Thinking of buying (steel) tanks

[Mo2vation]

Ken, what's your SAC?

I dive LP95s filled to 2800-2900 and get a good 50 minutes out of them. I come up with 1000 psi most times. My SAC is about 0.5 cf/min in a single.

I have some HP119s, but I can almost never get them low enough to PP fill them (at home) since I don't have a booster. So I end up dumping some gas or only filling them to 3000. If I had 130s, those issues would be exacerbated.

I also have double HP100s and like those for tech dives.

Depth, temperature, exposure suit, working, drifting, open ocean, confined water, etc, etc... I'm usually sitting at about a .39 to .43 for confined spaces (like a park or a bay or something) and maybe up to .45 - .53 for open ocean stuff.

I dive a BP/W (11.5# home-made plate), Drysuit, 4# of lead on the belt, cold water year round, average depths from 35 - 50 feet (sometimes average to 55... but rarely) for the long dives we do. My dives in SoCal usually last between 70 to 100 minutes on my 130. All this info is for "diving" and not Lobstering (which isn't diving, but "hunting...")

And, like you, I often come up with 4-digit gas. So what? I have no issues being the team back-up gas supply. I'm not home brewing, so its no biggie if I got gas in the can. An HP100 simply limits my diving. IN the 130, if we're down and we see something great and want to change the plan, we change the plan. No biggie. We have the gas, we're smart, we stay out of NDL and its all good.

With an HP100, my local dives which typically reach 100 to 110 feet would require much tighter dive planning. With the 130, I have much more latitude. I'm also a photographer - so I love having more mass. Makes for steadier shots.

And if handling the tank isn't a big deal, neither is the gas. A full fill or a 2/3 fill still costs $4. If I was paying for gas by the pound, I may think differently.

I haven't found the hill or the stairs in SoCal that I can't haul a 130 up and down. So I can't see the point of going in with less than the maximum amount of gas I can comfortably schlep. For me (and more and more of us SoCals every week) that's a 130.

---
Ken

 

[cummings66]

I dive HP120's normally and have an HP100. I have dove of course in a pinch AL80's and also HP80's. I own 2 HP120's which are my main tanks, and the HP100 which is the tank I use for the third dive of the day. Sometimes I get 2 dives each out of the HP120's so it might be the 5th dive of the day on the smaller tank. It works out due to NDL and the O2 clock.

Here's what I believe, dive the largest tank you can dive that doesn't screw up your trim. I honestly enjoyed diving with the HP80, I wouldn't own one of course but it was fun and felt like I was naked. A BP/W with an HP80 is pretty minimal in other words. I loved it, my air supply was fine for the dive and we dove it like any normal dive planned on rock bottom times. I managed to hit the NDL on it with my buddy at 100 feet and come up with plenty of air. I loved that tank, but I wouldn't own one ever.

I have one buddy that dives an AL80 who's got to have the best SAC I've ever seen and I "need" the HP120 to dive with him, any other diver a smaller HP100 is overkill.

Like you there isn't really a place I couldn't get to with my HP120, but honestly now. Would you rather carry a full HP130 1/10 mile or the lighter HP100 or HP80? Yup, I've had to carry a tank that far before and it nearly killed me by the time I got there. One on my back, one in the hand and the knee's nearly revolted. The HP80 would have been sweet in that situation.

One of my former instructors told me, never say never. That was after I told him I'd never dive an AL tank again. Who knows?

 

[rjack321]

Having more info about the profiles definately helps me understand where your coming from re: the 130 recommendations.

In my case, I use singles for shallow <80' dives. Maybe a bit of a bounce down into the 90 ft range.

Anything deeeper (90 ' and below) and (nowadays) I almost always bring doubles. Could I use a 130 instead? Sure. But I'm reaching my cold limits (even with argon) at around 60 minutes in winter anyway. Using a 120 or a 130, I'd just have more gas left over.

