twin tanks and weight

[vdeanv]

Before purchasing twin tanks I have been informed that I would need adequate lift in BC, I guess this is due to the weight of twin steel tanks.
If I was using the following setup
Twin steel 80s
SS Back plate
Rec Wings
5 mil wetsuit
At the surface with no air in BC would I be negative without a weight belt?
If negative would I need to use a weight belt for my dive?
Would a weight belt be needed on ascend when my tanks are low on air?
Do i really need loads of lift or would a 30 pound wing be adequate?

 

[Brian Gilpin]

A lot has been said on this board about diving a wetsuit and steel tanks from a safety perspective. Be sure you research this before purchasing. The idea is that in case of wing or inflator early in the dive at depth that you may be too negative to swim up your gear. 30 lbs seems like insufficient lift in any case.

 

[tedwhiteva]

Before purchasing twin tanks I have been informed that I would need adequate lift in BC, I guess this is due to the weight of twin steel tanks.
If I was using the following setup
Twin steel 80s
SS Back plate
Rec Wings
5 mil wetsuit
At the surface with no air in BC would I be negative without a weight belt?
If negative would I need to use a weight belt for my dive?
Would a weight belt be needed on ascend when my tanks are low on air?
Do i really need loads of lift or would a 30 pound wing be adequate?

A more basic question - why do yiou want twin steel 80's? From your questions you don't seem to be a technical diver. If you want more air, a single 100 or even 120 may be more appropriate - and cheaper.
To answer your question directly -yes, you need 50 lbs of lift, and you need to think what you would do if you're at, say 60 feet and your BC deflates (hole, valve broken, etc)? The answer to that is "sink to the bottom."

Have fun diving, but dive safe with good training.

 

[Don Burke]

Before purchasing twin tanks I have been informed that I would need adequate lift in BC, I guess this is due to the weight of twin steel tanks.
If I was using the following setup
Twin steel 80s
SS Back plate
Rec Wings
5 mil wetsuit
At the surface with no air in BC would I be negative without a weight belt?
If negative would I need to use a weight belt for my dive?
Would a weight belt be needed on ascend when my tanks are low on air?
Do i really need loads of lift or would a 30 pound wing be adequate?

Assuming proper weighting, the wing needs to be able to lift the gas in the tanks plus the buoyancy of your neoprene.

A 40 pound wing would probably do it if you were set up properly.

I suspect this rig would put you negative at the end of the dive, which would normally be a problem.

I tried double 72s with a steel backplate and a wetsuit and I was too negative.

 

[vdeanv]

Thankyou for the reply
I do already own 2 Steel 80s which is why i would prefer to doulble them before buying another larger single 120.
I have two wings ,eclipse 30 which i use for single tank and a rec wing that I dont use any more.
If i decide to double i think i will use the rec wings for the extra lift and consider using a drysuit.

 

[Don Burke]

Thankyou for the reply
I do already own 2 Steel 80s which is why i would prefer to doulble them before buying another larger single 120.
I have two wings ,eclipse 30 which i use for single tank and a rec wing that I dont use any more.
If i decide to double i think i will use the rec wings for the extra lift and consider using a drysuit.

See if you can borrow an aluminum backplate for a weight check.

 

[jagfish]

Yeah, AL might be the way to go...

 

[Hoosier]

You also have to consider the wing size with the lift. I have used Explorer 40lb with PST 119s. The 40lb life is ok, but two 8inch double needs a bigger size like Explorer 55lb...

 

[JimC]

Thankyou for the reply
I do already own 2 Steel 80s which is why i would prefer to doulble them before buying another larger single 120.
I have two wings ,eclipse 30 which i use for single tank and a rec wing that I dont use any more.
If i decide to double i think i will use the rec wings for the extra lift and consider using a drysuit.

An eclipse is a single tank wing, and will not work for double tanks. The bladder in the eclipse will be pinched closed by the doubles and you will not get any(much) lift.

What kind of "steel 80". How negative?
You definatly need an AL Plate.
Think about what happens if you loose your wing.

 

[lostplanetairman]

A Rec Wing ( Dive Rite ) has 55lb. lift, is that what you have? Mine works fine for my 2 sets of doubles, steel 85's & 95's.:scubadive