First set of Doubles? Recommendations? How about Faber HP80's

[Landlocked123]

I am looking to make the move to doubles. Been diving an HP100 along side a bail out bottle for about 4 years now. Will be doing some deeper quarry dives in the 100 foot range. I want the extra back gas and I the extra weight will be offset by being able to lose about 4 pounds of trim weight caused by the pony bottle. Long story short. I am 5-9 so tank height is an issue. I am considering Faber HP80's doubled up. Good or bad idea? I like the height since they are short. Any real reasons why I should reconsider? My LDS suggested low pressure 72's..

 

[rhwestfall]

I simply loathe hp-80's. Way too short, making me head heavy, the wing is below the bottoms which and poses a significant risk of a pinch flat, and they just don't feel right to me....

A pair of LP 85's, HP-100's, or, if you can find a set of 72's would be my choices...


YMMV

 

[sheeper]

i'm not a fan of double 80's. i find that double Faber HP100's are more versatile. There is a minimal weight difference and they hold enough gas for most circumstances. And when using my doubles for a nice day of recreational ocean diving, i can get 2 full (50-60 minute) dives on the set with some gas to spare!

 

[Landlocked123]

okay ..thanks for the feedback. Heard enough good reasons to reconsider. So double HP100's or 72's. So how hard to gat are 72's? I don't seem to be able to find them for sale anywhere. I guess if I go with 100's then I just need one more tank and manifold etc.. instead of buying 2 more tanks. Will there be a significant weight difference between the two setups?

 

[Doby45]

Are the HP100s a better option if you happen to be in an area that does not "cave" fill?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Your choice should fit both your physique and your anticipated dive profiles. When I was diving backmount doubles most of my dive buddies were in HP130's. I preferred the 119's, because the shorter tanks just naturally trimmed out better for me. I absolutely detested the 120's, because they were just too long for my body. I also had a set of the Worthington HP100's, and loved them for the dives we were doing less than about 160 fsw. The LP85's dived pretty much like the HP100's ... just less gas (when filled to service pressure). I did try a set of LP72's and they seemed fine ... I just don't see the point of diving doubles if that's all the gas you need. Since I mostly shore dive a single 130 or 119 and an AL40 pony just seemed a better choice.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[tbone1004]

the 80's are useless tanks unless you are very short. At your height, if the HP100's are working well for you, then I would stick with that form factor which means either doubling 100's, or getting a pair of 72's. Depending on the brand of the hp100, it may be very difficult if not impossible to find a single one available.
scuba tanks - Double 95s with manifold
These are also very good as I am partial to PST over faber but a bit expensive. $450 is more in line with the price of doubles.
Faber steel 95 cu ft Scuba tanks doubles. With manifold.
good price for fabers as well.
The LP95's are similar in size to the hp100's in terms of length and are very popular doubles. The whole rig will be between 10 and 20lbs heavier than a set of double 100's, but if you can get good HP fills in them, they hold 30% more gas at around 130cf/tank at 3600psi which is what we do to them in cave country.

 

[rhwestfall]

following what Bob just said above, I dove h-valved HP-120 singles and either a 30 or 40 slung as my primary set-up prior to beginning the Tech realm for "no-deco" diving. I do occasionally dive a set of AL63 doubles, but that is for "nostalgia" with a solid bar Navy manifold and a double hose regulator. The short height of the tanks allows me to wear them where you need to with a double hose.... other than that, the amount of gas isn't well justified in doubles due to the maintenance costs... (2 vips, 2 hydro, three valves)

 

[sheeper]

to be fair, body type is a factor. I'm 6'3" and 200 pounds and athletic and muscled. I can easily manage the weight of HP100s. One thing to consider is a stiffer fin for doubles (unless you use a really stiff fin anyway). you'll want that to push the weight

 

[Bigeclipse]

I am looking to make the move to doubles. Been diving an HP100 along side a bail out bottle for about 4 years now. Will be doing some deeper quarry dives in the 100 foot range. I want the extra back gas and I the extra weight will be offset by being able to lose about 4 pounds of trim weight caused by the pony bottle. Long story short. I am 5-9 so tank height is an issue. I am considering Faber HP80's doubled up. Good or bad idea? I like the height since they are short. Any real reasons why I should reconsider? My LDS suggested low pressure 72's..

I recently moved to double hp100 and have to say they are awesome. Hp100 rig will weigh around 100pounds while my singles 100 rigs weigh around 55 so keep in mind you will have double the weight on your back. I am by no means in shape (fat and weak) and im "ok" with walking them a medium distance for shore dives. One thing to note, you will save a LOT of money if you buy used BUT make sure they are in hydro and have a decent amount of time left or they get a fresh hydro first. Steel tanks (rarely) but do FAIL hydro, more so than aluminum tanks and also depending on what brand they are and where you have them hydrod. Some steels such as worthingtons and PSTs I believe have a specific type of hydro procedure which some places may not know and can cause a higher failure rate. Once they fail, that is IT. You cannot get them re-tested so you are out of luck and might as well throw the tanks away.