I bought the LP95s about 5 years ago and they are still my favorite single tanks. This was after years of AL80s. I have since also tried single:
HP100s, HP80s, HP119s,

and double:
72s, AL80s, LP85s, HP100s, HP119s

I still like the single 95s. Best combo of bouyancy, weight, stability, gas for me. And they are a bit less expensive than HP tanks too.

I have a SS backplate, shell suit, and use 22lbs of lead.

 

[Mo2vation]

Having more info about the profiles definately helps me understand where your coming from re: the 130 recommendations.

In my case, I use singles for shallow <80' dives. Maybe a bit of a bounce down into the 90 ft range.

Anything deeeper (90 ' and below) and (nowadays) I almost always bring doubles. Could I use a 130 instead? Sure. But I'm reaching my cold limits (even with argon) at around 60 minutes in winter anyway. Using a 120 or a 130, I'd just have more gas left over.

I bought the LP95s about 5 years ago and they are still my favorite single tanks. This was after years of AL80s. I have since also tried single:
HP100s, HP80s, HP119s,

and double:
72s, AL80s, LP85s, HP100s, HP119s

I still like the single 95s. Best combo of bouyancy, weight, stability, gas for me. And they are a bit less expensive than HP tanks too.

I have a SS backplate, shell suit, and use 22lbs of lead.

We popsicle our friends. Especially the Wetties. It starts with diving slower, and therefore divinb longer. So many of them over the past 18 months have gone dry.

Once dry, they are more comfy for these long dives, and want more longness. So many of them now own 130's.

Many of us now own dry gloves now, too. When you're doing these long, slow dives in the big steel tanks in your drysuits, being comfy is important - I mean comfy all over. A few fall dives here with blocky hands and more of my SoCal buddies who have moved to 130s and drysuits will be in Dry Gloves, too.

Its like anything else - many of them believed diving a drysuit would be too constrictive. That diving a big tank was too tough. And many still believe they have better dexerity in 5mm Neoprene gloves over dry gloves. Oh well. One diver at a time, as we say.

There is maybe one dive I can see not using the 130 for in SoCal - its called Malaga cove. Max depth is like 27 feet, and the entrance is over what we call the "pumpkin patch"... an expance of shin-deep big round rocks. Makes for an interesting entry. Its supposed to be a great dive "when its good...." which for me, has been never.

Like OCal.

One day, maybe.

---
Ken

 

[stardust]

Im a short girl and I like my lp95, it lasts a very long time for me and its short enough it doesnt bash in the back of my skull, which is nice.

 

[Rafael]

Mo2tivation, How Cold you get down there? is the water really cold during the summer months?

Thank you.

 

[johnnyseko]

Mo2tivation, How Cold you get down there? is the water really cold during the summer months?

Thank you.

Hey Raf, I think the temps are about the same as ours. I'll find out for sure in a week!

What are you diving Raf? - are those HP130's or 119's you have. I def liked the feel, whatever it was...

 

[1_T_Submariner]

I dive steel HP120 when going deep/cold with 20 Lbs of lead. bought it for $225 used with new hydro/vis.

When I dive with my wife (Shallow, warm water), I dive an al 80 I don't mind too much because due to lack of wetsuit positive buoyancy 10 lbs of lead.

Good luck on your purchase...

 

[crlavoie]

I'm currently selling 4 Worthington LP 108's. I'm actually about the exact same build as you and these have been great for me for trim etc.

I'm in Medford and would be willing to make arrangements for you to try them out. Drop me a PM if you're interested.

You can see the post here: http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=152988

 

[Mo2vation]

Mo2tivation, How Cold you get down there? is the water really cold during the summer months?

Thank you.

This Sunday night we had an 11 / 12 degree thermocline. :11: At 45 feet, it was 66degrees. At 47 feet, it was 55 / 54 degrees.

In summer, I've done several dives in the low low 50's In winter, it will get into the high 40s sometimes.

When it gets to 53 / 54, the dry gloves come out to stay.

---
Ken