Which tank to get?

[Solido]

Hi all,

I am new to diving and looking at buying my first tank but at a loss as to what to get.

I have a 30lb dive rite travel wing and an OMS 45lb wing.

I want tanks that are DIR compliant and will be the right size for my 45lb wing when diving twins for cave and wrecks (in the future). I currently dive with an OMS AL backplate, OMS harness with quick release, a 5mm wetsuit, wrist Aladin 2g, oceanic wrist compass, uk sl3 eled, Scubapro mk17 s555, 5mm boots and Tusa fins with springs. I'm trying to get gear that is DIR compliant so I don't have to repurchase again (I've already made a few mistakes as you can see)

My LDS recommended the steel faber 100. What do you think?

Your advice is appreciated.

 

[joel231]

I think you cant go wrong with a couple of faber 100's (12ltr). Im not to up on the whole DIR thing and dont think i will ever go that way, but i dare say twin 12's would be fine, but dont quote me on that. I think a 30lb wing would push the limits on twin 12's but the 45lb wing should be more then enough.

I see you live in aus, so if your after some tanks, you cant beat dive imports for there price which also includes free shipping. They dont list the prices on there site, so it is best to call or email for the current prices.

Cheers Joel

 

[halocline]

Just make sure its the faber FX100, not the old-style faber 3AA HP100. That tank is very negative. The FX100s, and the worthington X-7 100s, are very popular for doubles, but you really need to get some instruction and try some different tanks to see what's appropriate for a given dive. I would not be too worried about getting stuck with a single FX100, though. If you don't end up wanting it, plenty of people will buy it from you.

 

[knowone]

Very serious business, this Diving, and DIR business.

Equipment Configuration | Global Underwater Explorers

Only voraciously devouring literature may indicate
mettle.

 

[Solido]

Just make sure its the faber FX100, not the old-style faber 3AA HP100. That tank is very negative.

How do I tell the difference between the two. I spoke to the TDI instructor at my LDS and he didn't seem to know what I meant when I asked if they were the FX tanks.

He also mentioned that DIR would want me to use AL80's with a 45lb wing and would probably tell me to use a Halcyon wing.

 

[Peter_C]

Just a side note, if the OMS wing has bungee on it, then you will not be allowed to use it. The bungee could squeeze the air out in the event of a hole in the bladder/inflator. If it doesn't you should be good to go.

I use double Worthington HP100's for doubles, but they started as my single tanks. I upgraded my singles to HP130's with H valves. I still have a set of HP100's sitting in my garage as singles but will probably double them eventually. I am partial to Worthington's since they are hot dipped galvanized and have seen Fabers fail from rust. My gal has a PST HP80 tank that still looks nice too.

One of the tank size decisions should come from your SAC. For instance my Fundies partner was a big guy and used a lot of air *shrug*. His double HP130's lasted the same amount of time as mine and our other partners HP100 doubles. Where do you fit in with most people on air usage?

He also mentioned that DIR would want me to use AL80's with a 45lb wing and would probably tell me to use a Halcyon wing.

He does not know or understand the system, so don't take anything he has to say for being correct. Halcyon is a nice brand, but not the only good brand. Color is what ever you want in case he brought that up.

 

[Solido]

The wing doesn't have bungee so it's safe in that regards. My air usage is pretty high at the moment but I'm hoping that will change as I get more experience. I'm 5'9 and of average build.

Funny that you mention colour because he did say that they wear black and have everything exactly the same and look like clones. However did say that the fundies course would teach me a lot of excellent skills such as perfect trim and helicopter kicks (I have no idea what they are) but is really hard to pass on the first attempt and is expensive.
He went on to say TDI is a lot more relaxed about gear etc and can certify me for cave and wreck penetration.

But back to my question, how do I tell the difference between the fabers mentioned above?

 

[Peter_C]

Around 100 cf tanks should be just fine for you.

If you are interested in cave, tech, or wreck GUE trains at the highest standards which is why I went with them. UTD is the other training agency I would consider, and I have training through NAUI, and TDI. Can't speak for IANTD though.

There are a bunch of GUE related videos on youtube to watch. You might enjoy watching some to get an idea of the skills performed.

 

[elan]

Are you planning to switch to dry suit anytime soon ? I find fabers being light on tail which might require adding weights on the bottom of the tank.

Selecting tanks is really not easy job. You need to find what works the best for you from all kind of prospective. Whether you can trim the tanks when they are doubled - I could not trim X7-100 (I'm 6 feet and hte tanks are 24 inch), When I was sitting on the bench the tanks were not touching the bench as they are short. They were also chewing the bottom of my wing when standing. I found that tanks which are longer - around 26 inch worked better for me. You also need to consider how much gas you need for the dives you do.

If you ever plan to use stages you can buy 2 aluminum tanks Luxfers or Hymarks preferable. They are guaranteed to trim well but you will need more lead. Later you can break them down into stages

Do not rush with the tanks, ask your buddies to let you try thiers and see what you like. It's really hard to understand in the beginning what you will feel comfortable with later. And which tank you will like. After 3 years of diving I fell in favor of LP tanks. All my tanks are LP except a set of AL80 doubles. I tend to dive LP72s and AL80 mostly.
Most likely with your height you will unlikely go wrong if you get double HP130 but those are beasts

 

[halocline]

But back to my question, how do I tell the difference between the fabers mentioned above?

The FX100 will have a service pressure of 3442 and a serial number that starts with "E" or "SP" (at least in the U.S.) while the older HP100 will have a service pressure of 3180 (+ 10% if stamped) and a serial number that starts with 3AA. (That's U.S. again, I don't know about australia)