Can't make a decision !!

[MarcSnap]

Well here it is !!, I am tired or renting tanks, so the girlfriend and I want to buy tanks... I don't want to buy like 6-8 bottles because I have only room for about 4 where we live... We decided to changed from wet to dry so we can maximazed on our diving season here in Canada but we still don't have our own tanks.. I was thinking to go 4 X 100 HP Steel but the fact that we might do some wreck dives and don't really want to twin them !!!! get me confused,, Some people talk about 119 tanks but I am not sure on how many wreck dives I will do and where I will find the need to have that big of tank if I am only gona use it from day to day diving.. I am scared to buy so big and not enjoy the dive due to the weight of the tank and the dry suit giving me less motion in water.. Some say to buy 2 X 119 and let my GF try it and see if she likes it then buy 2 more but yet again if she hates it,, well I guess I will be stuck with the 2 X 119 and maybe not enjoying so much carrying does all the time on every sites.. Can someone advise me on what would be the best route to take..

thanx

 

[Graeme Tolton]

If you buy them and find that neither of you like them, re-sell them or trade them. There is always a market for used tanks and you wouldn't lose a whole lot on them. 119's have great buoyancy characteristics. Also, for shallow or shorter dives, you may get 2 dives on a fill.

 

[Colliam7]

We decided to changed from wet to dry so we can maximazed on our diving season here in Canada but we still don't have our own tanks.. I was thinking to go 4 X 100 HP Steel but the fact that we might do some wreck dives and don't really want to twin them !!!! get me confused,, Some people talk about 119 tanks but I am not sure on how many wreck dives I will do and where I will find the need to have that big of tank if I am only gona use it from day to day diving.. I am scared to buy so big and not enjoy the dive due to the weight of the tank and the dry suit giving me less motion in water..

Tank selection is a matter of individual preference, and body size, and air consumption / requirements. Personally, I find that I usually run out of air before NDL on a single tank, so I prefer a bigger tank, either to get two dives off the same tank, or maximize the bottom time on a single dive. The steel 100 is a great tank - small enough to be comfortable for most divers, trims out well, has a bit more air than the AL80, and is only about 3 lbs heavier when full. I have not encountered anyone who regretted buying a steel HP 100. Other HP options to consider, to get more air, are the 119, which you mentioned, the 120 and the 130. The 119 is a short, fat, and somewhat heavy (at 51 lbs, full) tank. Nothing wrong with a 119, although I don't see a lot of people diving them as singles in my area (quite a few diving double 119s, however). I own some 120s, which I dove as singles, and now as doubles. A longer tank, slighly lighter (at 49 lbs) than a 119, probably best suited for divers over 6ft, and not a tank I would recommend. The 130 is a nice tank, although the heaviest of the three larger tanks (~55 lbs) with good single tank trim characteristics. I really enjoy a 130 as a single tank for quarry dives, coastal wreck dives, etc. As a single tank, I don't know that any of these are so heavy that they would undermine the enjoyment of a dive for me. But, that is the personal preference factor. If weight is a factor for you or the GF, the 100 may be the best choice based on weight - it is close to the AL80 - as the other three add on 13 - 17 lbs. I don't particularly notice the weight in the water, or even on land, but individuals vary in what they find comfortable.

If you want 4 tanks that are the same, the 100s would appear to be a good choice. If you are looking at a couple of 100s, and possibly a couple of bigger tanks, I would at least consider the 130 instead of the 119. I don't have any experience with LP steel tanks, so hopefully others may offer suggestions regarding their possible advantages.

 

[MarcSnap]

Well, my problem is that I never done any wreck or deep dives. The girlfriend and I are doing both course this summer, I am not sure on how big of bottle you required when you under go these types of dives.. I am just scared that if I buy my girlfriend 100 HP and myself 119-130 that she won't have enough air to enjoy the hole dive or even be able to do it... She is only 5.7, 125-130 so 119-130 tanks could be a bit big for her.. She just bought a new BCD so buying a new one to twin them is not an option for her at this point. So if 119-130 is the recommended size to do wreck when you are diving single maybe we should consider not going in that direction ( wreck dives ) until she consider twin the tanks ?.. I am not really looking to buy 4 tanks the same size more then buying 4 tanks where I can do any type of dives without having on renting or buying more..

Thank you for the help

 

[halocline]

If you're heading in the direction of deep, tech, and wreck diving you're almost certainly going to end up in doubles eventually. It's not just the amount of gas, it's also about the redundancy, and outside of an H valve, you can't get that with single tanks. I'd buy the HP100s, it sounds like you'll enjoy diving with them more on 95% of your dives and they are more versatile. If/when you get seriously into wreck penetration or other tech dives, you'll either be ready to double them up or you could sell a couple very easily.

 

[cwkline]

Is there any way you could rent or borrow the tanks you are considering before you buy? If you can do a couple dives in each before buying, you may have a better idea of what you find comfortable. You might try posting in a local forum or asking at your LDS if that is a viable option for you.
It may just save you $$ and you could always borrow/rent and them look for used tanks. Save even more that way.
YMMV
Charlie

 

[PerroneFord]

If you do not plan on doubling the tanks then purchase the most comfortable ones for you. I tend to use LP Steels here in cave country because of regional issues, but I have used HP130s.

I invite you to sit down and do some math.

Calculate how much air you would need to do a safe ascent from the depths you plan to dive (100-130ft) with your breathing rate. Have your GF do the same. If you assume that at the end of your bottom time, just before you decide to ascend, you have a failure of your gear, would she have enough left to get both herself AND you to the surface with your safety stop? Generally, people find when they leave enough reserve in the tanks for this worst case emergency, they cannot begin to approach NDL on a single tank. Even with large ones. The 130 may get you there though.

Honestly, I'd say that something close to about 100cuft should allow a comfortable 10-15 minute bottom time with good ascent characteristics for both of you. If you want to start doing deep dives and staying for 30 minutes or more, you are in the realm of doubles, so prepare for that. If I was going to do doubles off a boat, I'd either be doing AL80s or LP85s. Preference to the LP85s as they hold more gas, are lighter, slightly smaller, and have better buoyancy characteristics.

Best of luck in your purchase.

 

[MarcSnap]

Well to answer the first question from cwkline, I haven't found places where I could rent 119-130's... My main problem is that I don't have much storage and want to be able to do as much as I can with what I have.. I really want to take the deep / wreck diver course and maybe explore these types of dives... I just have a hard time selling to the GF after spending together almost 14K so far in the last few months of equipment and courses that we need to change her BCD for a new one so that we can double tanks... I know it would be something to consider in the futur but she won't feel like doing it right now.. If you guys think that 100's would cover 95% of our dives then so be it.. I was just looking forward on taking the wreck and deep diver course but wasn't sure if 100's would do the trick...

thanx again guys much appreciated

 

[halocline]

On the bright side, once you get into tech diving, the new backplate to replace your girlfriend's BC will be the LEAST of your worries. At least you already have the drysuit, count your blessings.

 

[snowmaker]

You both likely don't need the same size tanks. Most ladies I have dived with use less air then us guys. It's simply math smaller bodies, smaller lungs equal less air. I have two 119 and really like them. A girl I dive with get close to the same BT with a steel 80 as I can with a 119.