New Diver Tank Suggestion

[GCullen94]

Hey I am looking for a tank that will most likely have nitrox in it. I was wondering what people would suggest. I am a pretty new diver so just looking for some suggestions before buying. I am 6'0 210 in a BPW set up and was thinking a HP100, 119 or 120.
Thanks
GC

 

[ajduplessis]

Rent until you know what works. This will also give you the opportunity to try different sizes and constructions (steel vs ali). As a start just dive and enjoy what you do. 80 to 100cf for rec diving is more than enough IMO. Your SAC will change in any case as you get more relaxed and confident.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Rather than looking at hp tanks I'd consider lp first. Lp95's are nice tanks for bigger guys. Eaay to always get a good fill since it only takes 2640 to do that. And if you have a shop that gives good fills and will pump them to 3000 or even 3200 you now have a 108 - 115. Cave and wreck divers often take them to 3500 which gives you 125 cu ft of gas. And lp's are often cheaper. I like lp 85's myself. Often dive them as 100's.

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[rongoodman]

Those tanks vary in length by about 4", so if you could try them out before buying to see which is the easiest to trim out, that would be a good thing. I like my LP85s, but all my cave diving is in Al80s, since that's what they have in Mexico.

 

[halocline]

I agree, try before you buy, and if you post what your weighting requirements are, that might be useful. The special permit HP100 tanks, like the worthington X7 or faber FX100 are considered very versatile tanks that almost everyone loves. I wouldn't get a bigger one at this point unless you can find a seriously good deal. I also wouldn't worry too much about getting a 3442 PSI fill, these days, especially in southern Cal, you won't have any problem getting that.

Nitrox is a bit of a complication, because the rules and policies for filling tanks with nitrox change from shop to shop and maybe depending on the weather or if the tank filler has been gettin' any lately, who knows. The 'safe' (in terms of actually getting the fill) thing is to have the tank O2 cleaned, labeled, and only filled with nitrox or modified grade E air, which is the air used in nitrox blending.

Used tanks are the way to go IMO. I also like using the smallest and lightest tank I can for a given dive, which means that my local dives here in TX, which are very shallow, I like LP72s or AL63s the best. Maybe someday I'll get really nutso and start local diving with AL40s. So if you're talking about relatively shallow shore dives where you don't need tons of air, try picking up a few used LP72s, I'm sure there are tons of them around your area, or used AL63s.

 

[elan]

I'm 6' 195lbs. I found that HP100 and HP119 are fairly short and not convenient. HP120 is too long.

The good options that work the best for me are Faber LP85, Worthington 108, PST 104 , Worthington 130.

While you can definitely dive any tank the problem comes when you want to make the valve located where you want to reach it.

 

[herman]

Don't overlook AL-80s, esp used ones. Odds are you will want 2 tanks, not 1 which doubles the cost. Unless you really need the extra gas of a 100 or larger there is no need to go with the larger tanks. After a quick look, I find steels range from $300 on the low end to over $400 for the larger ones. In contrast a AL-80 is $200, half of what a larger steel will cost you and 50% less than a 85 steel. Yea you may have to add a little weight to your belt but lead is a lot cheaper than 2 steel tanks. People get way too hung up on the "advantages" of steel and don't consider the total cost.

 

[GCullen94]

Thanks everyone for the help, just trying to get information without the LDS sales pitch. Also just signed up for a GUE fundies course in early may and at my school, seniors spend their last 3 weeks doing community service so mine is local in water trash cleanup/kelp restoration and urchin removal so I will be in the water 5 days a week for 3 weeks.

Rather than looking at hp tanks I'd consider lp first. Lp95's are nice tanks for bigger guys. Eaay to always get a good fill since it only takes 2640 to do that. And if you have a shop that gives good fills and will pump them to 3000 or even 3200 you now have a 108 - 115. Cave and wreck divers often take them to 3500 which gives you 125 cu ft of gas. And lp's are often cheaper. I like lp 85's myself. Often dive them as 100's.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]
[/FONT]I am definitely considering 85 or 95's with a slight overfill, sorry I totally forgot say that last night.

I agree, try before you buy, and if you post what your weighting requirements are, that might be useful. The special permit HP100 tanks, like the worthington X7 or faber FX100 are considered very versatile tanks that almost everyone loves. I wouldn't get a bigger one at this point unless you can find a seriously good deal. I also wouldn't worry too much about getting a 3442 PSI fill, these days, especially in southern Cal, you won't have any problem getting that.

Nitrox is a bit of a complication, because the rules and policies for filling tanks with nitrox change from shop to shop and maybe depending on the weather or if the tank filler has been gettin' any lately, who knows. The 'safe' (in terms of actually getting the fill) thing is to have the tank O2 cleaned, labeled, and only filled with nitrox or modified grade E air, which is the air used in nitrox blending.

Used tanks are the way to go IMO. I also like using the smallest and lightest tank I can for a given dive, which means that my local dives here in TX, which are very shallow, I like LP72s or AL63s the best. Maybe someday I'll get really nutso and start local diving with AL40s. So if you're talking about relatively shallow shore dives where you don't need tons of air, try picking up a few used LP72s, I'm sure there are tons of them around your area, or used AL63s.

I currently have 14lbs on my weight belt when diving local cold water using a lp85. Most of my diving around here is in the 80-100ft range.

 

[Colliam7]

I am a pretty new diver so just looking for some suggestions before buying. I am 6'0 210 in a BPW set up and was thinking a HP100, 119 or 120.

Try before you buy is always a good idea.

There's not one and only one answer, to 'which cylinder'. I have all three cylinders you mentioned, and prefer the 100, particularly when diving wet. I am 5'10 and 210, and find the HP120 a bit long (although not a particular problem diving a single 120; double 120s are definitely foot heavy on me), and the 119 requires - for me - more station-keeping to prevent roll. The 100 is just a very versatile cylinder, and I haven't run across any shops in my area (NC), or the southeast US in general, or Canada for that matter, that can't give me a 3442 fill. (Not saying there aren't some, I just haven't encountered any.)

As for LP cylinders, they do have a following. Putting aside the issue of getting a full fill with a HP, I don't see a particular advantage. If you compare the XS Scuba LP95 and the HP100, the two are similar in capacity, similar in length, similar in buoyancy - full and empty. But, the 95 is about 8 lbs heavier when empty, and it is an 8" diameter cylinder, vs a 7.25". And, new, the two aren't that much different in price, although the LP is a bit cheaper. The 85 is the same diameter as the HP100, essentially the same length, is still a bit heavier empty, but is not quite as negative, and provides less gas with a 'true' fill.

It is a fine cylinder, as fans will tell you. When I dive cold water (thick neoprene or dryuit), I want the smallest cylinder with the most gas and the most negative buoyancy. But, that's just me.

 

[TSandM]

As far as I know, there really isn't much of a problem getting fills in HP tanks in Southern California. Now getting Nitrox, on the other hand . . . But even the boats deal with HP tanks quite well. At your size, HP130s might be a really good choice, since you shouldn't have any problem moving them around, either by hand or on your back. 130s will give you a nice gas cushion for just about any recreational diving you might choose to do. 95s aren't a whole lot lighter, but unless you get cave fills, they're a lot less gas.

When I dive SoCal, I borrow 130s. At home, I use HP100s as much as I can, but my gas consumption is quite low and I don't do a lot of deep diving.