Aluminum vs. Steel Tanks

[Mike Newman]

Here's my rant...
http://home.gwi.net/~spectrum/scuba_al80.html

Being in New England it is very applicable to your diving.... Steel is probably your best choice.

Pete

I don't know whether this helped the original enquirer, but I loved the tank spec chart referenced from your 'rant'. Thanks

 

[shotthebreeze]

i would think that the steel tank would corrode more easily than the aluminum. doesn't the aluminum have a painted finish while the steel tank doesn't? maybe the steel tank has a clear finish that i'm not seeing...

 

[spectrum]

Most steel tanks have a hot dipped galvanized finish that is very durable and self healing to some extent. Others have flash galvanize and an colored epoxy finish of sorts. No steel tanks have an unfinished exterior.

The corrosion that is of real concern is internal where for all intents an purposes all modern cylinders can be considered to be bare metal. If any get water, especially salt water in them problems outlined above will follow.

Given good air, proper filling and annual inspections corrosion resistance rates way down on my list of tank selection criteria.

Pete

 

[Adobo]

I might be wrong, but wasn't the cracking, exploding risks for the dive shops who filled the tanks, not the user? And has anyone heard of a new Luxor Al80 tank exploding?
Steel has corrosion issues, too. I agree steel is better for the weight issue alone, certainly for quarry diving where we have to walk a distance to the entry point...on a boat, the dry weight isn't as big an issue...
As they say, six of one, half dozen of the other...

I dunno about this OP but there are definitely lots of people who would rather do without the extra weight.

As an example, worthington x7-100s (steel) are -2.5lbs buoyancy when empty. Luxfer 80s (aluminum) are between 4.5lbs positive. That means that the same diver will have to wear 7lbs extra lead when diving an al 80 than when diving an x7-100. Because the Luxfer 80s are 1.5lbs lighter on land, than means that the diver will wear a total of 5.5lbs extra weight.

5.5lbs may not be a lot to you but I can definitely feel that difference.


Edit: Oops... sory. redundant with the link provided previously.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

Here's my rant...
http://home.gwi.net/~spectrum/scuba_al80.html

Being in New England it is very applicable to your diving.... Steel is probably your best choice.

Pete

I agree with Pete on this, as I do on so many things.

Although I own Aluminum tanks, I am phasing them out and going to steel. I prefer weight on my back, not my belt.

You didn't ask, but a steel tank with a DIN regulator is probably the most elegant set-up. Of course, if you travel a lot, you would probably want a different regulator configuration for North America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America where the yoke fitted AL80 rules.

Jeff