Tank Size

[Gombessa]

HP80s for a 6'1 frame is quite a mismatch. I wouldn't go with that setup unless you have a chance to dive it first and make sure it doesn't put you on your head.

LP steels are very common in Northern California because of their buoyancy characteristics - LP80s seem to be the standard rental fleet tanks in Monterey.

I don't think you'll have any trouble getting full HP fills here, unless you're on a boat with a limited compressor or someone mistakes your tanks for LPs. There are quite a lot of HP tanks around here; if you liked your HP100s, I say stay with them.

 

[cmburch]

I'm 6' and retire next year. The HP80 looks good for divers with smaller frames; I have never used one. The HP100 is my favorite all around tank due to its size, buoyancy characteristics, and weight compared to an Al80. I have not had any recent problems getting a good fill. I use it for shore diving and hiking to dive sites. I am a heavy breather. I also have HP130's.

 

[Drewpy]

Another here who dives HP 100's (PST)a great tank!
Im 6'4" and love how they trim out..again fills are not a problem!

Welcome Back!
Drew

 

[zf2nt]

I have two HP80's and two HP100's. I do about 95% of my diving with the 80's, and vastly prefer them unless I'm going out with somebody who has a very low SAC rate and who is also using 100's (or larger). When filled with air, the HP100 is 6.8 pounds heavier than the HP80...plus, it's 2 pounds more buoyant. That says you're climbing the dunes at Monastery with an extra 9 pounds on your back when you're using the 100's relative to using the 80's. BTW, I'm 6' tall and don't notice any trim problems with the 80's. It's just a matter of how you place the weights on yourself. IMHO, the HP80 is the right tank to use...at least 95% of the time.

Bruce

 

[dannobee]

I have some PST HP80's that you can borrow if you wish. Since you've dived with HP100's, you know what they're like. I also have some LP95's that you can borrow if you wish. I'd hate to see someone buy a couple of tanks then realize they aren't what they wanted.

Heck, when you get here, I'll bring them with me some time and we'll go diving.

.

 

[micboucher]

I love my HP80s but I am only 5'5".

 

[FishDiver]

I just caved in to superior local knowledge and ordered a new HP 100. It will be at my new address before I will.

I fully intend to take advantage of the offers for dive trips. See you in three-four weeks.

I was totally floored by the huge tanks some of you use. Why do you need 130s and doubles for shore dives?

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

The doubles guys do really long deco shore dives. And scooter to greater
than recreational depths.

There are a fair number of folks with doubles. 130s are rare.

Me: I dive Pressed Steel HP 100s off my boat,
usually Adm. Linda uses an HP100 on the first dive and an HP80 on the
second. She's served notice that for next year's California Beach Dive
Photo Competition (our yearly beach dive) she's using the HP80. Between
us we have seven HP100s and two HP80s (makes it easy to get through
holidays when the dive shops are closed, and hydros and such).

One think I don't think anybody pointed out is that there are at least three
flavors of HP tanks: The original 3500 PSI tanks made by Pressed Steel,
the more recent 34something PSI Pressed Steel tanks, and the 3500 PSI
Fabers. All have been sold under a number of labels. The Fabers are
REALLY heavy. There may also be a Japanese brand (Asahi?) We use
the 3500 PSI Pressed Steel tanks.

 

[rhlee]

One think I don't think anybody pointed out is that there are at least three
flavors of HP tanks: The original 3500 PSI tanks made by Pressed Steel,
the more recent 34something PSI Pressed Steel tanks, and the 3500 PSI
Fabers. All have been sold under a number of labels. The Fabers are
REALLY heavy. There may also be a Japanese brand (Asahi?) We use
the 3500 PSI Pressed Steel tanks.

There are also Worthington 3442psi HP100s (I believe they are marketed as X7-100)
Also Fabers come in 2 flavors: 3442psi, and the 3180+10%. The latter are the really heavy ones Chuck is referring to; we have 2 of those as singles and they are -7lbs each EMPTY.

 

[RonFrank]

My SAC rate is decreased when I dive cold water, something to consider.

MOST divers can exceed their NDL on an 80. If that is your general experience diving a 100 is pointless unless you can stretch two dives on it.

You may want to wait until you do a few dives in the cold CA waters to make this determination.