would al80 be better for me?

[jezellw]

I've used an AL100 a few times when I started diving because I was using a lot of air. I didn't notice much of a problem other than the tank wanted to roll from one side to the other. When I switched to the AL80 I didn't have the problem.

 

[Instructor_Tom]

thanks for the quick responses.

im neutral to slightly negative buoyant
bc is a stiletto
worthington hp100
no exposure protection just swimsuit.

this is doing beach dives/bridge dives at around 30ft saltwater

going to get a few more dives in on the hp tank and see if i can get a feel for it.

porkhop;

I dive a stiletto with an LP108 and 6lb of ditch-able weight when in a swim suit. I'm 6'1" and a very floaty 220lbs. diving steel takes a little getting used to but once you have your configuration nailed you will prefer it over AL80s. I never dive AL any more unless I have no choice.


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[chrpai]

@porkchopexpress:

The two main considerations are weighting and trim. With regard to weighting, breath the tank down to 500psi and do a neutral buoyancy check at the end of your dive. With an empty BCD, are you able to float at eye level with a normal breath of air in your lungs? If yes, weight is good and an HP100 is good for you. If you are sinking, you are overweighted and you should consider changing tanks or adding more buoyancy such as a wetsuit. If you want to keep the tank, make sure you can "swim it up" with no air in your BCD from say 15'-20'. This would be important since you have no ditchable weight.

 

[hellboy888]

I owned an AL80,When i stated making dives..
I think AL80 is ideal one if you are an fresher in this..

 

[SubMariner]

thanks for the quick responses.

im neutral to slightly negative buoyant
bc is a stiletto
worthington hp100
no exposure protection just swimsuit.

this is doing beach dives/bridge dives at around 30ft saltwater

going to get a few more dives in on the hp tank and see if i can get a feel for it.

If you are going to be down for any appreciable period of time, you are going to need exposure protection because you will get cold. Likewise, if you are diving around bridges where it's possible to get pushed into stuff that can give you a good scrape. IOW, a full 3mm would not be a bad idea.

So do a weight check with 3mm + all your dive gear; I think you may find that an HP100 may not be so "heavy" afterall, esp if it means having a minimum amount of weight on your belt.

BTW, is there some particular reason why you decided on a steel 100 as opposed to a steel 80? Just wondering...

Pax,

 

[dumpsterDiver]

It depends mostly on your own body's buoyancy. A large, fat person might love the steel tank in a bathing suit. Someone who is neutral in the water (thin and/or muscular) the steel tank with no suit may not feel comfortable. If you are diving 30 feet, it is not a huge deal.

At the start of the dive swim to the bottom, completely deflate the BC and swim up at 30 feet per second. If that is 'hard" then the steel tank is not for this application, if it is easy.. then go for it...

Even with a total BC failure, you could always ditch the tank and swim up 30 feet, RIGHT?

 

[mistafong]

Lots of good advice here, but I'll add something I didn't see: cost. Just using Leisure Pro as a quick way to check, for the price of a Worthington HP100 you could have 2 AL80's and $69ish left over to fill them several times (typically $8 near me).
Taking a few pounds off is very nice, and 20ish more cuft of air is, at a minimum, nice to have (depending on your air consumption and/or how long you like/need to dive, maybe it's required), but more than double the price? It's not that nice to have! My two cents anyways...

 

[fnfalman]

Lots of good advice here, but I'll add something I didn't see: cost. Just using Leisure Pro as a quick way to check, for the price of a Worthington HP100 you could have 2 AL80's and $69ish left over to fill them several times (typically $8 near me).
Taking a few pounds off is very nice, and 20ish more cuft of air is, at a minimum, nice to have (depending on your air consumption and/or how long you like/need to dive, maybe it's required), but more than double the price? It's not that nice to have! My two cents anyways...

Aluminum 80 is nice on the wallet and that's about it.