LP steel doubles ????

[Wildcard]

I know this may belong in the tank section but I thought this forum would get better replies. I am going to buy a steel LP doubles rig for dry suit diving. I need to know what size. I do not have the ability to try different sizes first so I need to nail it the first try. Im 5' 11" and 175. I use 24 lbs with my suit. 6lb SS backplate.
Im thinkinng around 100 -105s?
Help me out here folks.
Thanks!

 

[Meng_Tze]

I know this may belong in the tank section but I thought this forum would get better replies. I am going to buy a steel LP doubles rig for dry suit diving. I need to know what size. I do not have the ability to try different sizes first so I need to nail it the first try. Im 5' 11" and 175. I use 24 lbs with my suit. 6lb SS backplate.
Im thinkinng around 100 -105s?
Help me out here folks.
Thanks!

It depends on how much gas you need and where you will be diving. 100's (HP) are quite small and easy to haul up a boat ladder. 104's/108's are bigger and heavy, but hold more gas. 95's are in the middle. The amount of weight you use now is of less importance. figure out where/how you will be diving.

You may start of with AL80's as they are light and good to start with.

 

[texdiveguy]

LP85's are the best all-around steel cylinder going in my book.....smallish (is that a word ), ample gas and if 'overfilled' a very serious amount of gas....not as expensive as larger LP or HP cylinders.

 

[ianr33]

Totally depends on the diving you will be doing with them. 104's are great for caves but not so great for climbing ladders in rough seas.

I have a set of Al80 doubles and a set of 104's. Only use the 104's when I really need them as they are so damn heavy.

 

[ageddiver]

I'm the same height and 10lbs lighter than you and have found my set of LP95's to be the most versatile of the lot. They're not overly heavy, and can let me do dives to 250FSW with an overfill. After that I break out the heavy ones.

With a steel backplate I need essentially no weight on my belt.

Al 80's are much less expensive, but you said you wanted LP steel.

 

[PerroneFord]

The problem will be trim. 95s and 85s are fairly short tanks. Depending on your build, you may find they make you head heavy. LP108s and similar length tanks are heavier but may trim better. I know they do for me. LP95s were impossible for me to dive dry, even when I went to a kydex backplate.

But the comments from folks here is right on the money. Getting back into a boat with those big steels is going to be a royal pain. The LP85s or AL80 are terrific for that.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Take a look at a tank comparisoon chart before you buy an LP anything. When you compare size, weight, volume and bouyancy traits, you'll virtually always find an almost identical 3442 psi E or X series tank. They hold virtually the same volume at the same pressures as an identical size and weight LP tank with the added bonus that you can get them leaglly filled to the same volume of the overfiilled LP tank.

LP tansk have a loyal following, but it's largely based on tradition and Lp tanks are in my opinion going to become dinosaurs in the next few years.

 

[Dive-aholic]

The problem will be trim. 95s and 85s are fairly short tanks.

85s are longer than 95s. 85s are actually the same height as 108s.



WC, where will you be getting your tanks filled? Will they be able to overfill them? LPs are at full capacity when filled to 2640psi. If you find a shop that's willing to fill them to 3000psi you'll have a little bit more than the stated cf of the tanks.

I'm 6', 220 (wish I was 200) and have been diving in 85s, 95s, 104s, 108s, and AL80s. The 104s were the heaviest tanks I ever had on. I did a giant stride into a cenote basin in Mexico wearing a 7mm wet suit with my 70# wing fully inflated and I hit the bottom 15' under the surface. The 108s are a little bit better, and actually my tank of choice...in a dry suit. I won't dive them wet because they make me too heavy. I can swim them, but I need to fully inflate my 50lb wing to keep me neutral at the beginning of the dive. Keep in mind, I get my tanks filled to 3600psi, not 2640. 95s are decent tanks, but I felt they were a little too short for me. I preferred the length of the 85s. To confuse matters more, my wife, who is 5'9" had been in both 85s and 95s and both work well for her. The 95s were actually a better length for her, though. If you need the gas, go with the 95s. If that's not an issue, go with the 85s, they'll probably trim out a little better on you.

 

[deepstops]

That's correct Rob, 85s are 26" and 95s are 23.8". And tank length has little to do with it IMO. Overall, I find Fabers to be much lighter in the bottom than PST tanks (I don't own any Worthingtons). The worst trimming tanks I've ever owned were Faber LP 121s yet PST LP 120s were great. It's not the length of the tank IMO, it's where they put the steel in the tank.

Trim issues aside, we need to know what kind of diving he's planning to do before we can go much further.

 

[cwkline]

WC,
Where are you going to be diving and what profiles are you looking at? If you are still here on the Island, I may be able to arrange for you to try some of the doubles I have access to.
Safe Dives
Charlie