steel 80, or 100?

[Downeast Diving]

Congratulations on your certification. Keep the momentum going, go diving.

If you have the choice, and can manage them, go with the 100's. More air, less weight. Pick a safe environment to do comparative tests. You'll know soon.

 

[gurumasta]

thanks for all the quick replies. sounds like i will go for the steel 100's. i weigh 210 and stocky build so i dont think the larger tank should be a problem. what is the difference between HP and AL?

 

[brdr882]

good choice, im looking at getting some steel 100's myself i just dont have the money at the moment. AL (aluminum) cylinders can be filled to 3000psi while HP (high pressure steel) can usually be filled to 3500 PSI. All manufactures vary with exactly what the volume and working pressure of the cylinders are but they tend to be pretty close to standard.

 

[paulthenurse]

thanks for all the quick replies. sounds like i will go for the steel 100's. i weigh 210 and stocky build so i dont think the larger tank should be a problem. what is the difference between HP and AL?

HP steel tanks require DIN first stages. Low pressure tanks, whether steel or AL can use yoke first stages. Some tank valves allow you to use either by having an insert that you can remove to make the valve DIN compatable or re-insert the fitting to use yoke first stages.

If you already have your regulator, you know what you need. If you don't have one yet you need to do a little thinking in advance. Unfortunately, you probably don't have the experience to even know which direction you are going to end up going. I don't mean that to sound condecending, as a brand new certed diver you haven't had enough exposure to different kinds of diving to know what you like. Perhaps you'll like to just go down and look around. Perhaps you will decide you love rust. Perhaps you will be like my girlfriend and be a lobster maniac, tearing thru the ocean like a Japanese fishing trawler vacuuming up any crusteacians you come across. Maybe you'll end up spending a sh**load on cameras. You just don't know. We got certed last year, almost exactly one year ago. Next weekend we'll log our 100th dives. We spent the first couple dozen just getting totally comfortable, and learning how to find and catch bugs. (Go slow, look under things and don't even bother if you don't have to stop, pause, and think, "Damn, that guy looks like he could hurt me if I don't get him right the first time." Then we dove a few wrecks and decided that we really like rust. Now I find myself buying manifolds and debating with myself "steel takes weight off your belt but I can swim a set of AL80's up from the bottom if I have a failure... And double tanks means double regs. Do I want to buy a 7 foot hose? Should I take my computer off my console and put it on my arm? Do I want to drink the DIR Cool Aide?"

See what I mean? Go slow, get some experience and don't feel like you NEED to fully kit yourself out in the first few weeks. It's WICKED easy to spend a sh**load of $$ on this stuff. Don't spend it now only to find out you got the wrong stuff later. Unless, of course, you have more money than you know what to do with. In that case, your new dive buddy Paul really wants a pair of Mares Proton Ice regs.
PTN

 

[LobstaMan]

I changed from steel 72s to steel HP 100s last year and WOW!...what a difference. I liked the 72s, but you increase your bottom time dramatically with the additional cu ft of air. I've done 20 to 25 dives with the 100s and have never come up with less than 700 cu ft. With more air, you get that added safety margin, too. Buy the HP steel 100s and convert your first stage to DIN and you''ll never look back. Only drawback is cost vs. the AL tanks, but steel will last forever. I have a 72 from 1966(my father's orginal cylinder) and it still works great.

Have fun, stay safe and welcome to diving.

LobstaMan

 

[gurumasta]

HP steel tanks require DIN first stages. Low pressure tanks, whether steel or AL can use yoke first stages. Some tank valves allow you to use either by having an insert that you can remove to make the valve DIN compatable or re-insert the fitting to use yoke first stages.

If you already have your regulator, you know what you need. If you don't have one yet you need to do a little thinking in advance. Unfortunately, you probably don't have the experience to even know which direction you are going to end up going. I don't mean that to sound condecending, as a brand new certed diver you haven't had enough exposure to different kinds of diving to know what you like. Perhaps you'll like to just go down and look around. Perhaps you will decide you love rust. Perhaps you will be like my girlfriend and be a lobster maniac, tearing thru the ocean like a Japanese fishing trawler vacuuming up any crusteacians you come across. Maybe you'll end up spending a sh**load on cameras. You just don't know. We got certed last year, almost exactly one year ago. Next weekend we'll log our 100th dives. We spent the first couple dozen just getting totally comfortable, and learning how to find and catch bugs. (Go slow, look under things and don't even bother if you don't have to stop, pause, and think, "Damn, that guy looks like he could hurt me if I don't get him right the first time." Then we dove a few wrecks and decided that we really like rust. Now I find myself buying manifolds and debating with myself "steel takes weight off your belt but I can swim a set of AL80's up from the bottom if I have a failure... And double tanks means double regs. Do I want to buy a 7 foot hose? Should I take my computer off my console and put it on my arm? Do I want to drink the DIR Cool Aide?"

See what I mean? Go slow, get some experience and don't feel like you NEED to fully kit yourself out in the first few weeks. It's WICKED easy to spend a sh**load of $$ on this stuff. Don't spend it now only to find out you got the wrong stuff later. Unless, of course, you have more money than you know what to do with. In that case, your new dive buddy Paul really wants a pair of Mares Proton Ice regs.
PTN

you just said exactly what i wanted to hear. your correct in all terms of the word. i dont know sh**. i have no idea which direction i want to go. bp/w or jacket style bc? steel 80 or 100? yoke or din? etc.... i also dont quite know what type of diving i will like most. im just throwing out lures and hoping someone, (like yourself) gives me some sound advise so that i can get a clue as to what direction to even start in. i certainly do not have more money than i know what do with. i barely have enough to afford a full setup. i will take my time with things and probably rent a couple times before purchasing anything. thanks for your help!!!!

thanks to everybody else also!!

 

[Scubar]

I know the PST HP steels come with a combination Yoke/DIN valve.

 

[ScubaMike14]

Look into LP-95's as well. Good size, great air capacity. I don't like the HP tanks as much as the LP's.

Mike Rushton

 

[ScubaMike14]

HP steel tanks require DIN first stages. Low pressure tanks, whether steel or AL can use yoke first stages.

Why do you say this?

I know people who dive yoke with HP and LP tanks, and who also dive DIN with HP and LP tanks.

Please explain why you think the HP's "require" a DIN fitting.

Mike Rushton

 

[johlar]

I've considered purchasing 100's but everyone I dive with has 80's, my thinking was that I'd just be coming up with extra air.

Do you folks find that to be an issue?