Question thinking of buying some cylinders for florida diving

[bassplayer]

I'm currently in florida, planning to bounce between airbnbs for a bit and thinking of settling here somewhere (currently in west palm beach area but might also try further south)

I have two hp100s in a storage unit in phoenix along with most of the rest of my posessions, not planning to get any of that soon though.

i'm planning to do some blue heron bridge diving, some boat charters, and I'd really like to explore getting certified as a DM and/or other professional activities that might help defray the cost of diving. for the time being though i'm thinking i'd like to explore all the recreational diving we have available.

I have TDI AN/DP certifications and so far have done all my beginner level tech diving using doubles - I'd be open to learning sidemount, but no experience yet. I'm planning to hold off on going any further with tech for now, mainly because it seems like the next steps involve helium and or rebreathers and those are a bit out of my budget for now.

I would like to avoid the hassle of renting tanks, only think i'm not sure about is whether i should just get more hp100s, or whether i should consider some bigger sizes.

my typical warm water no problems RMV is around 12-13L/min (0.4ish cu/ft).

Anyone think it makes sense to pick up a pair of hp117s or something? or should I just get more good old hp100s? or should i just get some al80s and sidemount if i want more gas?

 

[Lostdiver71]

I would just go with the hp 100s, you might find sidemount to be a hassle on most charter boats unless it is a dedicated tech dive.

 

[Johnoly]

Anyone think it makes sense to pick up a pair of hp117s

During the summer and also on the weekends, the fill stations are really busy and don't have time to do "top-off". You will find it difficult to get 3500 in an HP tank because of cool down.

if i want more gas?

Most of the divers are running HP100's if the diver is really good about sipping air. But if you want more cubic feet, you really should go to LP108's or the popular LP95's depending on how much gas you use on your most aggressive dives. I burn thru a ton of gas because I'm doing an underwater sprint on LP121's. Zig Zagging to kick and cover as much ground as possible to look for lobster. Others invest in a DPV and use HP tanks.

It really depends how you dive and how much gas you use. That will determine your HP or LP tank and it's size. Some charters will not allow doubles (2 tanks even side mount) without prior approval. Besides AL80's, HP100 & LP95 are the most numerous Florida tanks.

 

[bassplayer]

During the summer and also on the weekends, the fill stations are really busy and don't have time to do "top-off". You will find it difficult to get 3500 in an HP tank because of cool down.


Most of the divers are running HP100's if the diver is really good about sipping air. But if you want more cubic feet, you really should go to LP108's or the popular LP95's depending on how much gas you use on your most aggressive dives. I burn thru a ton of gas because I'm doing an underwater sprint on LP121's. Zig Zagging to kick and cover as much ground as possible to look for lobster. Others invest in a DPV and use HP tanks.

It really depends how you dive and how much gas you use. That will determine your HP or LP tank and it's size. Some charters will not allow doubles (2 tanks even side mount) without prior approval. Besides AL80's, HP100 & LP95 are the most numerous Florida tanks.

this is great info, thanks. you're not messing around with those LP121s!
I'm very curious about lobster hunting and other activities, but that will have to come in time.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I LOVE my HP80s. I'm also female and short.. So there's that. Most guys I dive with use HP100s or larger. I've not much of a problem south (Ft Lauderdale area) getting a decent fill. Some places are better than others, and the place nearest me I usually have to drop off and pick up later.

 

[Lostdiver71]

You will occasionally run into the problem of short fills which is why I am particular about where I get my tanks filled. Even though I live and dive in Jupiter I take my hp tanks to Pura Vida Divers on Singer Island. I trust their fill system and the professionalism of the people filling my tanks. The worst fill they have ever given me cooled down to 3555 on a 3500 psi tank, after analyzing and they do it while I wait.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @bassplayer

You have good gas consumption with an RMV in the low 0.4s cu ft/min. Most of the charters in Jupiter, Palm Beach, and Boynton Beach have a dive time of an hour or less. At the avg depths for those dives, an HP100 would allow you to make all those dives with some leeway should your gas consumption be a little higher than your average. An AL80 might be a little short for you sometimes. The HP100 is very frequently used in SE FL.

 

[Manatee Diver]

I burn thru a ton of gas because I'm doing an underwater sprint on LP121's

Those have to weigh at least 60lbs even without a proper fill.

 

[Lostdiver71]

Those have to weigh at least 60lbs even without a proper fill.

Right at 50lbs without a valve, my lp108s were 45lbs without a valve which is why I switched back to my hp 100’s which are only 32lbs!

 

[tekkydiver]

Might want to hang on and wait for the Avelo System