Getting my own tanks

[Octopusprime]

I am 5'7" and the HP 100s are great. I started with 2 thought I was going to make a doubles set but I found i have a hard time reaching isolator in drysuit, not to mention it is heavy.

I'm proberbly going to do side mount instead of doubles.

 

[mikescooling]

Hi Marie13, the two ladies I dive with often, both use steel HP80. The rest of the boys are on at least steel HP100 and I'm on LP&HP 120's we all end the dive at about the same time with about the same amount of gas. I didn't want to be the one thumbing the dive all the time so I got bigger tanks.
B) the DIN tank valves should have a yoke threaded insert that comes with them, the old Worthington tanks came with them. So you need nothing to dive your new tanks.
C) get a tank that can be filled by your local shop, not all shops can fill HP tanks fully, some shops can only fill to 3000PSI.

D) see if you can try some of these tanks before you buy, then once you commit to a tank size you may want to buy 2 or 3 that have following serial numbers, so they are exactly the same height, and shape. It makes them more valuable to someone who wants to double them up.

 

[MPW50]

Agreed on the HP 80's. For your height you will love the weight, buoyancy characteristics and more importantly the dimensions of the 80's. My wife who is 5'0 absolutely loves her HP 80's. I dive with the HP 117 and love mine but am also 6'2 220. Dimensionally, both are smaller than an AL80 with the exception of the 117 being an 8 inch tank. There is really only one HP steel tank manufacturer anymore to consider when buying new. (Faber) Check out their specs. on their website and you can see all the specifics for each tank. Blue Steel Scuba - Cylinder Specs

If you can, test out different ones. Be careful though, some of the older HP steel tanks (i.e. Worthingtons) are different dimensions than they are today so make sure you measure and cross reference the specs.

Good luck!

Matt

 

[tankdives]

I'm an inch shorter than you. I also dive a Halcyon Infinity with drysuit. I have a steel HP 80. it's great. That said, the chilly water temps here in B.C. means I can't stay down longer than 40 minutes. So, an 80 has enough air. I also carry a 30 cf aluminum pony.

 

[archer1960]

I have two Al 80s, and two HP117s. I'm a bit of an air hog, so usually use the 117s local unless I'm with a group that I know will have a short dive. I like them, but they're a bit heavier than the 80s. But for your use, they're also shorter (and fatter), which gives me a bit more leeway for trimming it up high to alleviate my sinking legs.

 

[archer1960]

I have a hard enough time schlepping AL80s around right now (although I'm building my strength by moderate weight work), so I don't want to go that much heavier.

As for used, I don't trust CL (too many weird experiences). I've gone through back listings (SB and a FB group) and it seems to be very rare to find decent used tanks in my area. Seems (at least that's my impression) most used tanks are in either FL or CA.

I've had better luck on eBay than Craig's list.

 

[guruboy]

I've gotten 50+ used AL80 tanks off CL. All passed hydro.

Craigslist is your best bet really. You could try some of those new apps like Letgo and Offerup if it makes you feel better.

 

[Marie13]

Update:

I brought a new AL80 home a couple of days ago from DRIS. Brushed finish (silver), not painted. Got a Blue Steel convertible valve on it. Why AL80? All my local dive buddies dive them (the gal buddy with the HP80s isn't local to me). It's what I'm used to and what is accounted for with my weighting. I simply didn't feel like starting over right now trying to figure out weighting with different tanks. I'll get another one before warmer weather.

I'll look at different tanks again later.

 

[rx7diver]

I brought a new AL80 home a couple of days ago from DRIS... Why AL80? All my local dive buddies dive them...

Marir13,

An Al 80 seems a surprising choice to me for you, given your plans to dive Great Lakes shipwrecks dry. An HP 100 (same OD, a bit shorter, and not much heavier than an Al 80) would seem a better choice. Keep in mind that the better wrecks are a bit deeper, so you will need the greater capacity. And if you dive nitrox, your NDL limit will be a bit longer, so you will need the greater capacity. And the buoyancy characteristics of an HP 100 will work much better for you in your drysuit.

It's too bad you made this purchase before you had a chance to try a HP 100 on one of those dives you want to be doing. Can you still return it? Do you have a grace period?

An HP 100 is not an inexpensive purchase, I know. However, it will last forever!

EDIT: When I first began diving Great Lakes shipwrecks (dry), I used an HP 80. (It's what I owned at the time.) Then I switched to an HP 100 for a bit. The HP 80 was/is an excellent tank. However, the HP 100 gave me the additional capacity for the deeper rec depths, and it was more compatible with what people around me were using.

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

 

[stuartv]

Good for you on breaking out of analysis paralysis!

Just for the record, this does not need to be true:

I simply didn't feel like starting over right now trying to figure out weighting with different tanks.

Most AL80s are +4.4# buoyant when empty. Different HP100s are different, but, as an example, mine are -1.5# buoyant when empty.

If you know your weighting with an AL80, then all you need to know is the empty buoyancy of the AL80 you've been using and the empty buoyancy of the HP100 (or whatever) you're thinking of. Subtract one from the other and that tells you how much weight to change and still hit the water just right.

For mine: -1.5 - 4.4 = -5.9#. So, if I got from an AL80 to my HP100, I am 6# more negative than I was before (comparing empty to empty) and I can take 6# off my rig or belt and hit the water with pretty much exactly the same buoyancy when I get to my safety stop at the end.

The only thing to really work out is your trim. Going from an AL80 to an HP100 *might* change your trim a little and prompt you to move a little weight around. Maybe. But, any change there will probably be pretty darn minor.