sling bottles...

[sharky001]

I'm curious, what are people generally using for sling/stage bottles: steel or Al? Does it really matter? I currently dive with OMS/Faber LP steels and would prefer to use LP steel for sling bottles. I use a drysuit and Halcyon wing with s/s backplate. I don't want to turn this into a debate about steel vs. Al, but what are people using and why.

Thank you everyone!

 

[JS1scuba]

I have been diving with stage bottles for almost 15 years now. If a bottle exists I have probably dived with it. That said I standardized on the following.

Luxfer Alum 80 - good cylinder size for dives requireing decompression stops 70 fsw and deeper. It floats nice under the arm and is positive when empty which makes it easy to pass off and handle underwater.

Luxfer Alum 63 -- this is my favorite for nitrox 50/50 it gives me and hours worth of deco gas with reserve. It's compact and neutral when empty.

Luxfer Alum 40 --- standard short deco bottle and standard for oxygen. They are slim, easy to carry and balance well when stacking multiple gases.

I dont use steel stage bottles as they are to heavy and poorly balanced when carrying two on one side.

Regards,

 

[teknitroxdiver]

I'd say 90% of people using sling bottles use aluminum. They swing nicely from positive to negative so that the end of the tank rides under your arm, and like JS1 said, they don't pull you off-trim as bad as steels. Also, a steel is a lot more expensive than aluminum.

 

[JS1scuba]

Also, a steel is a lot more expensive than aluminum.

actually it's not. An alum 40 is about $110 and a Steel 45 is about $190. An alum 80 is about $110 and a LP steel 85 is about $195. So the cost argument doesn't fly. Its clear from years of use that for open ocean diving aluminum cylinders are the preferred cylinder for stage bottles. However ..... if all you have available is a steel one I am sure it can be used. We used steel 72s for oxygen bottles for years. They had a characteristic that was perfect for oxygen they had a working pressure of 2215 psi which made transfilling without a booster a charm.

If making a decision as to the right tool vs the wrong tool is made on finance alone then the decision wont be a sound one. Technical diving takes a commitment on 2 levels, financial, emotional, and time. If you leave out one tech diving becomes very dangerous.

Regards,

 

[MikeC]

An alum 40 is about $110 and a Steel 45 is about $190. An alum 80 is about $110 and a LP steel 85 is about $195.

Hmm, An aluminum tank is about 58% of the cost of a steel based on Joel's prices. that is close enough for me to say that I can buy two aluminum tanks for almost the price of one steel. I would say that if I was buying multiple tanks the cost argument does fly.

 

[Northeastwrecks]

I use an AL40 for short deco and an AL80 for longer obligations. I like them because, as mentioned above, they don't create trim issues.

I used to use a Steel 46. I did not like it as much because it did tend to pull me down on my left side. It wasn't difficult to correct, but it was noticeable.

Given the choice, I would use the aluminums.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Given the figures JS mentioned, a steel 45 would cost 72% more than an AL 40 and a Steel 85 would cost 77% more than an AL 80. Nearly twice the cost is pretty significant. Availability is also an issue in some areas where as AL 80's and AL40's are almost always in stock.

I have used steel 72's in the past (mostly because I own a bunch of them) and they are a bit thinner than a 80 but are more negatively bouyant and affect trim to a greater degree. I'd rather take along two AL 40's than a steel 72, or an AL 80 for that matter.

 

[JS1scuba]

as a percentage it might be large, but in the real scheme of things its about $75 bucks. Please don't misunderstand me or think that I don't value your $75, I do. However once you are $5, 10, 15, 20 grand or more into this, at the end of the day cylinders are going to be your cheapest expenditure. They will probably be the single item that stays in your dive kit the longest.

I have some cylinders that I have been using for more than 15 years now, but not a regulator more than 3.

See what I mean ?

Regards,

 

[matt_unique]

I use an alum 80 and 30. An 80 is great for diving multiple wrecks far from shore. I have not had an occassion to use both at once yet but they would be great for multiple deco gasses. I would use my 80 for long stop deco (shallow) gas and my 30 for short stop deco (deep) gas.

No need for the extra cost or buoyancy characteristics of steel deco bottles.

--Matt