What cylinder do you dive, and why?

General banter about diving and why we love it.
User avatar
lavachickie
Dive-aholic
Posts: 238
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 2:24 pm

What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by lavachickie »

I'm ankle deep in cylinder stats, and wondering why in the heck they make so many options? :) So tell me... what do you dive and why? I'm primarily thinking rec, but I'd love to hear techies talk over my head. ;)

Low pressure or high? What size cylinder? Pref for maker? And did you come to this through trial and error and if so, what didn't work for you and why initially?

Let the games begin! :)
Hey Oregon Divers: check out Oregon Scuba Club! http://oregonscuba.com
Looking forward to Roatan June 2016.
User avatar
dwashbur
I've Got Gills
Posts: 2849
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:33 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by dwashbur »

My main tank is a Faber LP 108. Why? Because it was on sale at the time and I could afford it! Really, that's the only reason.
Dave

"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
--
Check out my Internet show:
http://www.irvingszoo.com
User avatar
Magoi
Dive-aholic
Posts: 265
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 9:29 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by Magoi »

I do rec diving. My main tank is a steel HP 120, but I prefer the HP 100 steel because it is shorter. Bought the 120 when I started diving and needed a lot of air because I was a hoover. I am tall enough for the 120, which is a very long tank. Now that my breathing is better, I have a built-in reserve. I like the HP steel tanks due to buoyancy characteristics - they are negative when empty and reduce the amount of lead you have to carry. The HP tanks are more compact than LP, which make them slightly less unwieldy. My tanks are all Worthington - have about 250 dives on the 120s (I have 2) over the past 3 years and they have been fine. The most important factor is probably Dwashur's - finding a tank the right size at the right price.
Confidence is the feeling you have before you understand the situation.
User avatar
airsix
I've Got Gills
Posts: 3049
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2007 7:38 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by airsix »

What cylinder do I dive and why? I dive Sounder's cylinders. They are big and always filled to about 3,600psi. with EAN32. You can debate all you want about sizes, weight, trim characteristics, etc. but nothing beats a cylinder that is plump with trox every time you pick it up.

Ok, but seriously I like steel 130s for single-tank diving. I trim nicely in them and they provide enough gas for any recreational profile I do (by "enough gas" I mean dive + proper reserves). 119s work well for me too. Anything shorter leaves me head-heavy though.
"The place looked like a washing machine full of Josh's carharts. I was not into it." --Sockmonkey
User avatar
H20doctor
I've Got Gills
Posts: 4225
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2008 12:13 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by H20doctor »

i have had a 119 for about 3 months now and its the BOMB!!! , i was diving on a LP 95,, which is still a great tank .. but now with the 119 i can stay down longer, and get better dives in , and see more
NWDC Rule #2 Pictures Or it didn't Happen
User avatar
mancub
Dive-aholic
Posts: 269
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2007 5:01 am

What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by mancub »

I love steel HP100s. As long as I dive in the Puget Sound I don't intend to ever use anything else.

Larry (magoi) already mentioned a steel tank's better, imo, buoyancy characteristics when compared to aluminum. Less lead, not as much weight swing between empty and full. Aluminum can be had for very reasonable prices, but you should be able to find steel new or used for not too bad. I used to have a low pressure ~100 and it was fine, but the diameter was wider and I like not having to adjust my cam bands :) or truck tank racks. Also, some would say LP is nicer because you can more easily get "better" fills (ie to working pressure and beyond). This is due to whatever shop's compressor and it's ability to pump up a tank (HP will be around 3442 working pressure...the point at which it actually has it's cu ft capacity). My LP was 2440ish. All this being said, I'm very light on air and don't really care if my tank isn't pushed to some crazy high pressure. In fact, I'd prefer it not be filled higher than working pressure. YMMV.

At the end of the day, I think you will be happier with steel, and get whichever capacity corresponds to your air consumption (100-120 is usually pretty good for anyone). Techies will chime in on which tanks double up nicely, I have no clue, may be a factor in deciding on first purchase??

