Good tank for me?

[mwilding]

I have a good deal available to me on a mid pressure 120CF tank - 120CF @ 2650psi. I have been meaning to get a tank of my own with an eye on moving to doubles in the future.

I could get another one of these down the line and have a heavy set of doubles or keep this as my singles tank or even use it to top off a set of doubles on a boat.

Any thoughts?

 

[MechDiver]

mwilding once bubbled...
I have a good deal available to me on a mid pressure 120CF tank - 120CF @ 2650psi. I have been meaning to get a tank of my own with an eye on moving to doubles in the future.

I could get another one of these down the line and have a heavy set of doubles or keep this as my singles tank or even use it to top off a set of doubles on a boat.

Any thoughts?

A LP-120 is a very heavy tank. Unless you really need that much gas, I would go for something smaller. I have double LP-95 and would go to the new E8-130s if looking for another set. I use steel 80s for rec diving.

MD

 

[Wingtip]

I like the 120, I'm a 5'7 170lb guy and it took a little getting used to that big sucker but once I got the weighting figured out I was pretty happy with the way it dives. It's not as stable as doubles but it's awfully stable for a single tank.

Negatives: weight, it's a heavy beast above water if you're wearing it on a shore entry or carrying it to a boat. Size, what are your normal buddies wearing and how does your RMV compare?

I wouldn't want a 120 for my primary singles rig though, not unless I was routinely diving with guys that dove similar tanks or really outmatched me with RMV.

 

[buff]

That tank is a bit cumbersome.

Smaller doubles would be better unless you're diving the Andrea Doria.

I like smaller tanks. They are easier to carry and as doubles just sit better.

 

[SDAnderson]

I own a couple of PST 120's and like them. It's a lot of weight (for a single) to drag around and the length of the things can take some getting used to, but with an "H" valve on them they can usually replace a small set of doubles on open water dives. They don't increase my roll motion in the water enough to be an issue. On the upside, versus small doubles they substantially improve your wriggle capacity in tight quarters, take up a lot less deck space and weigh less.

The thought of doubling them up occurs to me every now and again, thus far I've been able to resist the urge by thinking about how loudly my back would complain.

Match your tanks to your diving and to your buddies. I bought the 120's in part because many of the folks I dive with were diving single 100's or 104's and my SAC meant that I was the one turning a lot of dives. I'm big enough to handle the 120's and they instantly meant that I was first in/last out on almost every dive. Ahhhh. For the dives requiring more gas, I use doubled 104's - that's plenty big for doubles and if I need more gas I add stage bottles.

If I was a new diver and this was to be my first tank, I might start with something smaller. There's nothing wrong with being extreme but it helps to have a little experience and knowlege on your side before you commit to something outside the norm. Besides, if you're thinking about doubles in the future, you're also going to want some 80's for stage/deco bottles, so they might be a good place to start.

Steven

 

[mwilding]

If I put an H-valve on this tank and dove with a slung 30cf pony, wouldn't I have enough gas to be turning dives on time rather than PSI on NDL dives within recreational limits?

note to self: what does an H-valve have to do with anything?

 

[mwilding]

One other point - I have dived with an HP120 and was happy with the weighting and trim. I wasn't happy with the extra cost for an HP fill and the reality that getting 3500PSI is a crapshoot...

 

[scubafanatic]

........well, I have 2 Laber LP 120's, 1 PST HP 120, and 1 PST HP 130 as 'big' singles, and I'd recommend renting/borrowing an LP 120 before buying.

The HP 130 and LP 120 are the same weight, (53-55 lbs full) same diameter, but the HP 130 is about 6 inches shorter, which 'fits' me better. The LP 120 is right on the edge of what I can dive with in terms of length.......I can and do use it, but in reality it's a bit too long for me.

I've got 2 twin sets (OMS/Faber LP 85's and Scubapro/Faber LP 76's)....these weigh in at 80--85 lbs full.

I'm very happy with both twinsets......enough capacity to be useful, small enough to be managable above water. Last spring I did 6 dives for a tech course with a Faber LP 95 twinset.......while managable underwater (and the 1st time I'd ever dove doubles) topside they're too heavy for me, and I certainly couldn't imagine boat diving with them....so I'd reconsider your idea of building a LP 120 twinset.

My 2 'petite' twinsets are right at the maximum size/weight I'd want to dive...the next step up, LP 95 twinset, is too heavy for me.


Karl

 

[Mo2vation]

A buddy was leaving the country, and offered me his new "LP120" at one of those eye-popping deals you can't pass up. So I just grabbed it. Its in Hydro for another couple of years - he just got it as new "old" stock at a local dive shop.

As we know, I recently (November) switched to the PST E8-130 (from my beloved HP100) and have about 20 dives on it... I love it. But in looking at this "LP 120" looks to be the same size as my 130.

I just weighed them - both have 1000 pounds of air in them. I removed the boots and weighed them on my very unscientific, non-calibrated digital bath scale. The E8-130 came in at 48.5 pounds, while the "LP120" came in at 50.5 pounds.

So I consult the famous Lloyd Bailey's Specs and now I'm wondering if this is an LP120 at all.

Here are the markings on the top:

DOT-3AA2400 3-00+ This is the DOT fill hoopla, right?

1A787918 anyone, anyone?

81 huh?

Then all the TC stuff on the other side. That's the Travel Canada stuff, right?

What the heck is this thing? Can it be a 104? he was sure it was a 120, but reading the specs, its not tall enough.

Thanks -

K

 

[scubafanatic]

Hi Mo2vation,

I've got my 2 Faber LP 120's standing side-by-side with my PST HP 130 and PST HP 120.......the difference in height is substantial between the LP 120 and the HP 130, so if your "LP 120" is an OMS/Faber tank, there's no way it's a 120 cu. ft tank, not if it's the same length as your HP 130.

PST lists the HP 130 @ 25.5 " long....OMS lists the Faber LP 108/112 as 26" long.......didn't see a '104' on the OMS spreadsheet, so I don't know about that one.


Karl