Tanks used for SM

What size tanks do you use and why? When picking the tanks what is it that your looking for? I have seen LP's HP's steels. I have seen Al80's and 63's It is just a matter of choice or is there a fine line somewhere. I know that tank weight in relation to buoyancy and trim play a part.

Buoyancy, tank size, and application are my main factors. I like a tank that is around 8 lb negative when full. I use to dive with Faber hp 100s but thy are WAY too negative for side mount. Now I use tanks with better buoyancy characteristics. I have a set of Faber 45s that i use for really small stuff. They provide over 100 cuft and are nice to practice with.
I am short so I use shorter tanks. But I know tall guys who like longer tanks.
It all really depends on your body type and your preference.
Beat thing to do is borrow a few different sets and try them out and see what works for you.

Scott

Mine was because mine are steel and I did not need extra weight. They are lp and have the + rating. But the lds I bought them from who's marketing strategy was the slight overfill, but after I bought them I found out they will not overfill them. I guess that is just what they tell you so they can make the sale.

LakeCountyDiver:

What size tanks do you use and why? When picking the tanks what is it that your looking for? . . . It is just a matter of choice or is there a fine line somewhere. I know that tank weight in relation to buoyancy and trim play a part.

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I use PST HP 100s (my preferred tanks), and AL80s. Both tank sets trim out very well - for me - when I use appropriate weighting (I put weight pockets on my bottom tank cam bands with the 80s, and add weight to the pockets, to keep the bottoms from getting too floaty). I like the 100s, because I can take weight off my waist, AND they are short enough for me (at 5'10") to have no trouble with good horizontal trim. I have also used my buddy's LP112s, and I like them a lot. I do think there is a strong element of personal preference - what works well for YOU and your individual buoyancy/trim characteristics.

I mainly use 104s. Trim well for me and hold a lot of gas. I like the fact they never get floaty on the tail so stay in the same place throughout a dive. Don't need any extra weight.
They would not work well on any dive that requires unclipping the bottom of the tank and putting it in front of you to negotiate a restriction.

First thing to decide is how much gas you need then take it from there.

Mopar:

Mine was because mine are steel and I did not need extra weight. They are lp and have the + rating. But the lds I bought them from who's marketing strategy was the slight overfill, but after I bought them I found out they will not overfill them. I guess that is just what they tell you so they can make the sale.

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oh dive shops infuriate me sometimes... the 10% overfill only gets you to the rated volume... A LP95 is only 95 cubic feet at 2640psi not 2400...

Anyway, I buy HP tanks over LP with the exception of 72's...
Why? I buy them knowing what the LP equivalent is, and I bank on getting them back at 3000-3200psi. I don't know why people get so bloody fed up about getting short fills either...
Also, no clue why you care what their full buoyancy characteristics are. The empty one is the only one that matters
Anywho, I dive HP120's or HP100's for sidemount if I can help it. I'm tall, and have a extra long transpac on my Nomad so the 120's trim out nice, and the 100's have the cam bands almost at the bottom shoulder and trim out fine down there. 120's are a bit better for me though. Any tanks you use will really be fine as long as they are long enough to get the leverage going on at the cam band and reach up to your shoulder

I have 60s, 72s, Worthington LP85s, Faber LP95s, Worthington LP108s, and PST LP121s. Still looking for 45s. They all have their uses. I don't recommend Fabers in anything but the shorter 95s. Any longer and the bottoms start to float in the low 2000psi range. The 95s are great, though. They're shorter and hold trim till you get down into the mid teens. The best cylinder for you depends on a lot of factors. Avoid anything larger than 95s if you dive wet. I can'y dive my 108s wet because I'm so overweighted my wing can't even compensate.

What tanks?

Whichever makes the most sense, or closest to making the most sense with what I have available...

From a newb that asked the same kind of questions . . . Decide your priorities and go from there.

In my case, the priorities were:

Out-of-water weight
The most gas I could get for the least tank
Usability - single or SM, fits on the dive boats I use, etc (ruled out 8" dia tanks)
Behavior as the gas volume gets low
No extreme buoyancy characteristics

I picked the Worthington X7-100 because -
- weighs ~ the same as an AL 80
- most gas I could get in a tank that is ~ weight of AL 80
- good tank for single or SM, according to half of ScubaBoard (who I asked) :chuckle:
- doesn't change trim characteristics as it gets low
- no huge buoyancy swing

Ruled out PSTs due to some supportability issues I was told about - didn't want to buy from a firm having issues.

One thing I missed was coordinating gas fills with my lds. Instead of discussing my needs, I simply asked if he could fill a tank to 3500. He said yes. However, that is only when he pulls out his gasoline-powered compressor; the electric one he has set to 3000 and it stays there. So, unless it is the summer 'load' time, I end up with short fills.

All the above because I have limited storage and budget and choose to not have a dozen tanks around . . . even if the idea is really appealing.

Hope this helps.

You and that bike of yours are looking pretty good these days Jax. !