LP45 Buoyancy

[ChrisMBC]

I’ve got a pair of LP50s (Faber painted) and LP45s( the OMS/Faber ones from the 1990s) , I’ve used both as mini doubles for OC and more recently as dilout for my JJ.

I haven’t had a chance to actually measure the buoyancy/weight, but my anecdotal observation is that the LP45s seem 1-2kg more negative than the LP50s, and more tail heavy. There is a decent chance that the tail heaviness (that I observed) is more to do with the difference in length (and therefore mounting location) than an actual difference.

 

[grantmac]

20cf more doesn’t justify for me the additional complexity and the need for a dedicated setup that I cannot travel with (because I mostly find A80s, A72s, or S12s when traveling).

If I need more gas it’s 2xA80 or 2xS12 depending on location and what’s available.

This is just my personal preference.

It's closer to 35% more gas with a decent fill and less weight compared to AL80s.
Like having a 14l single with redundancy.

 

[runsongas]

you can still sidemount the tanks with the choptima. the lp45s or lp50s aren't so big to be an issue managing them when getting in even at monastery. there is also the option to stash the lp45s/lp50s and your dpv with an anchored float then swim out with just the chop then finish gearing up at the float.

 

[rx7diver]

Like @ChrisMBC, I have a pair of Faber LP50's (purchased new a couple of years ago) and three OMS LP46's (purchased new ca. 1995). I've dove both double LP50's and double LP46's in freshwater, only.

Double 50's and double 46's with isolation manifold, a pair of Scubapro regs, and Alum back plate with simple harness are both negative when empty in fresh water. The 46's seem a bit more negative. Both rigs are negative enough that I am careful diving them when diving wet in my old 3/2 mil O'Neill single-piece jumpsuit. I am guessing that a good 5 mil jumpsuit would work for me, though, with no concerns, with the 50's.

For me, the 50's, being taller/longer, work better: valves are easier to reach, and the rig is easier to sit in (and therefore put on and take off).

And the 50's work much better (for me) with an old-school single-outlet, solid-bar manifold and my DH reg, which is precisely why I purchased the 50's.

rx7diver

 

[lostsheep]

I am a cold water diver, when using HP133 doubles, I still need 10 lbs of weight to dive. For shore diving with a Choptima, using LP50s or LP45s would be a more practical choice.

Your profile says NorCal, where are you shore diving around here that you need hp130s that is also safe enough to enter with hp130s?