Trading AL80's for Steel...

[chuck34gboro]

OK i've probably read 1000 threads on comparing LP and HP and all the different sizes/brands of tanks. So many threads are old, some have too much or too little information.

I'm trading 6 AL80s to a local dive shop for some steel tanks. I've been looking for bigger tanks for awhile now. Steel seems better as the AL100's ive seen are rediculously large and too positive when empty. I don't consider myself an air hog and have a few 50-60 minute dives below 60' so I'm getting better on air supply. I still would like more bottom time and with nitrox, I can enjoy very short surface intervals.

They have some Faber LP120's in the shop and I wore one with my BC and it just felt too long. I'm only 5'6" on a good day but I'm 160#'s of pretty much all muscle so the weight isn't an issue at all but i don't wanna hit my head or legs during the dive/entry/exit. Im probably going to go HP as I don't wanna deal with overfilling LP tanks to get higher capacities.

So my points are:
1. My local shops can fill to 3500 air or banked EAN.
2. I don't know anywhere near me that does PP fills so HP shouldn't be an issue.
3. My reg is in pretty good shape so HP shouldn't hurt them.
4. Most of the boats I've used will accomodate the 8" tanks
5. I do dive some quarries but never have to walk very far with a tank on my back.

HP130's? I don't think i'll ever need that much air diving recreationally but sometimes it'd be nice to do a 90 minute dive instead of 2 45 minute dives.

I don't wanna get 100's and later regret not having the bigger tanks.

 

[g1138]

And your question was.......

It sounds to me like you've done your homework. Just some food for thought:
- How often will you be diving for 90mins (think about your depth NDL's)
- Can you last a 90min dive w/o getting cold?
- If you're using a dry suit are you able to pee; if not can you hold it for 90mins?
- Do you get a bad case of dry mouth during a 30min dive?

- Does you shop fill by vol or by tank. If you don't use all your air you may be paying for a full HP fill but only getting 3/4ths of an actual fill (b/c you're not using all your air)

 

[tbone1004]

you need to get up with the NCdiver forum and head over and see and touch and feel a lot of our tanks so you can get an idea of the sizes. You're less than half an hour from me and I have 120's, 100's, 72's and 95's of the steel variety and an al80 to compare them with.

Very few shops fill PP if they do serious business. It takes too long, and is just irritating. HP doesn't matter quite so much with modern shops for either PP filling or anything really, the compressors can push up there and the haskels can get there as well.

Don't gripe about weight on singles *you haven't, but wait till you're in doubles :-D*
If you like the LP120's, one of my good buddies is selling one of his. The 95's are pretty common for singles because they're nice and heavy. Have a buddy that is selling a set of double 95's so that may be an option and just split them up.

Don't trade all of your AL80's, keeping one or two of them around is probably a good idea. You may need them for deco/stage later and they're nice to have for tire inflating and the like.

Shoot me a PM if you want to come over at some point and see or borrow a few tank sizes or hit the quarry and we can do the same thing. Check NC divers out though, it's a great site and is local with some serious divers on there.
Diving in North Carolina - NCDivers.com • Charters and shops • Index page

At the other guy, the shops around here all fill flat rate. Irritating, but such is life. There's a reason I don't use most of them, but oh well. Nothing wrong with them, just can't afford the air prices...

 

[Bob DBF]

The HP 119 & 130 are comperable length to the Al80. The LP95 length is comperable and I like the one I picked up, it's a horse but it keeps me in shape for the old set of 72 doubles I use.

I vote for keeping a couple of AL's around, sometimes it's about the quantity of air you have, not the quality of the tank it's in.


Bob
--------------------------------------
I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

 

[mathauck0814]

If the LP120 are too big physically, why not look at HP120? High pressure will always allow a constant gas volume to be placed in a smaller container than its LP equivalent (I know, captain obvious). A HP130 will be quite large on your frame as well. Perhaps look at doubling up HP80's? That would give you the form factor, a redundant air supply and much (much) more gas than your aluminum trade ins.

 

[aquaregia]

LP120s are huge tanks. I prefer the LP108s and LP85s to the LP95s because they're longer (I'm 5'11"). I looked at an LP120 once and decided to dive something else instead. HP100s are probably a pretty safe bet, I hear they fit most body types well.

 

[Buoyant1]

120's are just plain and simple LONG! I'm a 'red hair' under 6' and when I tried them a few times, I didn't like them.

My "guru" suggested 119's, primarily the same capacity, but a fatter/squatter cylinder..while 130's will give you more gas, the 119's are perfect IMHO. I've just recently doubled them and they are great!

If your local shops have 119's I'd recommend checking them out!

(the best part of using steel is that you can take some lead off of your belt! )

 

[reo]

+1 on the 119s. I have a couple of them, and they're great! They're shorter than the AL-80, while holding 50% more gas.

Ron

 

[Superlyte27]

High pressure will always allow a constant gas volume to be placed in a smaller container than its LP equivalent (I know, captain obvious). .

Only when filling to rated pressures.

 

[waterpirate]

Unless you are long in the torso, the lp120's can be a problem. I had a set and liked them well enough, I bought them from a man my height, 6' flat. He had long legs normal torso and hated the lp 120's. I sold them and bought two sets of lp 72's so regs for rec and tec would be the same set up.
Eric