HP or LP Nitrox and tec
- Thread starter aboalreem
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Unless you're a little fella (or little gal), my personal feeling is that the HP100 (probably by PST or Worthington... fabers are too darn heavy!) is the most versatile tank you can get. Pick up a second one, and you've got the beginnings of a great doubles rig. Stay singles, and you still get a really nice boost in bottom time over an AL.80 or HP80.
LP tanks are interesting, but I'm not comfortable with (a) how large they are for how much air they give, at the rated pressure, or (b) how much you have to overfill them to get the big numbers some folkts brag about.
LP tanks are interesting, but I'm not comfortable with (a) how large they are for how much air they give, at the rated pressure, or (b) how much you have to overfill them to get the big numbers some folkts brag about.
PerroneFord
Contributor
How many sets of HP100 doubles have you seen? If s/he's going to to do coldwater technical diving, I'd bet doubles are on the horizon as well.
So what size would you recommend? I am planning on some steel in my future as well. I have quite a few dives with LP95s and the buoancy characteristics work really well for my body shape/size. I did admire the size of the HP100s I have seen on a few buddies.PerroneFord:
Willie
PerroneFord
Contributor
Although some consideration should be given to what your regular dive buddies are going to be using, if the LP95 works for you, then it does. It's a VERY popular size for doubles. See if you can try them out before you buy some. Most of the LP tanks are shorter than an AL80 so that may be of some help. The HP130 is also shorter than an AL80 with almost twice the capacity.
limeyx
Guest
wet-willie:
The HP100's make a pretty nice set of doubles if you can get decent fills on them.
They dont weigh too much out of the water and have plenty of gas capacity.
PerroneFord
Contributor
Hmmm,
A LP95 is about the same size, requires slightly less weight on the belt, weighs about the same out of the water, is cheaper, uses 8" bands (so if he upgrades later he can re-use the bands instead of blowing another $130), and holds about the same amount of gas. Not to mention if he can only get 3000psi in that HP100 like at many places, he's only got 85 cuft of gas. At the same fill station, if he can get that LP95 filled to 3000 instead of 2640, he now has 108 cuft of gas.
LP95s are very popular for a reason.
A LP95 is about the same size, requires slightly less weight on the belt, weighs about the same out of the water, is cheaper, uses 8" bands (so if he upgrades later he can re-use the bands instead of blowing another $130), and holds about the same amount of gas. Not to mention if he can only get 3000psi in that HP100 like at many places, he's only got 85 cuft of gas. At the same fill station, if he can get that LP95 filled to 3000 instead of 2640, he now has 108 cuft of gas.
LP95s are very popular for a reason.
limeyx
Guest
PerroneFord:
I guess it depends on what kind of LP95 you have
I tend to use the PST/worthington in general. The faber seems to have much different characteristics.
PST E7-100 Tank Weight 33 pounds. -1 empty (in water)
PST LP 95 Tank weight 43.8 pounds. -3 empty (in water)
Faber Lp95 Tank weight 37.2 pounds -1.2 empty (in water)
All from TDL's tanks spec sheet
and while some people might be comfy overfilling LP tanks (no names), some may not be. Agreed on the HP fills tho -- It's hard to get 3400 fills around here.
Heavier tanks tend to get less popular in exponential proportion to the amount of walking you have to do in them.
If going for the LP95 route, I'd go for PST/Worthington 119's instead. (depending on price)
PerroneFord
Contributor
Worthington's LP95 is 38#
http://www.xsscuba.com/tank_steel_specs.html
Good call on the 119. About the same size, good amount more gas, but a bit more costly. Not that over the life of the tanks (20+ years with care) that you'd notice a few hundred bucks.
http://www.xsscuba.com/tank_steel_specs.html
Good call on the 119. About the same size, good amount more gas, but a bit more costly. Not that over the life of the tanks (20+ years with care) that you'd notice a few hundred bucks.
Quite a few. Perhaps they are more or less popular by region? My first set of doubles will be HP100s. I don't have any trouble getting HP fills. And I would not be very comfortable overfilling an lp95. I know others do so regularly, and seem to not have a problem, but it still rubs me the wrong way.PerroneFord:
Similar threads
