Steel Tanks
- Thread starter wakerider017
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OP
wakerider017
Registered
I see what you're saying about warm water... And you're right I avoid wetsuits at all costs...
But I am not sure why I would want a more neutrally buoyant tank? Faber is 2lbs lighter across the board, but that would translate to me carrying 2lbs more of lead...
Right now I do 12lbs lead with an AL 80.
With a worthington I should only have to carry 7lbs of lead... I'd have to carry 9 lbs with a faber.
Just so I understand, you carry 12# in warm water without a wetsuit? I'm guessing you are also using a BCD, not a BP/W.
OP
wakerider017
Registered
Yes sir that is what I have been using. And yes to the BCD
BCD can be as much as 4 or 5# positive. AL80 near empty will be 2 or 3# positive. Let's call this 8# positive.
Regulator/octo may be 3# negative. Not counting all the little stuff that adds positive/negative, you're looking at maybe 4# or 5# positive. As you dive more you will get more comfortable and will begin to descend and remain at depth easier. I'm smaller than you, 5'8" and 165#, but after I had been diving for about 50 dives I could dive with a BCD/Reg-Octo/AL80 and only wear 2#.
My point to all this is that it's early in your diving career and if you buy a steel tank that is on the heavy side, when you dive warm water you'll need to wear a wetsuit just to keep from slamming into the bottom. Anyway, just saying, keep in mind your skill progression and the types of dives you will be doing.
Regulator/octo may be 3# negative. Not counting all the little stuff that adds positive/negative, you're looking at maybe 4# or 5# positive. As you dive more you will get more comfortable and will begin to descend and remain at depth easier. I'm smaller than you, 5'8" and 165#, but after I had been diving for about 50 dives I could dive with a BCD/Reg-Octo/AL80 and only wear 2#.
My point to all this is that it's early in your diving career and if you buy a steel tank that is on the heavy side, when you dive warm water you'll need to wear a wetsuit just to keep from slamming into the bottom. Anyway, just saying, keep in mind your skill progression and the types of dives you will be doing.
OP
wakerider017
Registered
I guess I'm not getting your math.. Lets say my:
BC is +3#
Regs -3#
Pretty much my gear is neutrally buoyant for all intensive purposes.
Empty HP100 is -2.5#
So if I chose to dive without lead my gear would be -2.5# approx at the end of a dive.
Why would I ever need a wetsuit? As I become a better diver I can just drop lead.
And also isnt that why I have a Buoyancy Compensator Device? To maintain neutral buoyancy.
BC is +3#
Regs -3#
Pretty much my gear is neutrally buoyant for all intensive purposes.
Empty HP100 is -2.5#
So if I chose to dive without lead my gear would be -2.5# approx at the end of a dive.
Why would I ever need a wetsuit? As I become a better diver I can just drop lead.
And also isnt that why I have a Buoyancy Compensator Device? To maintain neutral buoyancy.
My personal preference is not to be -10 buoyant in the beginning and to be as near neutral or ever-so-slightly negative in the end. If you use 70% of your gas (depending on dive NDL, etc.) the tank will be approx. -4.8#
If you use your BCD to compensate for a kit that is too heavy you will have buoyancy and trim issues.
Any, do what you want.
If you use your BCD to compensate for a kit that is too heavy you will have buoyancy and trim issues.
Any, do what you want.
OP
wakerider017
Registered
I appreciate your advice... but we are talking about a difference of 2 lbs between tanks... in my opinion it is a non issue.
halocline
Contributor
I wouldn't count on 3500 PSI fills on a tank that's only rated for 2640, even in FL. That's a pretty steep overfill. The only place you're likely to get that would be a shop that caters to cave divers, and I wouldn't even count on that for too much longer, especially now that there are plenty of SP tanks that rival the overfilled LP tanks for gas/weight ratios.
Besides, the LP85 is a fairly tall skinny tank, and really known as great for small doubles rather than as a single tank. If I were at a store where LP85s and HP100s (the SP tanks, NOT the old faber 3100+10%) were the same price, I'd buy the 100 if I wanted it as a single, but the LP85s if I was doubling them.
Besides, the LP85 is a fairly tall skinny tank, and really known as great for small doubles rather than as a single tank. If I were at a store where LP85s and HP100s (the SP tanks, NOT the old faber 3100+10%) were the same price, I'd buy the 100 if I wanted it as a single, but the LP85s if I was doubling them.
fdarden
Contributor
I dive a pair of HP100's and love them. My LDS does not seem to have a problem filling them to 3560 thankfully...
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