Large tanks question

[Sideways]

It will not be an HP tank. The larger tanks they provide are AL 100's.

The ONLY operators on the island (aside from the tech guys) with STEEL HP tanks are Aldora, Liquid Blue and Living Underwater. Anyone else that has larger tanks available are AL100's and will range anywhere from $5 - $10 more per tank.

I still encourage divers to work on gas management vs. relying on larger tanks if that is the reason they like the larger tanks. With a properly profiled dive, most of my divers still get 60 - 70 minutes from an AL 80 - and if they aren't getting that at the beginning of the week, they are by the end of the week from the tips and help from myself and crew to help them improve their gas management!

I hear ya Christi.... I own 2 tanks, a steel 100 HP, and a 119HP steel. I get the fact that a AL100 is going to increase my bottom time, but I'm not sure it will get me as much as a HP 100. You all are the math experts....LOL. I'm one of that dreaded breed of UW Photographers, so I suck up gas. I have no qualms of upgrading to a larger tank.... I just want the most I can get. I HATE... the potential of hindering my dive partners

 

[Brules]

That's jaw dropping. For my own self-esteem I'm going to have to say this has got to have something to do with your genetics. You must have been born with some extra red blood cells or something.

87 minutes on the computer, I was down to 300lbs at 15'....whole group did it. Best dive of my life. Current was perfect, as in it was srong enough to move us, yet slow enough you could stop with fins and not fight it/increase your breathing rate.

And yes, I believe I am blessed with some laaarge lungs.

 

[Ripple in still water]

Muscle requires more oxygen than fat, so it's not just weight that determines air consumption, but percentage of lean mass. That's what I tell myself to excuse my Hoover-esque air consumption, anyway.

Whether one prefers AL 100s or steel tanks will depend to some extent on one's body type, and taller folks don't always prefer steel tanks. I'm 6' tall, and have no trouble at all maintaining trim with AL 100s. I dived during one trip with a steel 98, and could not maintain trim for the whole trip without fighting , despite all kinds of fooling with my weighting. Likewise, I dived with Living Underwater once with their LP 120s, and although my trim was better than with the steel 98s, I still found the heavy tank unstable on my back. In short, based on the tanks I've tried to date, I dig the AL 100s.

One thing to keep in mind with AL 100s is that their nominal fill pressure is 3300 psi. On Cozumel I often see them filled only to 3000 psi, which means 10% less air.

 

[Sideways]

So...If I get a fill of 3000, should I make a stink about it? I guessing it's the fault of the supplier not the Dive Op, right? 10% is a lot.

 

[Ripple in still water]

Basically you are getting only half the extra gas you should be getting over an 80 with a 100 filled to 3000 psi. Whether you make a stink is up to you. I didn't realize the 3300 psi thing until after my last trip to Coz. For me, going forward, it will probably depend on whether the op has just thrown in the 100s, as they often will if you are diving with them for the week, or I'm paying extra. If the latter, I think I should get what I pay (extra) for.

 

[Mike]

87 minutes on the computer, I was down to 300lbs at 15'....whole group did it. Best dive of my life. Current was perfect, as in it was srong enough to move us, yet slow enough you could stop with fins and not fight it/increase your breathing rate.

And yes, I believe I am blessed with some laaarge lungs.

That's great diving for a big dude, I'd dive with you anytime. I'm only 4'-2" and weigh 76lbs, so you'll have to carry my tank for me, but my hats off to your SAC.

 

[Sideways]

Basically you are getting only half the extra gas you should be getting over an 80 with a 100 filled to 3000 psi. Whether you make a stink is up to you. I didn't realize the 3300 psi thing until after my last trip to Coz. For me, going forward, it will probably depend on whether the op has just thrown in the 100s, as they often will if you are diving with them for the week, or I'm paying extra. If the latter, I think I should get what I pay (extra) for.

Yeah, I'm paying for them. Thanks for letting me know what a proper fill should be. I've never used AL 100's. If I get short filled I'll deff. say something.

 

[cvchief]

Muscle requires more oxygen than fat, so it's not just weight that determines air consumption, but percentage of lean mass. That's what I tell myself to excuse my Hoover-esque air consumption, anyway.

Whether one prefers AL 100s or steel tanks will depend to some extent on one's body type, and taller folks don't always prefer steel tanks. I'm 6' tall, and have no trouble at all maintaining trim with AL 100s. I dived during one trip with a steel 98, and could not maintain trim for the whole trip without fighting , despite all kinds of fooling with my weighting. Likewise, I dived with Living Underwater once with their LP 120s, and although my trim was better than with the steel 98s, I still found the heavy tank unstable on my back. In short, based on the tanks I've tried to date, I dig the AL 100s.

One thing to keep in mind with AL 100s is that their nominal fill pressure is 3300 psi. On Cozumel I often see them filled only to 3000 psi, which means 10% less air.

Wow. I never knew a 100AL was generally rated for higher pressure. I think my 100s were always right around 3000? As for maintaining trim, I am your 6' and then some and I find the 100AL becomes a SERIOUS floater late in the dive. I have to weight up a bunch to not be fighting at the safety stop. That being said, I finally got the the point that I can't use the 100 AL because they are all air and I keep running them into deco. I started using an 80 nitrox on the second dive and I have got to the point that I can come pretty close to keeping up with the DM on a good day. (Of course two or three times during the dive I sneak up on her and squeeze the purge on her octo for 30 second or so.....:shocked2: )

 

[Dirty-Dog]

Wow. I never knew a 100AL was generally rated for higher pressure. I think my 100s were always right around 3000? As for maintaining trim, I am your 6' and then some and I find the 100AL becomes a SERIOUS floater late in the dive. I have to weight up a bunch to not be fighting at the safety stop. That being said, I finally got the the point that I can't use the 100 AL because they are all air and I keep running them into deco. I started using an 80 nitrox on the second dive and I have got to the point that I can come pretty close to keeping up with the DM on a good day. (Of course two or three times during the dive I sneak up on her and squeeze the purge on her octo for 30 second or so.....:shocked2: )

That is an incredibly foolish thing to do!

Just breath off it instead....

 

[cvchief]

That is an incredibly foolish thing to do!

Just breath off it instead....

SEE! You can ALWAYS learn something new on SB... When I first started using 100AL, I just never told anyone on the boat. I would be one of the last ones up and I was like "Yea, its all about the breathing....." then someone would blab about cheating with a big tank and there I go from hero to zero again....