Setting up doubles with different tanks?

[Whale Whisperer]

Does anyone out there have any experience with setting up doubles with two different brand tanks? I have a AL80 Luxfer and a AL80 Catalina. here are the differences that I know of so far:

Luxfer AL80/Catalina AL80

Capacity: 77.4cu ft/77.4cu ft
Service pressure: 3000psi/3000psi
Outer diameter: 7.25"/7.25"
Overall length: 26.1"/25.75"
Empty weight: 31.3 lbs/31.6 lbs
Buoyancy full(Salt): -1.4 lbs/-1.7 lbs
Buoyancy empty(Salt): +4.4/+4.1

or will I have to pick a tank and get another one of the same kind?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Packhorse]

Independant doubles shouldnt be much of a problem, but if you manifold them then they would lean while standing. Probably not much of a problem if you have no boots cause they wouldnt stand anyway.
My Asihi tanks are a matched pair but one weighs .2kgs more than the other.

 

[Whale Whisperer]

Yes there will be a manifold, and there is a 5/16" height difference. Might make it a bit tough to ballance the two standing up.

I was also wondering if there's any quirks each tank may have, for example I heard that the Luxfer tanks tend to float bottom end up when they're almost empty. How this could cause a problem in my trim?

 

[Jason Ooi]

cause problem of your trim, double tanks with different weight..

 

[CompuDude]

Yes, I have always been told you really really want matched tanks (same brand, same size, same model) when pairing up doubles, or there'll be hell to pay with your trim.

 

[Tavi]

one Luxfer and one Catalina might be a problem.

I have aluminum 40's for deco. I have one Luxfer and 1 Catalina. I carry them slung.

The Luxfer once breathed down a little will ride but up. The Catalina just hangs there.

If the same is true for the larger tanks, you may find them trying to twist you to one side.

 

[rjack321]

Just get another cylinder via craig's list. Why all this monkey biz? If you want doubles you need to be prepared for the cash outlay - otherwise stick to a single. The cost of doubles is actually one of the smaller costs in tech diving - after training, appropriate gases, more regulators and their maintenance, and a drysuit in many cases.

 

[Whale Whisperer]

Just get another cylinder via craig's list. Why all this monkey biz? If you want doubles you need to be prepared for the cash outlay - otherwise stick to a single. The cost of doubles is actually one of the smaller costs in tech diving - after training, appropriate gases, more regulators and their maintenance, and a drysuit in many cases.

lol, yea I understand that the cost of doubles is the lesser costs in tech diving. I already have the tanks, so why not use them if they won't cause any major problems? Everything just adds up though so the less I spend without any major comprimises the better. My LDS is going to help me out though and trade a one for one tank to help me out :14: So I'll have 2 Luxfers for my doubles set up

 

[Packhorse]

Why dont you keep one for singles diving? Not all dives require doubles.
I have my doubles plus 2 singles plus a pony plus O2 medical.

 

[Whale Whisperer]

Why dont you keep one for singles diving? Not all dives require doubles.
I have my doubles plus 2 singles plus a pony plus O2 medical.

lol yea your absolutly right, you can never have enough tanks! A friend of mine hooked me up though, I traded my catalina for one of his Luxfers, so I'm sitting pretty for my doubles set up for now...