Sidemount, Drysuit and Weight Hell

[decompression]

Many people use tanks for weight in drysuits.
Especially the Euro12Liter versions range from 12,3 to 14,3 Kilograms empty. Up to 2 Kilos negative empty for 300bar versions.

Because people do it doesn't make it right, you were trained by HP Hartman weren't you? Did he teach you to use your tanks as weight?

What manufacturer are these tanks? Faber, Scubapro? I'd like to see the specs....

 

[Razorista]

...HP Hartman weren't you? Did he teach you to use your tanks as weight?...

I was diving tanks 8 lbs negative in the gosidemount training. Because I could only get a 3 sizes too large replacement drysuit that actually went quite unexpectedly well.

HP teaches to use neutral tanks and he teaches to not get to negative even with tanks attached, it is a bit 'tricky'

 

[Razorista]

What manufacturer are these tanks? Faber, Scubapro? I'd like to see the specs....

All seem to be Faber or MES with similar specs.
12,3kg are Faber 200 bar 12liter sold mostly from Italy.
13,8-14,3kg is the range for Faber 12liter 230bar tanks (used for most backmounted doubles around here).
Normal 12 liter with flat bottom and 12 liter 300 bar get up to 2,5-3 kilo negative empty and heavier ones exist.

 

[Razorista]

I personally dive 19liter 230 bar (rarely).
More than a kilo negative each, even below 'one third'.
Empty still drop like a stone with reg on them and those are floaty for their size.

 

[Razorista]

Friend of mine using 12 Liter 14,1 kg tanks, dives with 4 kilos of lead with those, adds 2 kilos for aluminum:

 

[decompression]

All seem to be Faber or MES with similar specs.
12,3kg are Faber 200 bar 12liter sold mostly from Italy.
13,8-14,3kg is the range for Faber 12liter 230bar tanks (used for most backmounted doubles around here).
Normal 12 liter with flat bottom and 12 liter 300 bar get up to 2,5-3 kilo negative empty and heavier ones exist.

Good to know, thanks.

 

[Razorista]

btw: 15 kilos on my Razor yesterday:

 

[Bennno]

@decompression
Not that it matters, but those 'Faber' cylinders Razor is referring to are actually ECS (Eurocylinders) not Fabers. These days almost all tanks you see in Europe are made by ECS and sold by BTS.

 

[Razorista]

not that it matters:
Faber cylinder specs: Faber Industrie

 

[victorzamora]

Huh?

With few exceptions (there maybe some EU tanks I'm not familiar with), steel tanks when empty are 1-2 lbs pos, neutral or 1-2 lbs neg. the Faber M100 (12 ltr) is an outlier at 7 lbs neg. As you mentioned before, correctly, the goal is to be neutral throughout the entire dive. If weighted properly, there should be no issues descending or holding a stop at 3m.

This list isn't complete, but it's a good reference for tanks on this side of the pond. Empty with a valve, I only see 2 steel tanks that are positive. The tanks I'm diving with (and trying to sell) are 3.3lbs negative....plus regs and gas puts them at very negative. Heiser MP120s are 17.82lbs negative while completely empty.