What is your favorite tank for singles??

[divinginn]

love the hp 100,would like to try some 130s though.

 

[ssidiv3r]

Like a lot of others here I've got a Worthington X7 HP100. I've used LP95's and HP120's before and must say for singles I prefer my 100, with the 95's coming in second place. I think the 100's would probably make nice doubles but they are great as singles

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I have steel 72's, LP 95's and HP 100's, all of them doubled.

In order of preference:

1. Steel 72's due to the light weight - when I don't need more gas (130 cu ft when doubled at 2250 psi, 144 cu ft at 2475 psi, 160 cu ft at 2800 psi)

2. the HP 100's when I need more gas (an honest 200 cu ft at 3442 psi), when I have to haul them up a pitching boat ladder and/or when I am in an area where I can't get a 3600 psi fill in an LP 95

3. the heavier LP 95's when in North Florida where I can get a 3600 psi fill (258 cu ft).

I do like single AL 80's for stage bottles.

 

[ssidiv3r]

I've heard that a lot of people sling AL40's for stage/deco bottles

 

[Jimmer]

I've heard that a lot of people sling AL40's for stage/deco bottles

Sometimes 40 cubic feet isn't enough gas for that particular stage of the dive.

 

[Jimmer]

I have 3 personal favourites. Steel 72's, HP100's, and lp104/hp130.

They also happen to be my 3 favourites for doubles as well.

 

[tflaris]

Steels tanks have benefits from Al in that they do not become positively buoyant when low or empty. Using a Steel high pressure 80 rated at 3442 you can remove approx 6 pounds from your weight belt.

Steel tanks have the drawback of rust if they become contaminated with water. therefore VIP's are extremely important.

Tanks size would depend on your type of diving.

For example boat diving a steel HP 100 would be about the size of an al 80 but would have 2 cubic feet more gas. Unless your SAC rate was extremely poor the benefits of going much larger would not be increased. The boat schedule or No-stop time limits would dictate bottom time more so than your tank size.

But while as a Spear fisherman you underwater activity would be greater therefore a higher SAC rate and therefore a larger size tank would be beneficial.

Hope this helps

 

[ssidiv3r]

Sometimes 40 cubic feet isn't enough gas for that particular stage of the dive.

I can understand that

For example boat diving a steel HP 100 would be about the size of an al 80 but would have 2 cubic feet more gas. Unless your SAC rate was extremely poor the benefits of going much larger would not be increased. The boat schedule or No-stop time limits would dictate bottom time more so than your tank size.

Even though boat schedules might come into play, it would still be benificial to have extra air in case of an emergency towards the end of the dive (such as an air-hog buddy that didn't monitor his guages or a regular diver that had an equipment malfunction). I'm sure the charter sets specific times with these possibilities in mind but I believe in "better safe than sorry". They don't know how much air you are going to use.

just my 2psi on that

 

[PvtStash]

so it must suck... , I have an LP 121 ...

I'm 6' 3" , 265lbs.

I live in the Great Lakes area and thought an LP 121 would be a great compromise to doubles...

I'd like to dive some of the wrecks in the 80'-160' range , but feel an 80 wouldnt give me enough gas (or margin of error) and was not ready to go the doubles route just yet and so the LP 121 ... Also I think I'll be able to get Two dives out of it when diving the quarries and thus save a couple bucks on airfills..

Or at least thats the plan... we'll see how it all pans out...

 

[spoolin01]

No one's talkin' about my tank... so it must suck... , I have an LP 121 ...

Faber LP 120s. Love all that air. Through some underappreciated anomaly in gas physics, they actually hold more than the HP120s!

They're e-normous, they're h-h-h-heavy, they're floaty when empty - but they pack a lot of air!