Go Big or Go Home?

[dr_shappero]

After considering price and reading manufacturer literature, posts in this forum, and opinions of dive buddies I have decided to get a couple of HP steel tanks. Now the question of the day is "what size"? Here is my situation, and I would welcome any recommendations...

1) I dive in the cold water of the PNW and love the idea of taking as much weight off of my belt as possible.

2) I am, for now, a recreational diver and my air consumption at this point is the limiting factor rather than Nitrox NDL's so I would like a bigger tank to remedy this.

3) I would like to take some advanced classes and get into deep wreck diving, so I am also considering the potential of my two new tanks as a doubles rig.

4) I like to believe that as a younger guy and 6'2 200# I could handle the weight and size of any of these choices.

I am open to any suggestions, of course, but the three tanks that I am strongly considering are the HP 7-100's 8-119's and 8-130's. After typing all of that the question here is really...should I go bigger than I think I need at the moment so that I have the air for pretty much any situation in the future?

My thinking is if I am going to spend the money on the steel tanks, the difference between these three is not that much (a mere $16 at scubatoys!) and I should go big.

 

[spectrum]

I can't really speak to the technical aspirations but...

What do you presently dive? An AL-80? For the diving you are now doing how far out of sync are you to your buddies air consumption? I would look to get a match. Remeber to work in cubic feet, not PSI due to the different cylinder ratings.

It is said that you can't have too much gas. The other side of it is that you will use air lugging a needlesly big cylinder through the ocean so you don't want to get carried away.

As for removing weight remember that once you get into cylinders that never go positive you are generally moving weight, not removing and cylinders are non ditchable.

 

[aabond]

It is kind of hard to tell. I would first find an SAC calulator so that you can determine what your breathing rate is, and then use that determine how much air you need for a dive of certain time and depth including a reserve to get back up safely. Once you know that, you'll probably be at better place to decide what tank to get. Also, what spectrum said about being matched up with you buddies. You don't want to be carrying an extra large tank just for the sake of having a ton of air.

Having said all that, I just bought a PST e7-100 a few months ago and absolutely love it. It is a few inches shorter than the standard al-80 and holds 25% more air. Diving in south florida I usually have quite a bit more air than my dive buddies. Another plus is that I'm only wearing 4lbs of weight while wearing a 3mm shorty.

 

[lamont]

Speaking as another PNW diver, get the 130s or 119s. Forget all the advice about what your buddies are diving now and what their SAC rates are -- you'll be able to convert them over to big tanks. Also forget all the advice from the warm-water crowd about figuring out your SAC rates and such. You're a reasonably big guy diving in cold water, and you're going to breathe harder than they do. Just buy the big tanks.

 

[Kevfin]

Speaking as another PNW diver, get the 130s or 119s. Forget all the advice about what your buddies are diving now and what their SAC rates are -- you'll be able to convert them over to big tanks. Also forget all the advice from the warm-water crowd about figuring out your SAC rates and such. You're a reasonably big guy diving in cold water, and you're going to breathe harder than they do. Just buy the big tanks.

I agree.

Because of your size, like you said, you can easily handle a bigger tank like a 119, 120 or 130. A HP120 is nice, even if you're on a boat that can only fill to 3,000 PSI you'll still have over 100CF, yet it's not much bigger than an AL80.

 

[texdiveguy]

I own 2--Al80's//1--Al19 and 1 prized PST E8-130 and just love this tank,,,,also have it topped with a DiveRite H-valve.

 

[aquaoren]

Just bought me a set of double 130's. I'm a small guy and if I can handle them, almost everyone could. Once on the back, they aren't that bad.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Get the E8-130s.

 

[Mo2vation]

...Forget all the advice about what your buddies are diving now and what their SAC rates are -- you'll be able to convert them over to big tanks. Just buy the big tanks.

This is sound advice. What Doc said, too.

I'm not a big guy (5-8" 165) and I very comfortably handle an e8-130. I have a couple of them, but dive them as singles. I boat dive with them. I shore dive with it. I lightfoot it up longa55 hills after an 80 minute shore dive while other divers are puffing with their little 100's. I climb over rocks and through surf with this these Saturn V's.

Why would anyone want less gas? I just don't get that. Get the waterheater(s) and be the team's reserve gas supply. No biggie. If you get short filled, you still got mad gas.

If its a bulk issue, get them then get into better shape. If you can manage the schlep, why dive with less gas?

Its a rare dive when I come back with less than 800 - 1000 in the can. So what?

Don't mess around. Get the silos. You'll have these things for 20 years.

---
Ken

 

[The Kraken]

What Mo2 said, but I wear the 119's. (but that's because I use a lot less gas than he does )

the K