LP120 doubles

[Scubamatt88]

I recently picked up a set of Faber lp120 doubles and was planning on diving them for my tec 45 course in Ontario this summer (cold water, dry suit).

I’m 6’1” and around 180lbs. Planning to split them up in the future as they’re pretty massive. Has anyone here had success using these as doubles? Shouldn’t be too cumbersome as they’re only slightly heavier than lp108s?

 

[happy-diver]

Gee whiz with your stickboy attributes are you going to have challenging time

remember the anti hernia corset girdle thing

Amazon.com : mens hernia girdle

 

[Scared Silly]

Do the math. ~45lbs per cylinder plus 10 lbs for the gas, once you add bands, manifold, regs, etc. ya got 120 lbs of dry weight to schlep around. That is 2/3 of what you weigh. Hope they came with a wheelie cart, a hernia girdle, and a winch.

Once you get them in the water you are going to find them bulky. They are some of longest cylinders made. For open water doubles you want something more manageable and you will not need that much back gas. I have a similar build and I dive LP85, LP76 and have dove LP95. If I need a little extra gas I'll fill them to 3000 psi.

 

[Scubamatt88]

Thank you,

Going to try and pick up some LP85’s

 

[Lorenzoid]

Why LP rather than HP? Are LP85s filled to their normal service pressure going to give you the amount of gas you're looking for? Or are you able to find a dive shop that provides generous fills?

 

[Scubamatt88]

Why LP rather than HP? Are LP85s filled to their normal service pressure going to give you the amount of gas you're looking for? Or are you able to find a dive shop that provides generous fills?

+ rated with the 10% overfill should be enough gas… my SAC rate is generally pretty low. HP’s would be great too, just depends what’s available in my area, seems to be not too many high pressure tanks.

 

[rx7diver]

I recently picked up a set of Faber lp120 doubles and was planning on diving them for my tec 45 course in Ontario this summer (cold water, dry suit).

I’m 6’1” and around 180lbs. Planning to split them up in the future as they’re pretty massive. Has anyone here had success using these as doubles? Shouldn’t be too cumbersome as they’re only slightly heavier than lp108s?

One my my Michigan diving buddies wore manifolded OMS/Faber LP 121/125's. He (~6'0") is an ex-Marine, a little shorter than I am, and strong as an ox. He would move around his doubles (from car to boat, from deck to transom, easily climbing boat ladders fully geared up, etc.) as easily as I could my manifolded HP 100's and HP 120's.

These worked perfectly for him, initially for extended range diving (to Advanced Deep Air depths), and then, later, for his even deeper tri-mix diving.

When I was on the OC tri-mix trajectory, I purchased a single OMS LP 121/125, intending to purchase a second one eventually. I gave up that dream, though (I began my family), which left my single cylinder sitting practically unused in my garage, since ~2000. I just got it back from plus-hydro yesterday, in fact, and will be listing it on SB Classifieds within the next day or so. (I began thinning my small "herd" of cylinders last year.)

CORRECTION: OMS cylinder capacity corrected to read "121/125" rather than "120". See, for example, SCUBA Cylinder Specifications – Huron Scuba, Snorkel & Adventure Travel Inc. PADI 5 star IDC in Ann Arbor, MI.

rx7diver

 

[Lorenzoid]

+ rated with the 10% overfill should be enough gas… my SAC rate is generally pretty low. HP’s would be great too, just depends what’s available in my area, seems to be not too many high pressure tanks.

I suppose the best thing to do is seek out tanks similar to what other tech divers in your area are using. Have you asked your instructor? LP tanks are most popular down here among cave divers and others whose dive shops are willing to fill them to 3000 psi and higher. When I brought my 85s to Tobermory they filled them to 2400 despite the "+" rating.

 

[rx7diver]

+ rated with the 10% overfill should be enough gas… my SAC rate is generally pretty low. HP’s would be great too, just depends what’s available in my area, seems to be not too many high pressure tanks.

My friend would have his LP 121/125 doubles filled a "bit" north (!!) of 2,640 psig (= 2,400 + 10%)--which is one of the reasons why Great Lakes divers preferred the OMS/Faber LP 108/112's and LP 121/125's for their deep shipwreck OC diving.

rx7diver

 

[Scubamatt88]

I suppose the best thing to do is seek out tanks similar to what other tech divers in your area are using. Have you asked your instructor? LP tanks are most popular down here among cave divers and others whose dive shops are willing to fill them to 3000 psi and higher. When I brought my 85s to Tobermory they filled them to 2400 despite the "+" rating.

Good idea, I’ll ask him. I think he typically uses hp120s with al80s as stages when diving around the Brockville area.