to offset your costs a little. For cold freshwater diving, wetsuit or drysuit, I would 100% go HP100 over AL80, as they'll have a higher capacity for the same dimensions and take about 5 pounds of lead off your belt. You dive with more than 5 pounds of lead currently?

 

[fred32176]

I own a pair of steel HP 100s and love them. If your main goal is to have more air so you can dive longer and want to carry less weight steel 100s are a good way to go.

 

[inquis]

only downside is the tank valve will be on either the left or right every other dive.

Lol, just be wary of the "helpful" deckhand turning off your gas if you run a left-sided valve. (I don't do many dives on commercial boats, and I've had them screw up twice with a normal valve.) OP: a new valve can be had for under $50.

 

[Badger7]

Lol, just be wary of the "helpful" deckhand turning off your gas if you run a left-sided valve. (I don't do many dives on commercial boats, and I've had them screw up twice with a normal valve.) OP: a new valve can be had for under $50.

Actually me too, early in my training and it was scary. Now the last thing I do regardless of whether I'm wading in for a shore dive or about to drop off a boat into the cold blue water is reach back and check all valve positions, test all inflators and take two deep breaths off my primary before I splash watching that the needle on my spg doesn't budge. Even if I did a full predive checklist with my dive buddies as we're approaching the site, valves-inflators-breathe/spg, each dive every dive.

 

[rx7diver]

Hmmm. Cold salt water (e.g., British Columbia) and cold fresh water (e.g., Great Lakes)? My advice: Do your drysuit training and purchasing now, while renting a (steel) cylinder for now. Dive this way (i.e., drysuit with single, back-mounted cylinder) for a while. Sample several types of cylinders. Decide later about purchasing what type of cylinder (and how many).

Don't cheap out when you're considering a drysuit purchase. Learn what works for the other divers near you who are doing the dives you see yourself doing.

rx7diver

 

[grantmac]

HP100, drysuit along with BP&W asap.

 

[GearheadExplorer85]

Lol, just be wary of the "helpful" deckhand turning off your gas if you run a left-sided valve. (I don't do many dives on commercial boats, and I've had them screw up twice with a normal valve.) OP: a new valve can be had for under $50.

Why would someone ever think it would be okay to mess with someone else's rig? I would lose my s*** if I saw someone doing that. Nevertheless, that's good insight though. I'll have to keep an eagle eye on my gear when the time comes.