Luxfer Al30 Changed Dimensions?

[rx7diver]

All,

I recently rented a Luxfer Al30 from my LDS to try as a buddy/pony bottle (to use instead of an Al40). See http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/advanced-scuba-discussions/376428-al-30-al-40-a-5.html#post5821139. I liked it so much, I ordered one from my LDS! When the new Al30 arrived last week it was a Catalina, rather than a Luxfer, and was both a bit shorter and a bit wider than the Luxfer I had rented.

When looking up the buoyancy characteristics of the Catalina just now (to help me decide whether I will purchase it after all), I noticed that the *Luxfer Al30* characteristics that are listed on the Luxfer Web site (L6X® aluminum cylinder specifications - Luxfer: Setting The Standard Worldwide) differ from the *Luxfer Al30* characteristics listed on both the TDL Web site (Scuba Cylinder Specifications from Tech Diving Limited - 928-855-9400) and the Huron Scuba Web site (Scuba Cylinder Specification Chart from Huron Scuba, Ann Arbor Michigan)!

Evidently, the Luxfer Al30's currently in production are both shorter and wider than they were previously.

Is this news to anyone else? Any idea when the design of the Luxfer Al30 changed? Can divers who have had experience with this new design, especially divers who have had experience with both the new and the old design, let me know their impression?

Thanks in advance.

Dive Safely,

Ronald

 

[rjack321]

Yes there are 2 versions of Al30s. Short/fat and longer/narrower.

The short fat ones suck IMHO. Especially when you've got multiple deco bottles on like a 40 of EAN50 and a 30 of O2. If you can, trade it in for the longer/narrower version it will hold its value much more.

 

[rx7diver]

Thanks, Rjack321. Strange that Luxfer doesn't list the tall and narrow Al30 on its site. I hope to learn tomorrow whether this older-spec cylinder is still being manufactured.

 

[captain]

I thought Luxfer was getting out of the scuba tank business. Kind of looks like Luxfer isn't doing the manufacturing for scuba cylinders and is out sourcing them. The Catalina 30 is a larger diameter than the Luxfers were.

 

[rx7diver]

That's very interesting, Captain. The characteristics of the new Luxfer Al30 are essentially identical to the characteristics of the Catalina Al30.

BTW, according to the Web sites, both of these Al30's share the same diameter as the Luxfer Al40 and Catalina Al40, approx. 5.25 inches. (The diameter of the old Luxfer Al30 is approx. 4.9 inches, according to the Web sites.)

 

[Leadking]

I thought Luxfer was getting out of the scuba tank business. Kind of looks like Luxfer isn't doing the manufacturing for scuba cylinders and is out sourcing them. The Catalina 30 is a larger diameter than the Luxfers were.

Luxfer shut down its' Riverside CA operation where all the scuba cylinders were made and moved production into another plant they owned in NC. Things got strange after that and I would have to assume that they didn't move the Riverside equipment to NC as they started to have trouble producing scuba products. We were told they were having production issues and the price was going up by 50%. Then they were getting out of scuba. Later they decided to make 80's and 30's. It may be the tooling in NC for medical cylinders was used and dimensions changed

 

[idive2]

Yeah, it seems unusual that Luxfer would come up with a larger diameter 30cf
cylinder when they already had the smaller diameter 30cf tank. I'm actually
looking around for a 30cf pony and was hoping to get the smaller diameter tank.

 

[rjack321]

Yeah, it seems unusual that Luxfer would come up with a larger diameter 30cf
cylinder when they already had the smaller diameter 30cf tank. I'm actually
looking around for a 30cf pony and was hoping to get the smaller diameter tank.

It seems very difficult to know which one you are buying without the actual tank in hand. Shops/distributors are not doing a very good job of specifying fat vs narrow 30s since you are the 2nd or 3rd person I know of who's ended up getting a different 30 than expected.

Try craigslist, then you'll see it in person before buying.

 

[Jax]

Yes there are 2 versions of Al30s. Short/fat and longer/narrower.

The short fat ones suck IMHO. Especially when you've got multiple deco bottles on like a 40 of EAN50 and a 30 of O2. If you can, trade it in for the longer/narrower version it will hold its value much more.

Umm . . . Why? Is it really that big a difference? >.25" in diameter, and an inch taller?

 

[Leadking]

Umm . . . Why? Is it that big a difference?

YES. How a bottle hangs and its dimensions are a BIG deal. Read all the posts about buoyancy characteristics. If you are tech/cave diving trim is extremely important.