Tank recommendation for Atlantic dives?

[Upwelling]

Great info--why is HP safer though?

 

[Jonny_Rocket]

junko, if you arrive anytime on Saturday and find us, I will make the time to do a couple of dives with you. We will be parked in the top parking lot on the peninsula side as soon as you pull in. Look for a white Toyota pickup with a green cap on it. There will most likely be a group of 4-5 tents set up more or less in front of where we parked, with a white and green canopy, maybe a blue one if Chris brings his, and if he brings it, a Wreck Valley banner.

 

[Upwelling]

thanks JR--I have a bit of congestion but I don't think its a cold so I'll most likely be there, probably around 9/9:30 in the morning. If I can't make it I'll send a PM before Saturday. Looking forward to it.

John

 

[Jonny_Rocket]

I'm leaving my house around 1 on Friday afternoon, so if you can post up before then that would be cool.

 

[Upwelling]

OK definitely...

 

[DEEPLOU]

I'm a big guy... 5'11" 235 pounds. I've been diving for 9 years, and have decent gas consumption... 2 dives on a 120, first maxing at 104' with a bottom time of 50 minutes even, and second dive I maxed at 54' with a bottom time of 28 minutes, coming up with about 900 psi. The next day, I did a dive on an AL80, maxed at 74' bottom time of 30 minutes, and came up with about 1800psi.

If you aren't busy this weekend come out to Dutch and dive with us! I'm going to try to rent 2 120's and I'll hopefully have my 100 with me if I can get it hydroed by Friday.

Something just doesn't add up here. While you say max at 104 ft, where was most of your dive??? 60? 50? 40??. 50 Min @104 with a SAC rate of .5 cuft/min on air would result in 58 min of deco and total dive time of 108 min and total gas usage of 191 cuft. (calculations c/o Dplan)

 

[DEEPLOU]

The ideal tank that's really popular is the PST E-8 series 119 cyl pressure 3442.

You definately want to look at what kind of air consumption you have and what kind of bottom times you want

With steel tanks the problem right now is getting them.

YOu indicated you're abt 6' 1" so tall tank should not be a problem. The E-8 119 in round numbers is a 120.
I would also recommend the larger tank for as you call it Atlantic diving. I would presume you mean wreck diving. Many of the better wrecks are deeper. (Maybe not so with NJ, but I am not familiar with their more southern wrecks.)

Getting that Pony bottle is more than just a good suggestion, I would consider it to be manditory for wreck diving.
Another thing I would recommend, if you are going to break free from rental, get two tanks so you have them for those two tank boat dives.
If you are only doing beach dives or Dutch, then u can get away with only one.

the majority of people dive off of NJ with Nitrox & I personally like that my limiting factor is my NDL not Gas.

I let the lure of the deep get to me, so my limiting factor is gas, not NDL as most of my dives are beyond NDL. So I use 98s and 112s doubled up.

 

[Jonny_Rocket]

DeepLou,

Most of the dive was at the 60-80 foot depth, and I was on 28% Nitrox. We were in the hole for a total of maybe 3 minutes.

 

[Upwelling]

Good point Lou. Eventually I plan to have two tanks and possibly a pony (if I decide to get into this). Basically I'm trying to purchase things slowly to help defray the costs. The last thing I want to do is to buy a bunch more expensive gear up front and then find out I can't hack atlantic diving or don't have time to do it.

YOu indicated you're abt 6' 1" so tall tank should not be a problem. The E-8 119 in round numbers is a 120.
I would also recommend the larger tank for as you call it Atlantic diving. I would presume you mean wreck diving. Many of the better wrecks are deeper. (Maybe not so with NJ, but I am not familiar with their more southern wrecks.)

Getting that Pony bottle is more than just a good suggestion, I would consider it to be manditory for wreck diving.
Another thing I would recommend, if you are going to break free from rental, get two tanks so you have them for those two tank boat dives.
If you are only doing beach dives or Dutch, then u can get away with only one.



I let the lure of the deep get to me, so my limiting factor is gas, not NDL as most of my dives are beyond NDL. So I use 98s and 112s doubled up.

 

[Sean326]

The ideal tank that's really popular is the PST E-8 series 119 cyl pressure 3442. These are a lot better than a HP 120 for a couple of reasons. First, it's a shorter fatter tank rather than tall & skinny, which means to you than it's easier to manuver around.

Tanks are soooo personal it's hard to make sweeping statements and have them make sense. I'm about 6'2" and about 280# I own lots of tanks HP, LP, din, yoke....

when I boat dive up here, Dry, over 100' I take my twin 120's for the first dive and my twin 100's for the second normally shorter dive. Less than 100' I normally take a 120 and a pony.

In the Caribbean all I can get is LP 100's and thats fine since It's not cold and I'm not diving dry I get a lot more out of it.

the best way to go is to rent every tank you may be interested in.... Dive it at Dutch swim through the attractions, use different exposure protection (dry, wet, 3mill, 7mill, etc... get used to it and then pick the one that fits your dive patterns the best.

My fundamental philosophy is It's generally not to big a deal to have extra air at the end of a nice long dive..., not so good to run low on air at the end of a dive.