K I'll stop rambling now :)
User avatar
Alexitt
Submariner
Posts: 537
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2010 9:02 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by Alexitt »

I've been diving an hp119 since the last divers fair @ UWS and love it... In fact I got a 2nd one today and am getting ready to go use it in a bit... Before I had 3 al80's (still do but can use them 4 loaners now or 3rd dives) the drawback I had was changing the cam straps and having to carry the extra 8lbs. of lead (not neutrally bouyant)...
Now less lead and longer dives... Life's GOOOODDD!!! :taco:
-Alex-

"so in the interest of advising something...let's see..."the early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!" -Eliseaboo



Image
User avatar
CaptnJack
I've Got Gills
Posts: 7776
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:29 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by CaptnJack »

Single steel 100s. I have decent consumption and can manage with decent reserves down to 100ft on these and 75min total bottom times.

Deeper I take doubles.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
User avatar
spatman
I've Got Gills
Posts: 10881
Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 7:06 am

What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by spatman »

Imvho, unless you're of a shorter stature or have a terrific consumption rate, tanks that hold less than 95cf aren't great choices.

My advice would be to borrow or rent different sizes and see what works best for you.
Image
User avatar
LCF
I've Got Gills
Posts: 5697
Joined: Tue May 30, 2006 5:05 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by LCF »

I dive steel 95s (because we bought them when I was a new diver) and steel HP130s (because we have six of them, and I can do any dive I'm willing to DO in Puget Sound, outside of technical dives, on that much gas) but my favorite tanks have become the HP100s. I can get them FULL at NWSD, so no problem with high pressure fills. They are relatively light compared with the 95s, hold more gas at working pressure (I probably have more gas in the 95s when they're, uh, "full"), are negative enough not to require additional weight, and are a good length for me so that I can sit down in them and they still trim out well.

For doubles, I use LP85s mostly. Small enough to be manageable, but big enough for the relatively light technical dives I do (no deeper than 150, one deco cylinder). I have HP100s if I'm doing something where I might, for example, want to do a tech dive followed by a shallower dive. They are noticeably heavier on land.

I would never recommend aluminum cylinders in Puget Sound. They weigh more than a comparable steel cylinder on land, and require five or more pounds more weight to sink, so your total weight penalty is substantial. If you're anything like me, you're constantly trying to figure out how you can make this gear just a little less onerous to carry!
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
User avatar
Mattleycrue76
I've Got Gills
Posts: 2178
Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2008 3:00 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by Mattleycrue76 »

I own 4 hp steel worthington tanks 2x100, 119,130 and a set of hp100s and 119s. When I took my first steps into tech diving I started diving doubles on every dive, both to get a good "feel" for them , as well as for the simplicity of not switching tanks between rec dives. Now that I probably have 150-200 dives on doubles and I'm doing more boat diving I'm rediscovering the joys of single tanks. HP 130 is the ultimate do anything single tank, HP100 is IMO the best mix of capacity to size/weight. AL 80s are great as slung bailout/deco/stage cylinders as well as for monkey diving :eric: - one of my favs.
"The She-Ps didn't work for either one of us, however- we accidently glued one to Dan's cat, and the other one ended up in a DEA evidence locker somehow." - Joshua Smith
User avatar
Grateful Diver
I've Got Gills
Posts: 5322
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 7:52 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by Grateful Diver »

It depends on the dive ... if I'm doing a fairly aggressive dive in backmounted singles, I prefer an HP130 or 119 ... because I might need that much gas. If I'm teaching I prefer LP95's ... because that's all the tank I'll need for those dives. If I'm diving sidemount I prefer the HP100's ... because they trim nice and are easier to carry into and out of the water than the alternatives. If I'm doing a class in a pool I prefer an AL80 ... because it's easier to move into and out of the pool, and is way more gas than I will ever need in a pool ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Threats and ultimatums are never the best answer. Public humiliation via Photoshop is always better - airsix

Come visit me at http://www.nwgratefuldiver.com/
User avatar
LCF
I've Got Gills
Posts: 5697
Joined: Tue May 30, 2006 5:05 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by LCF »

I like Al50's in the pool. Cute little toy tanks. (The "toy tanks" I couldn't climb out of the pool with when I took my OW class . .. but next to the 130s, they're positively diminutive!)
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
User avatar
CaptnJack
I've Got Gills
Posts: 7776
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:29 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by CaptnJack »

Tanks to avoid:
AL80s in OW, too little gas too much lead
HP80s if you are tall, top heavy
HP120s if you are short, bang you in the butt

