Tank size??

[meagicano]

I have HP 119s and love them. I always come up with a good reserve (I dive conservatively) and I've had to bail out a diver or two on a club dive before (long story).
I'm interested in this "transfill whip" idea though. I've never heard of it before! Are these devices expensive? Are they reasonably easy to use?

 

[Crush]

They are easy to use and pretty cheap - about $120 on sale.

Tank to Tank Equalizer with Pressure Gauge

 

[Dr. Lecter]

They are easy to use and pretty cheap

I'll add that they are also very useful if you have to fly with tanks or reconfigure tanks such that the valve has to be removed. You can just repressurize right away with dry air, which could save you some tumbling costs for steel tanks. You'll also spare yourself the "Well, this tank must have a new $15 VIP because it was empty!" rant at the LDS.

 

[redacted]

Thanks

---------- Post Merged at 11:26 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 11:21 AM ----------

I may be having a moment, I can't find where I read the info, but I recall a gentleman that owns two 130's, claims after 2 dives he uses a device that connects the two tanks together and equalizes the pressure, for a third shallower dive. I doesn't make since to me, if one of the tanks has more air wouldn't that one be more beneficial to take on the third dive? Unless somehow that such device will transfer air from the lighter tank to the other. IDK, maybe I dreamed it.

---------- Post Merged at 11:27 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 11:21 AM ----------

Balance them after the first dive and it can make sense for 3 dives from 2 full tanks.

 

[KD8NPB]

I went with double LP72s when I first swapped to steel. They're EXTREMELY plentiful on craigslist, and weigh almost nothing. Buoyancy wise, they're +4 to +0. However, their trim characteristics are a little messy. They're neck heavy.

With that being said, I have two Ashi HP100s in the mail too...

 

[dvankirk]

I have XS Scuba / Worthington steel 100's and love them. They do everything that I need and provide plenty of bottom time for my NC wreck diving. It took a couple of dives getting my buoyancy and trim figured out, but one of my best scuba investments.

 

[tarheel brand]

I have XS Scuba / Worthington steel 100's and love them. They do everything that I need and provide plenty of bottom time for my NC wreck diving. It took a couple of dives getting my buoyancy and trim figured out, but one of my best scuba investments.

Thanks!! Do you spearfish?

 

[halocline]

There's really very little reason to need more than a 100cft tank for recreational diving, and the bigger tanks are FAR more work to carry around, and they do have more mass which means moving around in the water is different. (not necessarily worse, but different). As a new diver, I would err on the side of caution and not use really big tanks that might encourage you to dive more aggressive profiles. The SP (special permit 3442 PSI) HP 100s are very enjoyable to dive with. So I'd get those. If you ever progress in your diving to the point where you need more gas on a particular dive, you can rent or buy what you need...but you'd still find plenty of use for the 100.

I end up using my smallest tanks; LP72s and AL63, more than any of my others because the local diving around here is very shallow and it's much less work to lug around a 26lb tank than a big heavy one.

 

[LowDrag]

One thing I forgot to mention is that the Worthington was much nicer to use in comparison to the LP 95's I am use to. I certified with ScubaPro LP Steel 95's and they are bulky and heavy. The Worthington just plain felt better to haul to and from the water and when under it felt no different than the 95's.

Good luck and dive safe.

 

[Nwcid]

Went though a similar choice last year. The GF and I both started diving last fall. As we acquired gear we ended up buying HP-100's to start with. I had a chance to try HP-119 and HP-130 tanks this spring as the instructor we were using suggested I try them. For me there was no noticeable difference so he suggested I use HP-130's and now we have 3 of each. I am over 6' tall and it seems like a lot of guys that use HP-119's are under 6'. I use my HP-130's with BP/W without an STA and have had no problems. GF has a STA on her's because it came with one on it but I could not imagine using one with mine.

Like post #2 this set up works well as the GF and I end up using about the same amount of pressure when diving so we time out about the same. With these tanks we both have LOTS of air.

The only downside I have found to the HP-130's is the on land weight, they are much heavier for gearing up. I grab her set up to help her and that HP-100 feels like nothing compared to the HP-130.

Not sure why people keep saying the HP-100's are so heavy. They are way shorter and depending on what chart you read they are within 1lb of an AL80.