Fatty tanks of Nitrox!

[cvchief]

Well, the big filler is offering them to rent, just like air tanks, so it shouldn't be a big deal for anyone.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Well I am sure they are probably not filling them correctly. They never fill the air to the proper 3300. Of course, maybe since they are premium they will get on the stick. Ill grab on in Dec and see.

And my experience back in the day was they do get a bit light at the end. Not weird. Just need to overweight a little for the safety stop at the end.

Soo…they are really just 92 cf tanks, with a 100 cf price. Like 10% more air molecules. My guess is that the extra weight you have to carry will burn up much of any advantage.

We have looked at all aspects of this for many years.

Dave Dillehay

 

[scubafanatic]

Overall, it's good news that more tank fillers are offering larger capacity tanks (and with Nitrox), but as Dave indicates, I'm worried about how many folks/dive ops/tank fillers have any idea that an AL 100 has to be filled to 3300 psi (not 3000 psi) to really contain the rated 100 cu. ft. ? The AL 100 is a 2nd-rate solution, a steel tank is superior IF it's available, that is.

 

[gfaith]

I have dove AL100s in Cozumel both air and Nitrox all were filled to 3000psi thus 91cuft. So as Dave says not much benefit due to length and weight.

 

[DandyDon]

Wouldn't the benefits be negated if you are the only one on the boat with such a tank?

It's a waste to dive Nitrox if your buddy doesn't, as far as NDLs go - and NDLs are the only real reason to use Nitrox. I just don't see the need with Coz multilevel diving.

Not necessarily. If, for example, if your air/gas consumption is unusually high, such a tank might enable you to have bottom times more in line with the other divers on the boat.

True for a larger tank, which is why I always get one, but not for nitrox.

 

[cvchief]

Soo…they are really just 92 cf tanks, with a 100 cf price. Like 10% more air molecules. My guess is that the extra weight you have to carry will burn up much of any advantage.

We have looked at all aspects of this for many years.

Dave Dillehay

Can we just be done with this: Dave's Aldora is one of a very few with big steel 120 tanks. They are supposed to be really great. They do surface as a group but with really big tanks, you get some of the longest dive time. If you are worried about dive time generally, they are a great option. I can't say as I know anyone that dove with them that didn't enjoy it. I am still waiting to get on the East Side with them. They are great. However the owner can't hold his liquor.


Now that that is out of the way, if you aren't smart enough to dive with Aldora, the 100 Nitrox will be nice. If they don't fill them to 3300 and I get less nitrox, it will still be bigger than 80 and probably close to enough to get me closer to my missus. So I am happy to try it out. Maybe we can complain about the 3000 or maybe with nitrox they will do better? I dunno.

 

[cvchief]

It's a waste to dive Nitrox if your buddy doesn't, as far as NDLs go - and NDLs are the only real reason to use Nitrox. I just don't see the need with Coz multilevel diving..

Define waste? Same profile with nitrox vs. air, nitrox will result in less nitrogen loading which should be safer, right? You are a safety guy, right? Its like an airbag for diving. I know lots of people who started nitrox after one undeserved hit.

That being said, I bust the heck of NDL with my Mares. I have to have nitrox.

 

[BRT]

Soo…they are really just 92 cf tanks, with a 100 cf price. Like 10% more air molecules. My guess is that the extra weight you have to carry will burn up much of any advantage.

We have looked at all aspects of this for many years.

Dave Dillehay

I only dive steel tanks here at home and anyplace else I can get them but I notice a substantial difference in bottom time between al80's at 3000 and al100's at 3000. Going from 77cf to 92 cf is a 19% gain. I do have to add 2lb of lead and they are heavy slugs. I hauled the two I owned to Mexico and left them with a friend. They are very bad cold water tanks.

 

[DandyDon]

Define waste? Same profile with nitrox vs. air, nitrox will result in less nitrogen loading which should be safer, right? You are a safety guy, right? Its like an airbag for diving. I know lots of people who started nitrox after one undeserved hit.

That being said, I bust the heck of NDL with my Mares. I have to have nitrox.

It sounds good, but DAN has pretty well destroyed the myth. Nitrox one benefit is longer NDLs. On Roatan, even with multilevel diving, I took it because they had a cheap package, but on Cozumel it's too expensive to support. It's really only good for square profile wreck diving, essential in North Carolina for example.

I don't know about Mares. Some computers claim to be safer by penalizing the diver with shorter dive times, but it's fake science - marketing.

I am not actually a safe person, but I try to reduce my risks in some areas. The best ways to reduce risks of hits is deep stops, slower ascents, and the long safety stop.

 

[flyboy08]

It sounds good, but DAN has pretty well destroyed the myth. Nitrox one benefit is longer NDLs. On Roatan, even with multilevel diving, I took it because they had a cheap package, but on Cozumel it's too expensive to support. .

Pro Dive offers Nitrox free! And to some, diving Nitrox is less tiresome.