First time tank buyer

[passedoutwookie]

Will your local dive shop over fill cylinders for you? Most likely not… Get HP100s. They hold about the same amount of gas as a cave filled LP85 and have about the same dimensions.

Look for a pair of galvanized Faber, Worthington, or PST 100s.

 

[grantmac]

Faber FX100 is a fantastic SM tank if you can't get cave fills

 

[DiveGearExpress]

How to Select a SCUBA Tank | Dive Gear Express®

How to choose the best SCUBA tank for specific diving needs and styles of diving.

www.divegearexpress.com

 

[Jim Lapenta]

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 LP85s. If you are just getting started and don't need large amounts of gas, get a set of LP72s. Often easy to find them super cheap compared to the others.
I know many people also like the HP100s for SM.

Most of the places I dived it was easier to get a 3000PSI fill on an LP cylinder than a good 3442 fill on an HP. Made those LP85s into 95s. Nice. You could get HP fills, but usually had to wait for them. One place required they be left overnight so they could be topped off in the morning to get a good fill.

AL80s are cheaper. That's about the only benefit to them for SM. Cold water? Not even worth considering. They are negative full and positive empty. Throws the weighting for cold water off. And when they get low the tails get very light. You need to have sliding D-rings on the waist belt or two sets so you can move them when they start to tilt ass up.
The LP72s will behave a little like the AL80s but not to the same degree of tilt. Still helps to have those sliding Ds or an extra set of Ds on the waist belt.

They're ok for warm water and caves in places like Mexico. In cold water, they are used for stages. Not primary cylinders.

I taught SM in cold water with 6 different rigs for close to 10 years before I retired. LP72s, LP85s, occasionally HP100s, and even LP95s were my primary cylinders. Al80s I used when I had to, but not my 1st or even 3rd choice. Steel cylinders made more sense in my area and with my students who were going to dive the Great Lakes, North Atlantic, and Florida caves.

 

[lowwall]

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

If you are buying new, get HP100. They are close* to the same physical size and internal volume as the LP72 and LP85 mentioned above. Even if you can't get them filled to the full 3442psi, you can always get them filled to at least 3000psi which gives you 89 cubic feet of gas. They are also probably the easiest tank to resell.

But if you can get used LP tanks cheap, then it's time to explore what kind of fills you can get from your LDS and where you'll be diving. If they are sticklers about following the rules, you will be stuck with the nominal capacity. Also make sure the hydro stamp includes a plus or you might be stuck with 10% under the nominal rating. If they will overfill to 3000 psi, then the LP72 gives you around 86 cubic feet and the LP85 around 95. But you do have to weigh the risk that the shops will stop offering overfillsat some point.

* Tank - length x diameter (inches), weight (pounds) - all without valve
LP72 - 25x6.9, 26
HP100 24x7.25, 33
LP85 - 26x7, 31