What would you choose and why? (X7 120 vs. X8 130, or?????)

[rhwestfall]

I'm tall enough that AL80's and my AL100 don't bother me (I'm 6'-7"). In a quest for a little better reserve, I'm looking at adding a few new tanks to my collection. Trying to decide between the X7 120 or the X8 130. No interest in manifold doubles now or even later so the comment of "when you got to twins you can adapt them...." isn't the reason for selection.

The end set-up is likely going to be with an h-valve as its the redundancy in cold water I'm seeking too. At some point, i may be exploring SM, but that is where my stash of AL80's & Al63's may come in to play.

Give me your thoughts and reasons. If there is something else, please expand the dialogue.

Thanks.

 

[j yaeger]

bob-have you tried out the steel 149?
nice and long for you!!!!!
trims out nice on "shorter" people(the rest of the world)...
put an h valve on it,and your holding the same as my twins!!
we have one in the shop you could try
have fun
yaeg

 

[rhwestfall]

Jim,

Do you have any links so I can check out the stats on it (who makes it)?

P.S. - what is Tony diving? IIRC, it was a big tank....

 

[j yaeger]

the 149 is faber
tony's doing 117s
sidemounted them!!
yikes!!!!!

 

[rhwestfall]

he does like his air....

 

[Dr. Lecter]

You might not like the buoyancy swing on a 149: from -9.41 full to +2.35 empty. The X7-120 and X8-130 are very close in buoyancy swing (-11.7 to -2 for the 130, -11 to -2 for the 120), and you're tall enough that the extra length of the 120 (28" vs the 130's 25.2") isn't an issue in terms of leg clearance.

I'm 6'1" and dive the 130s both single and doubled, and like them better than the longer 120s even though they're both wider and slightly further from my back, with neither characteristic being ideal for the wreck penetrations I like to do. Some people will like the narrower and marginally less massive 120s for how they sit closer to the back and squeeze through restrictions more easily. In terms of how they'll trim out on your back, though, I think you really need to dive both and see how their dimensions make their similar buoyancies interact with your rig... -2 empty could feel very different to you depending on whether it's in the shorter wider steel bubble on a longer axis away from you, or the longer thinner steel bubble on a shorter axis away from you.

 

[elan]

I know you said no doubles but they will be cleaner if you want redundancy and more stable. I would not mess with H valves it just becomes very cluttered.
If you want lighter tanks LP72 or LP85- faber would work nice.
If you still insist then I would go with LP tanks - LP108 ( slightly bigger than HP130) or LP120 (the HP149 form factor). Here its easy to get them filled to 3000psi - slight overfill and they are easier on regulators (if you dive cold water)

 

[Peter_C]

You can never have too much gas, so I would say go for the 130's. My single tanks are Worthington HP130's with H valves on them.

 

[fdog]

You might not like the buoyancy swing on a 149: from -9.41 full to +2.35 empty. The X7-120 and X8-130 are very close in buoyancy swing (-11.7 to -2 for the 130, -11 to -2 for the 120), and you're tall enough that the extra length of the 120 (28" vs the 130's 25.2") isn't an issue in terms of leg clearance.

I'm 6'1" and dive the 130s both single and doubled, and like them better than the longer 120s even though they're both wider and slightly further from my back, with neither characteristic being ideal for the wreck penetrations I like to do. Some people will like the narrower and marginally less massive 120s for how they sit closer to the back and squeeze through restrictions more easily. In terms of how they'll trim out on your back, though, I think you really need to dive both and see how their dimensions make their similar buoyancies interact with your rig... -2 empty could feel very different to you depending on whether it's in the shorter wider steel bubble on a longer axis away from you, or the longer thinner steel bubble on a shorter axis away from you.

Dang. I was going to write a nice long novel, and Dr. Lechter beat me to it. So I'll just co-sign:

+1 on what he said

We dive the heck out of our 130's at Lobos. As soon as you get them underwater they feel eerily like HP 100's.


All the best, James

---------- Post added December 7th, 2012 at 04:56 PM ----------

PS

BTW, here's a video, we're wearing 130's. Janet (the one you see all the time) is 5'4" tall.


[youtubehq]2VHhgYeKNI0[/youtubehq]



All the best, James

 

[fisheater]

I dive both 130s and 120s. I prefer the 130s. "They go to eleven, you see."


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