Quad-Manifolds. Doable?

[syntaxerrorsix]

Don't over think it.

Just go dive and get better at handling the available equipment as opposed to re-inventing the wheel. You may be pleasantly surprised to know I've taught several 10 year olds to dive using AL63 and they had no problems whatsoever.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Look into sidemount diving and it might be the way you would go, your going to dive wrecks in the great lakes anyways. my wife was 5' and dove al 80 steel 102 and I even enjoy the 63 and 50's.

faber has a short steel 80 it is 3000 psi and has the leisure of less weight on belt, plus when filled to 3500 there is more gas supply in a very small tank.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

 

[dfuller299]

Wow.

Why not just try a steel 72 if the steel 80 is to big?

Heck I'll give you one if you promise to delete that horrid spare air monstrosity

Deal XD.

@MaxBottom. Wow that's a pretty crazy dive.

In retrospect now given these replies, they have me thinking that most of the suggestions should suffice after all. I was in part thinking this way since it appeared that the only suggested standard for diving would be using steel or aluminum 80s.

I'm not saying that size matters alone (as air capacity is important) but what's the smallest tank most people dive with safely? 63s?

The 40s looked nice but it was not recommended for diving with them when I asked.

 

[g1138]

I'm not saying that size matters alone (as air capacity is important) but what's the smallest tank most people dive with safely? 63s?

The 40s looked nice but it was not recommended for diving with them when I asked.

Depends on your depth. Good rule of thumb is to not dive deeper than the cu.ft rating of your tank. So no deeper than 50ft on an Al 50, no deeper than 63ft on an Al 63 etc etc.

I have broken this rule before many times, but usually I calculate a gas plan below 60ft. If not then I pull rule of thirds, which has led to some short 20min dives.

The smallest back gas tank I have ever seen people using are Al 50's. Any smaller and the tank usually doesn't fit in the tank straps.

 

[DaleC]

To quote the bard: "There are more things in heaven and earth, than can be dreamed of in your philosophy Horatio".

This is the UDS-1 system (1975) - 3 35cuft tanks with an integrated first stage in the manifold and j valved 10cuft reserve:



Do a search for the 1970's era ABS system - 3 30cuft tanks with one outlet:


Cousteau and others had several triple and Quadruple set ups:



Here I am testing my twin Al40 setup with a single outlet USD center post manifold. Eventually they will cradle an independent 19cuft tank between them as a reserve and all will be housed in a clamshell: