My husband and I are trying to choose a dive shop in Coz for May. Living Underwater and Aldora offer 120 steel tanks for longer bottom time which sounds great. However, I'm 5'4", 135 lbs, not very strong. I'm wondering if I would even be able to handle a tank like that. Does anyone know how a situation like that is likely to turn out?
strong enough to use a 120?
- Thread starter jomcclain
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They also have smaller tanks. Maybe 105 and 80 Cu ft. I doubt that women often get a 120 cu ft tank unless they ask. That is because women are overall better than guys, nicer, more fun to be around and use less air.
Also note that you do not have to run in that gear. You are helped to don the gear and with Aldora, the gear if lifted out of the water so you just climb up the ladder with no scuba gear (except wetsuit and mask).
Also note that you do not have to run in that gear. You are helped to don the gear and with Aldora, the gear if lifted out of the water so you just climb up the ladder with no scuba gear (except wetsuit and mask).
You should be fine. I am five foot one on a good day, and hardly in the first flush of youth- I dove with Aldora last week and used steel 100's, which are shorter and very manageable. Plenty of gas for one-hour-plus bottom times. Nancy
keesmon
Contributor
Yup. Steel 100's for you, 120's for your husband, unless he's also 5'4" 135 
i dive with Living Underwater and am 5'3" and 130 lbs. Years and years ago when I first began diving with LU, I used the 120s. Now that I am far better on air usage, I use the 95s. (The day before yesterday both of my dives were 85 minutes and I still had almost a third of a tank left.) The crew will help lift and hold the tank over the side of the boat when you back roll in. And you remove your gear at the end of the dive in the water, with the captain or first mate lifting it into the boat for you. Easy peasey.
Try them on your first day and if you find you have buckets of air left over, then say you want to drop down to a smaller capacity tank. It will still be more air than an aluminum 80.
eelnoraa
Contributor
The main issue with HP120 is not necessary the buoyancy or even dry weight, it is the length of this tank for your height. It is such a long tank at 28" without valve. It is 2" taller than AL80. While 2" may not sound a lot, you have to look at the tank yourself.
Fireworkswi
Contributor
Dove them with my GF with Liquid Blue, no problem, great time........
We dive with Liquid Blue too. The wife could go with steel 100's and make 60 minutes easy. But why not go with 120's and have bottom times upwards of 75-90 minute bottom times with Hector, Kami or Steve? The wife is 5'6" 130 pounds.
diver 85
Contributor
Go with a 100 HP @ Aldora's......
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