looking for more air and still keeping good trim/bouyancy

[hedgehog47]

I am about five foot eight tall (or short however you wanna look at it)
currently having HP80 fabers and they are perfect for me. I'd like to get a little more bottom time to catch a few more lobsters/fish etc on the deeper dives.

However larger steel tanks (112's, 120s etc) tend to be too tall and I get really tail-heavy. I imagine I could put in a tank neck weight or something but I'd like to avoid that, if I can.

I know I can run two small tanks in a doubles setup (anything over 120cf total would be excessive for the trips I go on.)

I have both an AL and SS backplate with an APEKS 30lb wing currently. Would like to see what my options are without buying a second wing but, if that's the only option I may do that.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

LP95's or HP119's aren't any taller than a standard AL80 ... they're just fatter ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I am about five foot eight tall (or short however you wanna look at it)
currently having HP80 fabers and they are perfect for me. I'd like to get a little more bottom time to catch a few more lobsters/fish etc on the deeper dives.

However larger steel tanks (112's, 120s etc) tend to be too tall and I get really tail-heavy. I imagine I could put in a tank neck weight or something but I'd like to avoid that, if I can.

I know I can run two small tanks in a doubles setup (anything over 120cf total would be excessive for the trips I go on.)

I have both an AL and SS backplate with an APEKS 30lb wing currently. Would like to see what my options are without buying a second wing but, if that's the only option I may do that.

I'm the same height and dive the same area. Nobody uses doubles. Just get some bigger steel tanks. The HP 100's are not too big or heavy. I have mostly the fat LP tanks and I switch from 98's to 149's (and between) depending on what tank I grabbed. I have to admit, they do feel different and the buoyancy changes too.

However, if you are diving for fish or lobsters, nobody cares about your perfect trim! Catching game is not like scuba board where people worry about a 10 degree tilt, their arched back and bent knees!!! We are swimming and moving and drifting with currents, constantly dumping air in the BC to sink down and catch lobsters (while heavy) and then add air and get neutral again and start to drift. If you are good, you are dragging a 10 or 15 lb bag of lobsters with you, clipped to one side pulling you sideways.

Doubles suck for local diving, nobody uses them, that I see anyway.

 

[hroark2112]

I've got a pair of steel 100's. Great bottles. Shorter than an AL 80.

 

[Locus]

I've got a pair of steel 100's. Great bottles. Shorter than an AL 80.

+1

I've tried AL80s, HP80s, HP100s, HP130s, and LP95s. Imo, of these the 100s are the best if you want more gas without hauling too big a tank. If you want more capacity than that I'd try a HP119, which has the same dimensions as a LP95 (24" tall x 8" diameter).

 

[geoff w]

I am about five foot eight tall (or short however you wanna look at it)
currently having HP80 fabers and they are perfect for me. I'd like to get a little more bottom time to catch a few more lobsters/fish etc on the deeper dives.

However larger steel tanks (112's, 120s etc) tend to be too tall and I get really tail-heavy. I imagine I could put in a tank neck weight or something but I'd like to avoid that, if I can.

I know I can run two small tanks in a doubles setup (anything over 120cf total would be excessive for the trips I go on.)

I have both an AL and SS backplate with an APEKS 30lb wing currently. Would like to see what my options are without buying a second wing but, if that's the only option I may do that.

I dive an HP80 (Worthington) with steel backplate, 7mm full suit & hooded vest. Most of my dive buddies dive Worthington HP100s and we end up with roughly the same bottom time and remaining air at the end of our dives (50 to 90 minutes). The HP100 is probably closest to your HP80 in terms of size and buoyancy; figure about 6" taller (still shorter than an Al80). You'll probably need to add about 2 lbs, since a HP100 is a little lighter at the end of the dive than a HP80. You get about 25% more air in a HP100 than a HP80

Alternatively, you could get a LP85 and overfill it, giving you about 105 cu ft in roughly the same form factor as a HP100, but I'm not advocating that

Or you can keep your HP80 and sling an Al40 sidemount style

 

[decompression]

It's been said, hp100's, lots of air and small size.....


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[AngloFish]

Have you considered slinging a stage? If you like the your HP80s, adding a single AL80 correctly mounted would solve your problem. They may seem a little clumsy at first, but one or two dives and you'll forget you're even wearing it.
Bonus points for being able to attach and remove it in the water if you prefer (when getting in/out of the boat).

 

[DogDiver]

Find some Faber LP 80's and fill them to 3600 psi. You should have close to 120 cubic feet each.


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[Roman_66]

fill them to 3600 psi

In Dallas area I didn't find anyone filling more than 3000 psi
I use steel HP120 and pretty ok with it's seize and trim.