Poll: What is your all time favorite tank?

[Eric Sedletzky]

Hello all,
I want to see what might be the all time best or favorite tank used by fellow scubaboarders.
Please pick one from the tank section and pick one from the water temperature section that you mostly dive in.
I was going to put a section in if you rent or own tanks but ran out of room, so let's just do owned tanks for this poll.
Also, please give a brief explanation to your choice and maybe in your post add a second or third favorite.
Please include info like price point, buoyancy characteristics, size, shape, material, etc.
Another reason I'm doing this is so new divers who wish to purchase their own tanks may gain some insight into why more experienced divers use what they use.

I'll go first.
My favorite tank as of this writing is the HP 100 - 3442. It gives enough volume for the depth and times I like to dive, it's light enough for hiking and beach diving, it's has great buoyancy characteristics so I can remove a few pounds off my belt, and it's shorter and lighter out of the water than an aluminum 80 and gives me 20 more cubic feet.

My second favorite tank is the old school steel 72's - 2250 psi.
They are very light out of the water so even better for hiking. They are narrow - 6.9" diameter, and they are generally priced very well or sometimes even free. They are no longer produced so used is the only way to get them.
They always seem to pass hydro even on very old tanks. The only drawback is they don't hold a lot of air but if they are doubled up they can make a sweet little setup.

Almost forgot, I dive in cold water - 46 to 53 degrees almost exclusively.
I just guessed at the temperature breakdown in the poll. I am unaware of any official definition of water temps so I hope it's accurate enough.

Great, thanks.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

My vote is in.

 

[2TH DIVR]

I'll second the HP 100's as #1. I own 7. Mine are all PST 3500. 2 have 200 BAR valves so I can get the double hosers on them.
Also have some old 72's and 53's

Diving in the Gulf can vary from 50's - 90

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Did not read post, just poll.

I have and can dive any tank, My fav is the hp 100, It is enough gas supply to do deep dives(bounce) on a single and there great for really deep dives twined up.

Single HP100 has great buoyancy with wet or dry suit diving. There also small tanks that are easy for donning BCD overhead. just pretty much the most useful tank there is if your only buying one or two tanks.

Mine are also PST HP100 3500 psi. I can not change my poll to other, but the 3442 are probably close in relation.

 

[Wookie]

I use the Worthington HP 100 for both single and doubles rigs. If they fail hydro this year I will switch to Fabers, of which I also have a set of doubles in rental. They have enough gas for a huffer like me, I can comfortably make a 20 minute bottom time in 250 feet with the doubles, I can comfortably fill them, and they trim well.

I am a warm water candyass. I'm in a drysuit below 80F, and they have enough weight for the drysuit.

 

[JBRES1]

I am a fan of LP85's and LP95's. You can allways get a good fill.

jim Breslin

 

[Akimbo]

All time favorite, AGA 324s, now Interspiro. 324 = 300 Bar/4,351 PSI, 2 bottles, 4 Liters (3.8 really but not so catchy). Worn valve-down, spectacular protection, easy to carry, and only 4.3" OD x 22" long. They are heavy in the water, like about 16 Lbs full, but fine in cold water… OK, they are a pain to fill too but so fine underwater.

 

[tbone1004]

PST HP100 and old lp 72's. 72's offer almost the same volume as an 80 *really 76ish for most of those, consider a good fill to be 2400 on the 72's and that's identical amount of air. Beautiful buoyancy characteristics, nice and light, epic to sidemount.
HP100's are next, same basic size, but a bit heavier. I like the old PST's, not going to risk the worthingtons, and the PST's are much cheaper, valves are a little harder to find, but not too hard, especially for doubles these are by far the best.
Third is a tie for OMS112's and PST HP120's. Need to do more comparison dives, but I have both as my "big" tanks for sidemount and they're both nice and didn't vote for either since I'm undecided. Since most of my buddies dive 120's the 112's seem to get the most amount of use in caves and on the coast so I can keep up with them.
Cold water mostly, don't really care what I dive in the Caribbean. My temps are usually 45-75 ish depending on the temp of the ocean, but open water training dives always seem to be that 50-60 irritating range. Not cold enough to get you truly numb, but not warm enough to be comfortable.

 

[Mark Derail]

More badass than American tanks...

 

[kenns]

I dive in cold water and being a smallish female my favourite tank is HP80. However, for those dives where I want to do deeper and/or longer I really like my HP100.