Aluminum VS Steel

[Kaiser]

I am currently in the market for a tank. Having been to the LDS and talking to friends I am totally confused. One says Aluminum is better because theyare cheaper and don't corrode as fast as steel does, the other says Steel because of bouyance and size. Could someone shed some light on this for me?

 

[alemaozinho]

I am currently in the market for a tank. Having been to the LDS and talking to friends I am totally confused. One says Aluminum is better because theyare cheaper and don't corrode as fast as steel does, the other says Steel because of bouyance and size. Could someone shed some light on this for me?

if you,ll take care of your steel tanks then you,ll be surprised when taking them later in your life to the nursing home.And if they,re oxygen cleaned , they,ll find use there too,peace

 

[Kriterian]

I am currently in the market for a tank....Could someone shed some light on this for me?

Aluminum goes from close to neutral at the beginning of the dive to bouyant when it is low on air. This means you'll need to carry more weight to stay down when you're doing that all important safety stop.

Steel starts negative and stays slightly negative when empty. This means you get to carry less weight on your belt/BC because the tank will be weighing you down. Steel is heavier on land though, so there is a trade-off there.

I've never heard the corrosion factor before, I would assume that they're close or so small a difference it's not worth taking into consideration.

 

[mempilot]

I am currently in the market for a tank. Having been to the LDS and talking to friends I am totally confused. One says Aluminum is better because theyare cheaper and don't corrode as fast as steel does, the other says Steel because of bouyance and size. Could someone shed some light on this for me?

Those are both true. I switched to low pressure steel for the bouyancy, as well as low filling pressures. I had high pressure steels prior to that, and aluminum's prior to that.

AL 80, pretty standard workhorse, but a little positive when at the end of the dive unless you get the neutral AL's, or you have to wear an extra 2-4 lbs of weight to compensate.

HP 80 or 100, smaller size than the AL due to higher pressures. A HP100 is about the same size as an AL80. Negative throughout the dive and you can shed some weight from the belt. At the end of the dive, they are still slightly neg. Can be a problem getting nitrox filles depending on the mix and whether your shop can work with the higher pressures. Go DIN for sure with these tanks in my opinion.

LP Steels, I love these tanks. I switched to LP98's for the bouyancy, light weight by size, and durability. You have to treat nicks and scratches, but so what. Neg 7lbs up front, and neutral at the end. Perfect. The 98's are a good height too. The low working pressure allows for overfills giving huge amounts of gas.

Prices:

AL80 $130
HP ST 80 $225
LP ST 98 $300

 

[ShakaZulu]

I dive one of these, but seem to run out of NDL all the time. Pretty difficult to handle out off the water..........

http://stainlesssteeltanks.info/

 

[ShakaZulu]

It also serves as backup air for the entire dive group.

 

[mempilot]

Does she wear that white outfit in the water, or just on the boatride out?

I dive one of these, but seem to run out of NDL all the time. Pretty difficult to handle out off the water..........

http://stainlesssteeltanks.info/

 

[pasley]

I've never heard the corrosion factor before, I would assume that they're close or so small a difference it's not worth taking into consideration.

Like all things, tanks require maintence. Steel can corrode, particularly if you don't remove the boot and clean under it well. I own only AL, due to cost factors. Attached is a link to a website about a Steel tank that was not maintained properly and the problems that caused the owner!

http://www.diveshop-pr.com/pages.dir/engl.dir/tankexplosion.html

So, moral of story, Steel or AL, take care of it, get it inspected regularly, and clean it.

 

[mossym]

I dive one of these, but seem to run out of NDL all the time. Pretty difficult to handle out off the water..........

http://stainlesssteeltanks.info/

:d:d

thanks for the smile on a friday afternoon, was needed!!

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Steel tanks will last for decades (50-60 years and counting for some steel tanks) given reasonable care, annual VIPS and maybe a tumble every ten years to remove accumulated flash rust.

I would not bet on AL tanks lasting nearly that long.

Steel tanks are also generally lighter for a given size when you factor in the additional weights needed with AL tanks.