1st set of doubles

[OneBrightGator]

What do/are your buddies diving?

I like longer tanks, I'd go with the 85s or whatever the old PST LP80s are now.

 

[Snowbear]

Well I guess to each his (her) own, but I was just thinking that it would be better to determine that you couldn't comfortably put on a pair of 95s before you bought them, instead of afterwards. But you may not have a problem, I dunno.

Donning comfort is an issue for some folks I guess. I look at more important things like buoyancy characteristics while I'm actually using them (you know - while diving in the water ). I'm short, as divers go, and have not noticed donning difficulties from a little steel 72 to the doubled HP120's that end up ~ mid-thigh. If I found I had to sit around for a long time in a tank that was too short... well.... I suppose I would have to go find a longer tank

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Heh, good point. I guess if someone is sitting around with their tank on, maybe they should get their priorities in line. e.g., maybe actually get in the water!

Okay I retract my statement about them being too short. Ooh, yay this means I might get some 95s instead of 130s to start with......

 

[Snowbear]

I guess if someone is sitting around with their tank on, maybe they should get their priorities in line. e.g., maybe actually get in the water!

 

[OneBrightGator]

Ugh, I hate 95s, too short for me to balance out, I was always heels over head with them.

 

[StSomewhere]

Sorry to threadjack Slider's thread, but I'm in the market for a pair of steel tanks myself with an eye towards maybe pairing them up as doubles at some point in the future.

What about the PST E7's or E8's instead of the Fabers? Like maybe the E7-100's or E8-119's? Especially the E7-100's seem to be a good combination of weight out of the water to the amount of gas they hold, or are they too short at 24" for someone of average height as far as balance and trim is concerned? Would the E7-120's be better? Worse?

I really like the size of the E7-100's but I hate to buy expensive equipment now that won't be useful later.

 

[ChrisA]

Well I guess to each his (her) own, but I was just thinking that it would be better to determine that you couldn't comfortably put on a pair of 95s before you bought them, instead of afterwards. But you may not have a problem, I dunno.

I agree. Many people say it does not mater how comfortable a tank or BC is when out of the water, that's it's only in-water performance that counts. That may be true if you only dive off of boats. But if you do a lot of beach dives where you have to hike your gear up and down access trails or many flights of stairs you will start to think of the BC as a backpack. Being able to easly gearup without help or not is one of those little things takes make diving either easy or a lot of work. I'll bet anyone here that they spend more diving related time out of the water than under it. Making your like easy when out of the water does mater. Easy storage and transpart, a quick system of rinsing and low maintainace gear (PST Galv. finish) all adds up.

One in the water, painted or galvanized, 26" or 24" 7.25 or 8 diameter matters little but out of the water it matters more.

I'm short so I like the 24 inch tanks. I have Faber LP95 nad PST LP80 and an old steel 72.
the 95 is a monster. I couldn't image walking with two of those on my back.

 

[Snowbear]

Many people say it does not mater how comfortable a tank or BC is when out of the water, that's it's only in-water performance that counts.

Most of my dives are from shore.

I don't think I'll hike my double HP120's up that Sunrise Beach hill again, though

 

[theskull]

I consider my Faber LP 95s to be my hiking and hill-climbing doubles, light and sleek. Perhaps that's because my other set is PST LP 104s.

Both sets are comfy enough while sitting. And yeah, after enough years of use the paint on the Fabers shows a little bit of wear-scratches and rub-off on the bottoms, but I'm not usually modelling while I'm diving and don't mind not looking like a newly minted techie.

theskull

 

[mweitz]

Sorry to threadjack Slider's thread, but I'm in the market for a pair of steel tanks myself with an eye towards maybe pairing them up as doubles at some point in the future.

What about the PST E7's or E8's instead of the Fabers? Like maybe the E7-100's or E8-119's? Especially the E7-100's seem to be a good combination of weight out of the water to the amount of gas they hold, or are they too short at 24" for someone of average height as far as balance and trim is concerned? Would the E7-120's be better? Worse?

I really like the size of the E7-100's but I hate to buy expensive equipment now that won't be useful later.

I'm 5'10 and my wife is 5'2 and we both dive double E7-100's. We both seem to trim out pretty well too.