PST Dreaming...

[Kestrell]

Like many of you, I am dreaming of the day when PST gets their act together and start producing tanks at a rate that is something near what the demand is currently at.

However, once that day comes, what tank should I get?

Currently I use an LP-95

I was originally eyeing up an E8-119, but looking at the specs for the E8's, I can't see why I wouldn't just go for a 130.

The 130 is about the same weight (a little less; 42.2lbs vs. 43.8lbs) and has simmilar buoyancy characteristics to the LP-95 (-1.8 empty and -11.55 full for the 130 and -3.3 empty and -10.4 full for the 95). Dimensionally they are the same diameter at 8 inches, and the 130 is only about 3/4 inch longer.

So, is there any reason I shouldn't just go for the 130?

Please feel free to not push doubles in this post. I'm not there yet, but plan on stepping up when I'm ready. Right now I'm sticking with single tank diving.

 

[jonnythan]

The difference is more like an inch and a half in height.

 

[skeet]

I say go ahead and get the 130. I have know problems using mine. You just end up moving weight to your back. I dropped 12 pounds from the weight pockets.

 

[lhpdiver]

Just picked up 2 PST E7-100s at Divers Direct. $329 each with boot and visual. They had quite a few on the floor.

 

[wmspdi]

Just picked up 2 PST E7-100s at Divers Direct. $329 each with boot and visual. They had quite a few on the floor.

Don't use them for NITROX partail pressure fills unless you have them O2 cleaned first. I was warned by a sales rep at Divers Direct that they are NOT O2 clean. They do their own VIPs to check for flashing when they arrive from PST. They use air from an oil lubricated compressor to replace the packing fill.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

Like many of you, I am dreaming of the day when PST gets their act together and start producing tanks at a rate that is something near what the demand is currently at.

However, once that day comes, what tank should I get?

Currently I use an LP-95

I was originally eyeing up an E8-119, but looking at the specs for the E8's, I can't see why I wouldn't just go for a 130.

The 130 is about the same weight (a little less; 42.2lbs vs. 43.8lbs) and has simmilar buoyancy characteristics to the LP-95 (-1.8 empty and -11.55 full for the 130 and -3.3 empty and -10.4 full for the 95). Dimensionally they are the same diameter at 8 inches, and the 130 is only about 3/4 inch longer.

So, is there any reason I shouldn't just go for the 130?

Please feel free to not push doubles in this post. I'm not there yet, but plan on stepping up when I'm ready. Right now I'm sticking with single tank diving.

Well, so many things to think about.

I was in pretty much the same quandry as you a short while ago and since then a few things have changed. I purchased two Faber LP95's with Thermo valves from Tech Diving Limited recently. the price was right at about $200 plus shipping. There might be other shops that can meet or even beat this price but not by much. The PST E-8 130's are just now returning to the market and should be readily available very soon, perhaps even now in some areas, perhaps a few weeks in others. The hitch is the price. These tanks are coming in around $400 or more. Don't get me wrong the PST E-8 130 is a really nice tank but at double the price I chose the Faber. The tanks are pretty close to the same size and weight, the exterior galvanized finish on the PST tanks is easier to deal with long term. The thing kept coming back to the price. Both tanks have enough volume for me for any recreational dive I will plan, the added capacity of the PST really is not an issue as even with the Faber I will return to the boat with better than 1000 psi on any recreational profile I forsee.

The PST E-8 130 will be a better tank for me to double when I reach my long term goal of cave diving, in that environment the added capacity can have more benefit. When that day comes in the next year or so I will get some of those, or a tank that is even better, in the meantime and even when I do get those large tanks for doubles I can still use the Fabers as recreational single tanks.

I thought long and hard about what to spend my hard earned money and I decided that this would meet my long term goals and needs the best. Your situation is probably not the same as mine so you might reach different conclusions.

If I had it to do over again I would still get the Fabers, heck when I made this choice the news was drifting in that PST was actually shipping tanks so I did make the decision with the PST tanks as a realistic and available choice at least as far as my decision making process was concerned.

Good luck in your quest.

Mark Vlahos

 

[StSomewhere]

The in-stock E8-130s at DRE sure didn't last long...

 

[TooTall]

I just bought two PST E8-130's today from Divers Direct for $353.99 - 20% each. + tax came to $600.36 with an april vip. nitrox ready. The store had a scratch off card with 10% 20% or 30% off everything in the store and I got 20% off. And there they were, just calling my name. They had three left, so I bought two so I could kick myself in the ***** for letting the third one go at that price. (I like pain) I think.