Otherwise its seems most people can make steel lp95s, hp119s, lp108s, hp130s, and/or hp100s work fine with a minimum of hassle for the majority of recreational dives.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
User avatar
Lonestar
Compulsive Diver
Posts: 371
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2010 11:55 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by Lonestar »

I dive LP95's and my son dives 80's. I dive the 95's as my dive buddies dive big tanks and that gets us pretty compatible. My son dives the steel 80's cuz a buddy gave them to me
Tim McClung

22nd Annual Scott Firefighter Stair Climb, support it: http://www.llswa.org/site/TR/Events/Big ... fr_id=1280
User avatar
lavachickie
Dive-aholic
Posts: 238
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 2:24 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by lavachickie »

Great points, all. I know what I go with and why (until recently it was whatever the shop had available but we rent all steel) but seeing what others found of importance is really helpful!
Hey Oregon Divers: check out Oregon Scuba Club! http://oregonscuba.com
Looking forward to Roatan June 2016.
User avatar
Linedog
I've Got Gills
Posts: 1268
Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:53 am

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by Linedog »

I dive HP100's because they were a great price and all my dive buddies use them. I now wish I had gotten HP120's, not just for the extra gas but after diving one they trim out better on me. Long body short little legs.
Pop tarts and gravy,
It's what's for breakfast.
User avatar
skubi
Frequent Bubbler
Posts: 27
Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2011 12:29 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by skubi »

I found that for any recreational dive in the 100’ or less range that a HP 100 was more than enough gas to do a 45min +/- no-deco dive. If I wanted to get in to the 100’-130’ range than I used the HP 119. Your no-deco time is going to chase you out of that depth long before you use the gas in your HP 119. This is assuming that you have a fairly decent air consumption rate. If you don’t then it just means you need to dive more until you do!

As for HP 120s, I’m a tall guy 6’-3” and I bought two HP 120s thinking that the length wouldn’t be a problem. Trouble was that every time I sat down with a HP 120 the tank was too long. Long story short I sold those two tanks for about half of what I paid for them and bought a HP 119.
User avatar
Matt S.
Submariner
Posts: 512
Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:08 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by Matt S. »

I own HP 119s and I love them--I can do a nice long dive and still come up with 1000 PSI.

I am about 5' 9" and don't have a problem with trim or tank fit.
User avatar
ArcticDiver
I've Got Gills
Posts: 1476
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 7:15 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by ArcticDiver »

CaptnJack wrote:Tanks to avoid:
AL80s in OW, too little gas too much lead
...

Don't you mean that instead of carrying the weight somewhere else, like your BP or harness, you prefer to carry it in your cylinder? Depending on the individual Double AL80s make a nice rig. Plus, if you travel a lot to warm water destinations with a pony bracket you can use just about the same bouyancy/trim setup cold water or warm.

The person who said to try a lot and then pick and those who said they picked based on economics are right on. Unless you are a Pro or Semi-Pro like a lot of the regulars on this forum.

Not to be too obnoxious but just had to get a word in while I'm sitting here in +95 degree heat and just finished PT.
The only box you have to think outside of is the one you build around yourself.
User avatar
CaptnJack
I've Got Gills
Posts: 7776
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:29 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by CaptnJack »

In Puget Sound, AL80s are a mistake. They require too much lead to sink them on top of sinking exposure protection. They are fine for monkey diving and such but that takes a ton of lead. Double 80s are marginally ok, I have had 2 sets in the past. 154cf is not really enough gas for Puget Sound tech diving though and they only have 24cf more gas than a single 130 for recreational dives. AL80s really aren't worth buying as a recreational single tank and with only 77cf you'll have the smallest tank and have to cut short alot of dives. Most everyone in this thread is diving tanks which are ~20cf+ larger, that's kinda saying something right there about the value of buddying up with NWDC members using AL80s as recreational tanks.

