robbcayman
Contributor
I'm in the market for an 80 aluminum or steel tank (is there a advantage or disadvantage between aluminum vs steel) Where's the cheapset place online to pick up a tank? Thanks
Where to purchase cheap tanks??
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crlavoie
Contributor
robbcayman:
I don't know anyone with cheap tanks. However, Scubatoys has some very inexpensive ones. They have some great deals on the Worthington steels. I currently own 4 of the LP 108's and have been very happy with them. AL 80's are a dime a dozen and pretty much everone is competitive on them. Personally I wouldn't waste the $$$ on an AL 80 but that's just me. The bouyancy characteristics on the worthington LP108's are about as good as any I've seen (full ~-8, neutral when empty).
There are advantages and disadvantages to both. AL 80's are lightweight and comparatively easier to carry which is a big plus if you do a lot of shore diving. However, IMHOP they suck at around 750 PSI and below due to their positive bouyancy. In addition, 80 CF is just not a lot of air (again, just my opinion). Most steels on the other hand, are either neautral or negative when the cylinder is empty allowing for more consistent bouyancy throughout the dive. Beware though, some steels are excessively negative. Some as much as -8 lbs empty, which to me, requires too much futzing around to get your weight and trim figured out. There are also folks that will claim that steels are down right dangerous... the jury is out on that one.
Where are you located, I've gotta pair I could sell.robbcayman:
OP
robbcayman
Contributor
Tanked2.0:
Thanks for all the help everyone. I'm located in Oklahoma. Is the tank aluminum or steel? What size??
cummings66
Contributor
crlavoie:
I've got to say something about this statement. The swing here is 8lbs, that's not any more consistant than an AL80, they're both going to vary because of the weight of the air. It is not more consistant in any way, all tanks will vary. How much they vary depends on how large or small the tank is. My AL80 varies about 6lbs, thus it's more consistant bouyancy wise than his steel 108 by 2 lbs less change. However I must carry 4 lbs of lead to get neutral with an empty tank while he carries none.
What is really being said is that the AL80 near the end is positive and requires weight to stay neutral while the steel tank in "most" cases is either slightly negative or neutral at the same point and doesn't require weight to get you neutral.
In the end, the main advantage is that with a steel tank you can remove weight from your belt, BC or whereever you keep it. For what it's worth, I'm moving to steel tanks this year because I dive a drysuit. By choosing what steel tank you buy you can find a good match to end up with a balanced rig. I.e for some a tank that's 2 lbs negative empty would be better than one that's perfectly neutral.
IMO if you're diving a wetsuit an AL80 is fine, especially if it's a thicker wetsuit. Again choose the tank construction based on needs, not because somebody says this or that is better. That's why there are so many tanks and sizes out there.
To answer the question asked, scubatoys is a great place to buy from, one of the best around IMO.
OP
robbcayman
Contributor
cummings66:
I didn't think aluminum tanks could be that bad since they're so abundant. Thanks for clearing that up
D1V3R
Contributor
no, alumminum tanks suck
everybody used them because their cheap and light
steel tanks are more compact, have better boyancy characteristics, and you pretty mach have to use them if your using a thick wetsuit or a drysuit
everybody used them because their cheap and light
steel tanks are more compact, have better boyancy characteristics, and you pretty mach have to use them if your using a thick wetsuit or a drysuit
hazmat1800
Registered
I like the steel tanks because I don't have to use as much weight. You might check out Tech Diving Unliminted they have a special on there tanks right now. I have bought 2 high pressure steel 100cf tanks. They have several tank sizes to choose from and High or Low pressure.
cummings66
Contributor
D1V3R:
No, you don't have to use them with a drysuit or thick wetsuit. I think with a thick wetsuit they in fact suggest you do not use a steel tank.
The advantage of a steel tank is that you can move weight from the belt to the tank and that's it. Bouyancy is still going to swing the weight of the air, it does not matter what material your tank is made out of. You still, once suited up, have the exact same amount of weight to carry, i.e. your feet will still see for example 200 lbs regardless of whether you use steel or al.
The reason for steel while dry is because if your BC fails you're not going to have to swim up a lot of weight because you don't have the neoprene compression issues. So if you're 16 lbs at the surface then you'll be close to that down low. In a wetsuit after the neoprene compresses you can be too heavy to swim up without dropping weights, and then once dropped you blow your stop because up higher you'll be light.
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