First time tank buyer

[tdrake75]

I am looking to purchase my own tanks for the first time. Looking for some advice from more experienced folks.

Buying two for side mount. Want DIN with left and right valve set up.

Would you recommend steel or aluminum? Is there a brand or model you love?

Thanks!

 

[Boarderguy]

USA doesn't give us a good location for a sound recommendation... drysuit? Warm water? Cold water?

Can you get cave fills? If so, LP85s or LP95s pumped up to 3k+ area great or so I've heard. Even with a standard fill they're good tanks.

I have friends that SM HP80s and HP100s. It all depends on what's available to you and the type of diving you'll be doing.

 

[34109411]

I am looking to purchase my own tanks for the first time. Looking for some advice from more experienced folks.

Buying two for side mount. Want DIN with left and right valve set up.

Would you recommend steel or aluminum? Is there a brand or model you love?

Thanks!

steel will be faber and aluminum will be catalina.

Be safe

 

[Scared Silly]

Some what depends on where/what you are diving and the size of cylinders you want. A generality, cold water/dry suit - steel, warm water/wet suit - aluminum. To get a better suggestion more details are needed on your diving.

 

[Brett Hatch]

For sidemount, it's my understanding that you want a tank that is close to neutral. AL80's for example are negative when full and positive when empty, so they're relatively neutral throughout the dive. Steel tanks vary a lot, but are typically very negative when full and still negative when empty, so not as neutral as aluminum

Take this with a grain of salt, because I don't dive sidemount, that is just what I have picked up reading on ScubaBoard

@tmassey has a great thread on tank specs that you might find helpful: Check out the first 2 posts here: Updated SCUBA tank specifications list -- in PDF and spreadsheet

 

[tdrake75]

USA doesn't give us a good location for a sound recommendation... drysuit? Warm water? Cold water?

Can you get cave fills? If so, LP85s or LP95s pumped up to 3k+ area great or so I've heard. Even with a standard fill they're good tanks.

I have friends that SM HP80s and HP100s. It all depends on what's available to you and the type of diving you'll be doing.

I won't travel with them so primarily, cold water, dry suit in upper midwest

 

[tdrake75]

USA doesn't give us a good location for a sound recommendation... drysuit? Warm water? Cold water?

Can you get cave fills? If so, LP85s or LP95s pumped up to 3k+ area great or so I've heard. Even with a standard fill they're good tanks.

I have friends that SM HP80s and HP100s. It all depends on what's available to you and the type of diving you'll be doing.

Looking to get into cave and wrecks. I likely won't travel with them so primarily, cold water, dry suit in upper midwest

 

[Subcooled]

I am looking to purchase my own tanks for the first time. Looking for some advice from more experienced folks.

Buying two for side mount. Want DIN with left and right valve set up.

Would you recommend steel or aluminum? Is there a brand or model you love?

Thanks!

European sizes here, so you'll need to convert them.
7 litre 232 bar steels are great with a drysuit.
12 litre 232 bar steels are good with a drysuit. A bit big but with plenty of gas.
As far as I understand, wetsuit divers use aluminum 80 cuft tanks.

 

[Subcooled]

I won't travel with them so primarily, cold water, dry suit in upper midwest

Steel

 

[Boarderguy]

Looking to get into cave and wrecks. I likely won't travel with them so primarily, cold water, dry suit in upper midwest

100% steel tanks. I'm not a SM guy but my buddies like LP85s for it. Service pressure is 2650 I think but you can pump them to 3k no problem. It's a lot easier to get a full fill with an LP tank than with a HP 100 @3442.