DIR- Generic HELP DECIDE - Steel HP133

[Tracy]

holy shi!t, you're alive again?

I didn't know I was dead?
I haven't gone anywhere.

 

[Wibble]

Also fills… Shops here tend to under fill HPs - “get a short fill now because I am not pumping them to 3800 or leave them overnight to cool and we will top-up” kind of thing.

Don't they just overfill them and let them cool down? If they don't, do you get a refund for the missing gas?

Typically my 230 bar cylinders are pumped to 260 or more to cool down to 230. They're normally filled in a water bath to cool them more quickly. Cylinders don't go bang if overfilled; they may fail a test later, but they don't go bang. Don't think I'd continue to use a shop that short-filled my cylinders -- it's literally limiting the diving I can do on a fill.

 

[elan]

Don't they just overfill them and let them cool down? If they don't, do you get a refund for the missing gas?

Typically my 230 bar cylinders are pumped to 260 or more to cool down to 230. They're normally filled in a water bath to cool them more quickly. Cylinders don't go bang if overfilled; they may fail a test later, but they don't go bang. Don't think I'd continue to use a shop that short-filled my cylinders -- it's literally limiting the diving I can do on a fill.

Some shops are ok to overfill LPs but not HP to cool down. Your approach works great if you have millions of shops to chose from There are less than handful shops in my area that have good compressors. With that approach I will run out of them in a week

 

[Ayisha]

Well, not everyone. I still have my SMB and spool separate, as do some others.

Most of the Tech 2/Cave 2 people I know though, have theirs together.

Once you've put them together hundreds of times in various conditions without losing position, it really isn't necessary to have them together all the time.

One of the reasons that we practice putting them together is that if we ever come across one that's not put together, it won't throw us for a loop and we'll attach them effortlessly. As far as I know, there's no expectation that they stay unattached in the pocket after training, but there is an expectation to maintain skills. Maybe one of the GUE Instructors on here can clarify.

As far as simplicity, the simplest thing would be to keep them attached and ready in a pocket.

Some shops are ok to overfill LPs but not HP to cool down. Your approach works great if you have millions of shops to chose from There are less than handful shops in my area that have good compressors. With that approach I will run out of them in a week

Yes, agreed. My HP tanks are barely 3000 psi after cooling here and in other parts of Ontario, even after a top-up. There are very few fillers here who I know will actually fill it to 3800 psi to get them to the working pressure after cooling.

Meanwhile people with LP tanks consistently get fills cooling down to 3000 psi around here.

 

[great_white]

Hey folks,

Thanks to everybody for your very helpful input!
I did end up picking up a shiny new pair of galvanized Faber FXG133's, dove them a few times and so far I love them! Some of the best trim I've experienced, and I keep finishing dives with tons of air to spare. Can fit a couple of shorter/shallower dives in one tank to problem.

They are a bit of grunt work above the surface, no doubt, but I am no stranger to lifting heavy things so I'd say we're a good match

Cheers!

 

[rjack321]

they're considered the standard twinset over here for cave diving

You mean in FL.

Keep coming "over" to "here" and 130/133s won't even make it past the trailhead to the cave.

 

[rjack321]

Hey folks,

Thanks to everybody for your very helpful input!
I did end up picking up a shiny new pair of galvanized Faber FXG133's, dove them a few times and so far I love them! Some of the best trim I've experienced, and I keep finishing dives with tons of air to spare. Can fit a couple of shorter/shallower dives in one tank to problem.

They are a bit of grunt work above the surface, no doubt, but I am no stranger to lifting heavy things so I'd say we're a good match

Cheers!

Be careful! They do wear on your joints over and over. If you can take a smaller/lighter tank and get the dive done then consider it.

 

[kensuf]

I'm surprised no one asked where you were diving. While 104/133s are great tanks, they may not make sense for all locations. There may be better options for places like those with a difficult surf entry (such as in California) or short drift dives (SE Florida), etc

 

[elan]

I'm surprised no one asked where you were diving. While 104/133s are great tanks, they may not make sense for all locations. There may be better options for places like those with a difficult surf entry (such as in California) or short drift dives (SE Florida), etc

Ah, I did not ask because his profile says Toronto. Which means deep cold water for the most part. He also mentioned his physical build and abilities. There are not many choices here, unfortunately. If there is a difficult surf here it means no diving as the water will be like a pea soup. Long drifts in Niagara river require big tanks, deep drifts in St Lawrence mean big tanks. Oftentimes the profile is such as you run out of gas faster than you hit a deco.

 

[great_white]

Ah, I did not ask because his profile says Toronto. Which means deep cold water for the most part. He also mentioned his physical build and abilities. There are not many choices here, unfortunately. If there is a difficult surf here it means no diving as the water will be like a pea soup. Long drifts in Niagara river require big tanks, deep drifts in St Lawrence mean big tanks. Oftentimes the profile is such as you run out of gas faster than you hit a deco.

Yes agreed, that was the rationale. As I also mentioned, these are the only two tanks that I plan to own for the foreseeable future. Even though a smaller tank would be more optimal on some shallower/shorter/warmer dives, these would still work and seem to be the best all-around solution for me for this locale. Cheers!