Trimix Cylinder Buoyancy

[Paul S]

Hi all,

Starting to move into Trimix and I'm finding that Ali80's are really floaty even when full. So I'm thinking about steel for when I'm using trimix.
Does that make sense to people? What are others experience.

 

[Wookie]

Luxfer's shouldn't float when full. Catalinas maybe. I don't know what kind of Ali's you are diving in the UK. Anyway, I don't know many folks who don't dive steels by the time they move on to trimix, only because the water is so cold in trimix depths that you want to counter the buoyancy of the drysuit and thicker garments anyway.

 

[rivers]

I don't know anyone in the UK who uses ali cylinders for anything besides stages in the UK. Switch to steel mate

 

[dreamdive]

We use Alu 72's and put a 2# weight via a cam band on the bottom of the tank. This keeps them relatively neutral.

 

[Sidemount_Stu]

Drysuit diving = Steels.... for my money at least..... this then becomes a non-issue.

 

[a878bob]

Dry suit, trimix, and al80's for me. No problem. I'm weighted neutral without cylinders and start hanging cylinders at my 20' stop. I climb out without any cylinders on. It's really nice when the water is rough.

 

[TracyN]

I know from personal experience with my Faber 85's the ends get really floaty with trimix. I bought some Worthington 85's with heavier bottoms that I'm going to try.

 

[victorzamora]

I know from personal experience with my Faber 85's the ends get really floaty [-]with trimix.[/-]

FTFY. I've always found that Faber LP85s really start getting tail-floaty at like 1400psi.....even on nitrox.

 

[NAM001]

I dont remember the numbers but say heliox is only a couple of # shift from full to empty. so air is 8# / 100 cu ft. nitrox 8#. normal trimix's 5-6#.

example 50% he trimix. 100 ft tank.
50 cuft nitrox at 4# and 50 cuft He at 1# so the 100 cuft of 50% trimix is apx. 5# full to empty.

 

[Pullnglide]

If I have to use al80s I put a camstrap with a 4lb hard weight at the bottom of tanks. Steel is the way to go!