Up in the air over tank options, would like some advice and ideas

[Jimmer]

OK, I've posted a couple times lately regarding tanks. Last summer I picked up a set of double Faber LP108's at a really good price to use when I do my advanced nitrox/deco procedures this summer. Now when it comes to diving them off a boat deep in the lake I don't mind them at all, but shore dives and shallow dives they just seem like such overkill, and a PITA. So I've been tossing around two ideas. One would be to try to scoop up a couple steel 72's nice and cheap and double them up for shallow lake dives and shore dives, and keep the 108's for my tech training. The other option would be to sell off the 108's, and put the cash towards a set of HP100's, which are about 20 pounds lighter than the 108's. They would be a lot easier to carry around for shore dives, and still have the volume for my tech training. Thoughts?

Jim

 

[divemaster_jim]

At one time I was in the same "boat" as you I have a set of 104's that I got tired of lugging around on shore, So I doubled up a set of 80's for wetsuit and shore diving and use the 104's for drysuit and "tech" diving, Works great for me.

 

[Jimmer]

AL80's or Steel 80's? I'm not all that interested in AL tanks, because it's all cold water and will be in a drysuit this year, and I'm not sure I'm all that interested in carrying extra weight on the belt, which is why I was thinking smaller steel tanks. I assume you're a lot of cold water too being from Michigan, if you do use AL, how do you find them with a drysuit/thick wetsuit?

 

[divemaster_jim]

AL80's or Steel 80's? I'm not all that interested in AL tanks, because it's all cold water and will be in a drysuit this year, and I'm not sure I'm all that interested in carrying extra weight on the belt, which is why I was thinking smaller steel tanks. I assume you're a lot of cold water too being from Michigan, if you do use AL, how do you find them with a drysuit/thick wetsuit?

I use alum 80's, I cheat in that I put a 5lb circular lead slug inside of the tank boot on each tank and then wear about 12 lbs of lead on my belt, In the event of a bladder failure I swim the tanks up and ditch the lead. No reason why you can't use steel tanks if you want, I had those laying around doing nothing. Oh one other thing I also use a 7mm one piece suit too.

 

[Jimmer]

I suppose that's pretty similar to what I had in mind using 72's. Have a nice light set for shallow stuff and shore dives. My only thinking is that if I did the 100's, I wouldn't really need the two sets, they would be lighter than the 108's by a fair bit, but still enough gas to do tech training and diving with. Anyone else have a point of view to add to my confusion? lol