Steel versus Aluminum... is steel better?

[orch1ds]

So I'm having a hard time keeping my safety stops when my AL 80 tank is about 800 PSI and less. I'm literally inverted kicking with all my might just to not pop to the surface. This is getting to be way too much and I'm scared every time I go deep now because I"m afraid if I get too tired I will just shoot to the top.

When I first bought my gear I didn't know anything about tanks and just bought the one recommended by the dive shop which is my AL80.

I've had no problem with the safety stops when I had about 1500 psi or more. So does this mean I should get a steel tank? Or am I just still too weak in my skills? Probably both?

I have 15 dives now. So clearly I'm still fine tuning... but another instructor I spoke to suggested I switch over to steel tanks.

Can I overcome this or do I really need to now invest in a steel tank and sell my brand new al 80?

Thanks!

 

[300bar]

IMO yes go steel.
But you could also add 2 lbs for the time being,
with time and experiance you will drop some weights.

 

[Quaack]

You need to do your weight check with 500 psi or less.
You just need a little more weight.
AL tanks are bouyant when empty, steels are not,
due to being heavier.

Dave

 

[Catt99]

Your inability to maintain a safety stop, whether with 500 psi or 1500 psi, is an indication that (i) you are underweighted, or (ii) you are not properly emptying your BC / drysuit of excess air as you ascend. In the case of the BC, it should generally be empty at the safety stop depth. Swapping a steel tank for an aluminum simply adds more weight (or technically, negative bouyancy) -- you could just as easily add more weight to your weightbelt or BC.

 

[porbeagle]

Hi, Sounds like a weighting problem to me.
If you are neutral at 1500 you shure need more lead.
Strive for neutral bouyancy with 500 in your tank with empty bc .
A steel tank has nothing to do with it.
Search sb for treads on weighting, this is a common and easily solved problem.
Luck, Porbeagle

 

[imasinker]

Have you done the proper weight check, sounds to me your a little under weighted? steel is nice less weight, the cost is more. Nice thing about steels of course is you can get a higher pressure from say 3000 psi as in an AL 80 to 3400 or more with steel. They are heavier of course at the start of the dive than a Al 80. Just remember you need and extra 5 pounds per AL 80. when I first started out I had a simular problem with proper weighting. Make sure you get that fixed up first before you venture off into buying steels, rent one first and do a few dives to see what you feel, we all are different and some times what works for one diver doesn't always work for another.

Good luck

I dive dry...180 in body weight with a trilam suit, stilleto Bcd, turtle fins and I use about 24 pounds with an AL 80. If I go steel I usually drop about 7 - 8 pounds and dive comfortabley in the Great lakes fresh water.

 

[jupitermermaid]

I don't think you need to get rid of your Al's in order to get steels. I love my steels because they are smaller (80 cf in steel is smaller in size than 80 cf Al), becomes negatively buoyant (hence no problem shooting to the top with low air, though that's no problem for me at this point), and I don't have to wear as much weight...I can drop 6 lbs when I use my steels). With that said, when I dive shallow dives with air (20' or less), I opt for the aluminum and add more weight just so I don't get complacent using a steel all the time, and it forces me to practice bettter buoyancy control independent of the type of my tank. Some of the skills to practice buoyancy, control include how much lung capacity you use while breathing to keep you from floating to the top, trim, and proper weight, regardless of how much air you have left in your tank. Tank selection should never replace good skills; however, with that being said, I LOVE my steels!!!

 

[orch1ds]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I just had a DUH moment. Weights!

 

[imasinker]

Whatever you give a woman, she's going to multiply. If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.'
So - if you give her crap, you will get a bucket full of BM.

lol.......

 

[ligersandtions]

orch1ds, a quick suggestion for you....go out to Vet's, do your dive slightly overweighted, at the end of the dive, go to 15 feet and lay down on the sandy bottom. At this point, get all the air out of your BC, purge your tank down to 500 psi, and inhale and exhale as you normally would. If at this point you don't rise off the ground with each inhalation and drop back down when you exhale, take a pound or two off....repeat this process until you find the weight at which you are neutral with 500 psi and no air in your BC.

Vet's is an extremely good place because it's a very slight slope with a sandy bottom. Once you figure that weighting out, you'll be able to maintain safety stops with your AL80.