Doubles - which tanks??

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clipperTT

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Doubles have been discussed in multiple threads on here already but I'm still unclear as to what would be best for ME based on my height and intended usage.

I'm 6 feet tall and AOW/nitrox/dry suit certified. I primarily do shore dives out of sheer convienience but love wreck diving on charters - ie Toby, Kingston, or Brockville. My air consumption is better than average.

What cylinders should I be looking at?

Thanks to all that respond..
 
For OW shore diving, HP100s. You can always add a stage as you progress. Although you will probably end up with multiple sets of doubles its best not to start with the largest (lp108s/hp120s/hp130s) and attempt to learn on them or waddle around on land with the largest practical sizes.
 
104/108/130s for cave diving only.

LP85/HP100's for everything else IMO, until you're doing massive dives.
 
I started with LP85's. Still dive them regularly BUT, they became the limiting factor in many of our dives. I would agree with both UFC and Rjack, you will likely (over time) end up with multiple sets of dbls. For your first pair, it's be hard to go wrong with 85's or 100's.
 
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I'd echo the recommendation for HP100s, if you are diving cold water. Lots of gas, and they don't weigh much more than and trim out just about like the LP85s.

If you're diving warm water, Al80s are great tanks -- cheap, readily available, and if you start doing bigger dives, they make good stages.
 
Pretty much the same advice here. HP100s/X7-100s are comparatively light and with aluminum BP, wing, tanks, can light a couple fift bags a reel and regs the all up weight will be around 105-110 pounds. That's enough to bring up a pitching boat ladder in 6 ft seas.

LP 95s make good tanks in cave country where the cave fill makes them 130s but they will add another 10 pounds to the all up weight if you have Faber 95's and they will add a 20 more pounds if you go with worthington or PST 95's, and at that point you just as well be diving X8-130s.

LP 104/108s are nice for very long dives as they offer maximum back gas with a cave fill, but frankly for day to dave cave diving, I'd rather have 95s and bring along an extra stage as they are big heavy honkers.

As noted, HP 100s/X7-100s are great offshore tanks with enough gas for 25-30 minute dives in the 170-200 ft range with a decent SAC and you can always bring a stage to add another 72-77 cu ft on bigger dives. An AL 72 or Al 80 will add another 39-43 pounds with full tank, reg and stage strap, but you only carry that on the few dives where you need the extra gas rather than dragging another 20 pounds along on every dive.

As Lynn notes, double AL80s are good starter doubles - they are cheap, stable and for most people offer enough gas for 25 minute dives in the 150' range. When you out grow them you will still be abel to use them for a stage and a travel gas/30-36% deco bottle for deeper dives.

Tanks to probably avoid are X7-120s as they are fairly long and do not trim well for many people. At 6' they may work for you, but the number of potential customers if you decide to sell them is much more limited.
 
It seems the overwhelming advice is the HP100's but I've noticed that they are much shorter than an AL80 which I am accustomed to diving right now. How do these cylinders trim out in comparison? I really like the idea of these tanks since they are almost the same weight as AL80's but with much better buoyancy characteristics. I currently have two mismatched AL80 tanks and don't want to end up with another 2 if I break up a AL80 doubles set in the future, I'd rather just continue staging the tanks I have right now.

All advice is greatly appreciated - keep it coming folks!
 
Exemption series Hp100s (3442psi) trim out on almost everyone. They really are nearly universal for moderate tech diving in the ocean (down to ~180ft and <30mins or so). I don't imagine someone 6ft tall will have any issues. They are often available used and easy to resell at a later date if you decide to get bigger ones etc.

Warning, avoid the massively heavy 3AA 3180psi+ type "hp" tanks.
 
Exemption series Hp100s (3442psi) trim out on almost everyone. They really are nearly universal for moderate tech diving in the ocean (down to ~180ft and <30mins or so). I don't imagine someone 6ft tall will have any issues. They are often available used and easy to resell at a later date if you decide to get bigger ones etc.

Warning, avoid the massively heavy 3AA 3180psi+ type "hp" tanks.
They're also great sidemount tanks as well, and singles for OW recreational dives. Buy once, they work for OW tech, OW rec, small cave, big shallow cave, leaving only large doubles for FL caves which can be rented cheap, and then the deeper dives, but by then the helium cost nearly as much as the tanks after a few days of diving.
 
104/108/130s for cave diving only.

LP85/HP100's for everything else IMO, until you're doing massive dives.

Holy crap, we agree on something!!! :blinking:
 

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