peterw
Guest
Not long ago I started a thread to help me choose a big tank to get some extended bottom time down deep. I ended up choosing the PST E8-130. The E8-130 is a great tank for diving off a boat and allows me to stay down under for some really long periods of time. I loved the tank so much I bought a second E8-130.
The other day some friends invited me to do a shore dive. I'm not big on shore diving and rarely do it because of the work involved. I went along on the dive any way because it sounded like fun and I looked at it as a form of work out. We went to a place called Marine Land off Palos Verdes penninsula in southern California. I lugged one of my big 130s down the hill and into the water. The dive was great, awesome visability, tons of marie life, some of the best diving available in southern california. We dove for a while until everyone else was out of air, I still had almost 2000 psi left in my tank. Since I didn't go there solo I left with the group and lugged my tank back up the hill.
Later whlie I was at the dive shop topping off my tank I thought what a waste I should have a little tank for times like this. When I got back home I did a little research and decided what I needed was a PST E7-80. The next day I purchased that cute little E7-80 and went diving. I've used the tank a couple days now and still ended up with more air at the end of the dive than any one else had.
The nice thing about the E7-80 is it is tiny and steel. I didn't have to change my weighting much because the boyancy characteristics are very similar to the E8-130 but the size is much smaller and out of the water the E7-80 is a little more than 16 pounds lighter than the 130. Less out of water weight is nice for scaling the sides of mountains getting to the dive site.
Since I had such a good time on the first dive I have been beach diving everyday since as a new part of my exercise routine.
My conclusion is that the ideal tanks to have are Pressed Steel Tanks with the E8-130 for the boat or when solo diving and the E7-80 for beach diving or when you are diving with buddies who are using little tanks.
The other day some friends invited me to do a shore dive. I'm not big on shore diving and rarely do it because of the work involved. I went along on the dive any way because it sounded like fun and I looked at it as a form of work out. We went to a place called Marine Land off Palos Verdes penninsula in southern California. I lugged one of my big 130s down the hill and into the water. The dive was great, awesome visability, tons of marie life, some of the best diving available in southern california. We dove for a while until everyone else was out of air, I still had almost 2000 psi left in my tank. Since I didn't go there solo I left with the group and lugged my tank back up the hill.
Later whlie I was at the dive shop topping off my tank I thought what a waste I should have a little tank for times like this. When I got back home I did a little research and decided what I needed was a PST E7-80. The next day I purchased that cute little E7-80 and went diving. I've used the tank a couple days now and still ended up with more air at the end of the dive than any one else had.
The nice thing about the E7-80 is it is tiny and steel. I didn't have to change my weighting much because the boyancy characteristics are very similar to the E8-130 but the size is much smaller and out of the water the E7-80 is a little more than 16 pounds lighter than the 130. Less out of water weight is nice for scaling the sides of mountains getting to the dive site.
Since I had such a good time on the first dive I have been beach diving everyday since as a new part of my exercise routine.
My conclusion is that the ideal tanks to have are Pressed Steel Tanks with the E8-130 for the boat or when solo diving and the E7-80 for beach diving or when you are diving with buddies who are using little tanks.
ut: 
