Stability using steel tanks

[smoritz0370]

To date I have always used Al80 rental tanks. I am currently in the market for my first set of purchased tanks. I believe I can get a fairly good deal on a set of HP 100s. The person I am buying them off of is selling them because he found when he dove with them that if he started to rotate about the longitudinal axis (axis extending through head and fins) that he would tend to flip onto his back and have difficulty recovering. He does not have this problem with Al80s.

Have others experienced this issue?
Is there any easy way to overcome this issue?

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[theskull]

Strictly a matter of practice and learning how to hold your body. I have learned to prefer the weight on my back; I don't need weight when diving wet with my steel tank, but when diving dry I strap a 10 lb. weight to the tank.

You will need to learn to prevent rolling--not a big deal--but you will also find it much easier to maintain the optimum trim of a horizontal body with fins off the bottom.

theskull

 

[ninjamuzo]

The flip is a weighting and tank position issue. By moving the weights both on the belt/pockets and moving the tanks up or down you can change this.

I for example typically have to opposite problem I tend to roll forwards and need to put some extra weight at the bottom of the tanks.

 

[rescuediver009]

Another possibility is thast he had too much trim weight on his back. This would cause the turtle effect you metnioned. I have begun diving steel tanks and would never go back, Just remember how negatively buoyant the tank is when you are setting up you weight system.

 

[smoritz0370]

Thanks for all the feedback. I didn't think this was a serious problem as I could find no previous discussions about this topic. I will take into account all the advice and play around with the location of the weight.

 

[pescador775]

Rollin'
Glad I visit these threads. I'll put that one under X Files.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

An AL 80 tends to be very stable as it is positively bouyant toward the end of the dive. In contrast some steel tanks can still be 6 pounds negative and this weight on top of things can lead to some instability.

In most cases redistributing the rest of your weights to postitions closer to your front (the bottom when you are swimming) can reduce or eliminate the problem.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Using a backplate and wing with a steel tank provides ultimate stability IME. The wing wraps up along the sides of the tank and when the diver is horizontal the air is distributed along the axis of the tank up high.

Today I dove an AL80 for the first time in... shoot more than a decade... and used a plastic backpack with a 20# softsides weight belt. I hated it. Don't know why I do stuff like that.

Back to using the steel.

 

[Snowbear]

Don't know why I do stuff like that.

Maybe to remind yourself why you don't do stuff like that anymore?

 

[smoritz0370]

Thanks all. I dove with these tanks on the weekend and did not experience the rolling effect myself, so I bought them. I can hardly wait to start racking up the dives with them, no more going into the local shop on Friday only to find out they rented all their tanks to students so I won't be doing any diving