At least steel lp80s can be overfilled a bit, and hp80s have the benefit for some of being fairly heavy. Al80s have basically nothing going for them here except relatively budget prices.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
User avatar
Dashrynn
I've Got Gills
Posts: 1873
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2009 9:24 am

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by Dashrynn »

CaptnJack wrote:In Puget Sound, AL80s are a mistake. They require too much lead to sink them on top of sinking exposure protection. They are fine for monkey diving and such but that takes a ton of lead. Double 80s are marginally ok, I have had 2 sets in the past. 154cf is not really enough gas for Puget Sound tech diving though and they only have 24cf more gas than a single 130 for recreational dives. AL80s really aren't worth buying as a recreational single tank and with only 77cf you'll have the smallest tank and have to cut short alot of dives. Most everyone in this thread is diving tanks which are ~20cf+ larger, that's kinda saying something right there about the value of buddying up with NWDC members using AL80s as recreational tanks.

At least steel lp80s can be overfilled a bit, and hp80s have the benefit for some of being fairly heavy. Al80s have basically nothing going for them here except relatively budget prices.
Feel the same way, plus hp100's are about the same weight as al80's(s80's with c80's they are the same dry weight). I own both, and even in warm waters I prefer my HP100, its either add 5 pounds for al80 or not with hp100. The extra weight off my back is a no brainer.

Remember just because it has less gas doesn't mean it's always lighter.

http://www.huronscuba.com/equipment/scu ... ation.html

Now why i dive 100's? I bought them cheap and don't have the money to buy some 130's. Plus I'm a shorter guy (5ft9) the shorter tank is ideal for me. But on most dives it's more than enough gas for a dive around 60 minutes.
User avatar
camerone
Submariner
Posts: 517
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2008 7:58 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by camerone »

You know, nobody's mentioned SAC rate. If you breathe like Laura, for instance, all you need is a single AL40...but most of us don't have SAC rates in the range of 0.1 like she does :) Physical conditioning and physical size may mean that you need less gas or more gas than other folks. You need to go and figure out how much air you use...are you athletic, or are you a hoover vacuum cleaner? None of us like to lug extra weight or bulk around if we can help it, in or out of the water.

That said, physical size plays a role, too. If you're shorter, many of the HP tanks are shorter than the similar LP tanks, which may make trimming things out a little easier for you. If you're not a strong person, lugging bigger tanks is a chore.

For me, I have a pair of doubled LP80s. Why? They were free, 'cause they're hot pink, and I barely ever dive open circuit, so it doesn't matter that much to me, as they get used almost never. I'm shorter, so they trim out nicely, and I jack them up to ~3500 PSI, so they hold about the equivalent of a set of LP95s. It gets me through light extended-range diving, holds plenty for two recreational dives if I have to do that, and keeps me stable in the water. Anything more serious, and I'd do it closed circuit, anyway.

I think the most important thing in selecting a set of tanks is regardless of what size you choose at the end of the day, get a pair that matches so that you can double them up. Once you try and dive a set of doubles compared to a single tank, and you see just how solid and stable they are in the water compared to single tanks, it's hard to ever want to go back. Even if you don't plan on tech diving, it's nice to have that option, and it makes it more valuable as a sale item.

*At the end of the day, most of the time, I dive a pair of independent 13cf bottles :)
There are no stupid questions, but there sure are a lot of inquisitive idiots...
User avatar
ArcticDiver
I've Got Gills
Posts: 1476
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 7:15 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by ArcticDiver »

Most of the responses, including Capn Jack, point out that the kind of diving you and your buddies are doing is very important. It is a real pain when people who try to dive together have mixed goals and mismatched gas/dive time. If your prospective buddies all have twin 120's and excellent gas consumption probably no one is going to be happy if you show up with 80cf of gas and average gas consumption.

I'm sticking up for AL80s not because I think they are the best solution for everyone, but because they are an economical and versatile way to dive for a lot of people. Especially those who twin them and who travel.

So, the OP's question is a very good one. Cylinder choice is a lot like choices for the rest of the dive kit; a combination of economics, performance, how you dive and coordination with dive partners. I don't think there is a poor choice as long as it fits the diving you are doing.
The only box you have to think outside of is the one you build around yourself.
User avatar
Sounder
I've Got Gills
Posts: 7231
Joined: Wed May 24, 2006 2:39 pm

Re: What cylinder do you dive, and why?

Post by Sounder »

I dive HP130s and if you'd like to try them out, I have 7 you may pick from. I can do any rec dive around here on them while maintaining both enough gas for me AND my buddy should they require. Beyond that I have various sets of doubles.
GUE Seattle - The official GUE Affiliate in the Northwest!
Post Reply