old fashion 72 ?

[jack evans]

Why would anybody say that a steel 72 is a thing of the past or an antique ? My new one is from the fifties and has never failed a hydro. Air is air ? right? Ther'e cheap and I can have a bunch of them. Try that with your HP120's.
jack

 

[Soggy]

For shallow (i.e. shore) diving, a HP72 is great. I use them with a drysuit and usually keep up with guys diving 80s and 90s in wetsuits.

However, I don't really want to dive on the Chester Poling in 90-100fsw in the North Atlantic with a 72. Not enough bottom time and many of the guys I dive with are using 100s or 120s, so I always have to turn the dive.

I can't really answer your poll, because it depends on the situation. I can tell you that I dive 72s all the time now because I rent tanks. When I buy, I will likely go for a HP100.

 

[Adam Samansky]

I voted "just right." I have a set of steel 72 doubles with an OMS manifold. No, I can't keep up with someone wearing doubled 98's, but I don't need to either. This is my first set and they hold plenty of air to dive 1/3s on Nitrox up to the NDL. At some point I may swap them out for 98s, but don't need to just yet.

Oh, did I mention that I got them for free...
Adam

 

[joens]

old steel 72s are fine if you dont need that many cubes .but before you buy one you better look inside ,and if you dont know what you are looking for find someone who does ,Of course that goes for any used tank but the older it is the greater the chance
that something has gone wrong.
joens

 

[O-ring]

...and I like them just fine. They have nice buoyancy characteristics compared to AL80 doubles, are smaller/lighter on land, and can be pumped a tad over to yield more gas than AL80 doubles. One dive shop I went to pumped them to over 3k...I was wearing 95s!!

 

[roakey]

I got one sitting here right next to me that I bought in the 70s. Of course it's a mix of old and new since it's sporting a DIN valve now

Roak

 

[jamiei]

was this a LP 72 O? The 2250 psi ones? For someone that says they are a little tank boom shy, I can't see how you'ld have strapped those on. I have a us divers steel 72 and I'm looking for a companion or two for it if anyone knows anyone in or around GA that would like to part with them.

 

[O-ring]

jamiei once bubbled...
was this a LP 72 O? The 2250 psi ones? For someone that says they are a little tank boom shy, I can't see how you'ld have strapped those on. I have a us divers steel 72 and I'm looking for a companion or two for it if anyone knows anyone in or around GA that would like to part with them.

Yeah, they are LP72s (original hydro before I was born)... I didn't say I wasn't scared walking them to the car, but after the first dive they still had over 2k in them

 

[jamiei]

yeah, i think the one I have was originally hydroed in 65'... way before I was born.

 

[chris_b]

Do they still make steel 72's?