Steel versus Aluminum... is steel better?

[hudson]

Hudson, if you truly believe what you yourself are saying, with your currently immense 50-to-100 dive experience

I agree, it's pretty ridiculous for a diver with 50-to-100 dives (85 to be exact) to correct a diver with "500-to-999" dives.

Which pretty much sums up your posts.

 

[ligersandtions]

If you've seen some of his posts on the other areas about nitrox, padi, technical diving and so on you'll see he's either a troll or someone claiming knowledge whilst having none. That makes him dangerous.

With the amount of crap I've seen spewed from him, I always question whether it's more crap or if there's any amount of truth to it. I've seen comments about diving double steels with a thick wetsuit being unsafe, but was under the impression that diving single steels with a wetsuit was fine....I asked an experienced friend of mine, and he was just glad my BS-o-meter was working properly.

 

[diver 85]

So I'm having a hard time keeping my safety stops when my AL 80 tank is about 800 PSI and less. I'm literally inverted kicking with all my might just to not pop to the surface. This is getting to be way too much and I'm scared every time I go deep now because I"m afraid if I get too tired I will just shoot to the top.

When I first bought my gear I didn't know anything about tanks and just bought the one recommended by the dive shop which is my AL80.

I've had no problem with the safety stops when I had about 1500 psi or more. So does this mean I should get a steel tank? Or am I just still too weak in my skills? Probably both?

I have 15 dives now. So clearly I'm still fine tuning... but another instructor I spoke to suggested I switch over to steel tanks.

Can I overcome this or do I really need to now invest in a steel tank and sell my brand new al 80?

Thanks!

You're underweighted OR have air trapped somewhere in your BC you're not getting rid of..........I only have about 10% of my dives with steel tanks & have not had the problems you're describing with Al tanks...

 

[Ready Diver]

I also think you need to dive with both Steel and Al because it helps you not get too comfortable. Some people when going on vacation only get to use one or the other and don't know how to properly set themselves up. They may go by what the shop tells them and have a poor dive experience due to it.

Stay versatile.

 

[nereas]

With the amount of crap I've seen spewed from him, I always question whether it's more crap or if there's any amount of truth to it. I've seen comments about diving double steels with a thick wetsuit being unsafe, but was under the impression that diving single steels with a wetsuit was fine....I asked an experienced friend of mine, and he was just glad my BS-o-meter was working properly.

You seem to be learning, then, Ligersxxx.

It is indeed true that diving with steel tanks and a thick wetsuit is foolishness.

And diving with a thick wetsuit and twin steel tanks is lunacy.

You've got that much straight.

Now if you simply learn to think for yourself and stop asking others why everything is so, then you might become a safer diver. Oh, and did I mention lose the ad-hominem personal attacks on others?

 

[nereas]

I agree, it's pretty ridiculous for a diver with 50-to-100 dives (85 to be exact) to correct a diver with "500-to-999" dives.

Which pretty much sums up your posts.

Hudson, nevermind your badmouthing.

Just realize that there are good double bladder wings available from such manufacturers as Oxycheq. And to dive more "safely" (actually less hazardously) than you do, you need a double bladder wing.

Sticks and stones, lad, FYI.

 

[nereas]

If you've seen some of his posts on the other areas about nitrox, padi, technical diving and so on you'll see he's either a troll or someone claiming knowledge whilst having none. That makes him dangerous.

STRNG, you are someone claiming to be an instructor, amazingly.

And you often post about trimix issues while you have little experience with it since by your own admission you cannot afford trimix. How odd is that?

 

[String]

Nothing constructive to add then as usual. And still no sources for ANY of your claims on ANY of the threads.

 

[vicdiver656]

Mind you, I am a newbie, but as Quaack said, you need to do a weight check at 500 PSI. Fortunately, that weight check works both ways! I dive in West Coast of Canada, and when I did my first dive there, I looked at a chart for the weighting recommendations Once I figured out my weight, accounting for the 7mm wetsuit and steel HP100 tank, and the 6 lb SS backplate, I figured I'd need 14 lb of weight. When I got in the water, I could swim around, I could maintain buoyancy, but when I reached 500 PSI, it got a lot harder to stay at one depth without sinking. So my buddy reached back and pulled off some weight. I tried, going with only 10 lb........MUCH BETTER!! The difference was amazing.

Definitely do that weight check at 500 PSI. You can also get a steel tank, I would reccommend an HP100. Scubatoys.com has really good deals on those. An AL80 is roughly 4 lbs. positive weight while empty, where a steel HP 100 is only 2.5 lbs negative weight when empty, enabling you to take 6.5 lbs. off that belt! What a bonus!! Also, high pressure steel tanks are of greater benefit than low pressure steel tanks, as you can fit a lot more air into a lighter, and smaller tanks if you use high pressure tanks.

Hope that helps,
Taylor
Vicdiver656

 

[petronius]

It is indeed true that diving with steel tanks and a thick wetsuit is foolishness.

And diving with a thick wetsuit and twin steel tanks is lunacy.

I don't get it - could someone explain what's bad about steel tanks and wetsuits? (I dive a 7 mm hooded fullsuit with a LP104; am I gonna die!? :shocked2

Also, what's the appeal of moving weight from the belt to the BC (aside from trim and not having all your ballast in the same place)? For me, it seems like more of a hassle to move a heaver BC around on the shore/boat than it is to have a few more pounds around the waist...