Tank selection for Fundies

[rlynch]

Just use the same tanks you dive with at home. Moving to doubles just for the class is not setting yourself up for success.
Btw.. Everyone banks nitrox in high springs so you can just fill straight from the bank, no blending needed. Everywhere can fill your hp tanks to rated pressure as well. Typically they all have very large banks.

 

[deg]

This thread is really going in the wrong direction. My initial question was more like: I'm moving to doubles, which tank size should I get before Fundies (we're in november and I'll be diving constantly until june 2014, when my GUE-F course is booked and course location will be at home) and so on? After speaking with my instructor, I decided to get AL80s to start with doubles.


I have no intention of diving in High springs anytime soon and I am switching to doubles for redundancy and for good. No turning back to single tank diving.

 

[rlynch]

Ok makes sense, in that case
I really like lp85's or hp 100's

The 85 is a sweet tank, longer than the 100's and balances out nice.

Or make the jump to hp130's they mass a lot but have the gas capacity for just about anything. They are way harder to master when compared to the 85 or hp100 though.

Or another option is the al80 doubled. Easy training tank, works with a wetsuit (same applies to the 85)

Can you give some insight on your exposure protection (wet or dry)
Wet, I would max out with the 85's or al80's for glass (and after).

 

[deg]

I'm still waiting for my drysuit but it's in the mail as we speak. Santi E.Motion with DUI polartech 300 undergarnment and UA base layer.


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[victorzamora]

I'm not sure if I'd go with double AL80s. They actually hold 77ft3 of gas, so doubled they get 154ft3. LP85s doubled and cave-filled get 232ft3. That's over 50% more gas. Faber 85s are a very common tank to double due to the buoyancy characteristics (kind of like alu tanks, but a little heavier....I think they're neutral empty with valves on instead of 2lbs positive). I would advocate against Worthington LP85s as they're VERY negative, but Fabers are neutral or positive.....especially if you're diving dry, steels just make more sense.

The one thing to be said about AL80s is that they can always be broken up and replaced with LP85s later. If you break them up, you can sell them easily later as singles or keep them as stage/deco bottles.

 

[rlynch]

For training al80's are fine esp in a wet suit. The best tank I feel is the Faber lp85. I use them for most of my diving when I can. As you note the capacity is pretty good on cave fills (dependent on your fill station and view twords that kinda thing).
My next go to tank is the hp100 or the lp95. With hp130's or 108's reserved for as needed dives (primarily caves only).
Hauling 108's up a boat ladder sucks

You end up with 3-5 sets of doubles in the end to match the dives you do... Lp85's can span most of the range of non-tech to light tech diving

 

[rlynch]

Deg, you get what you need?
-- reread post -- no need for my EE advice on which tanks they have for rentals.
Good choice on the tanks for Fundies

 

[deg]

got a set of AL80s. They should be back from hydro tomorrow and I'll be diving them for the first time saturday!


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[rlynch]

cool - enjoy