Is there something better than a Faber LP 85 ?

[Fishpie]

For over 15 years my favorite primary singles tanks have been the original "Genesis" 3.5k HP Pressed Steel with the narrow neck. They are the same diameter at a Al80 and about an inch taller.
I like them because they are not excessively heavy.
I haven't looked after these tanks and they are rusting around the outside where the galvanizing has been lost. It is probably time they were retired.

When coupled with a SS plate, minimal wing and 3-5mm wetsuit I don't need any weight.
The reason I like these tanks so much is I can achieve my buoyancy goal of being "unstable".

Let me explain.
I want to be able to stop and hover in any position I like...be that vertical, horizontal, standing on my head or any position in between.
I want my CG to be dead center of my body.
This is difficult to achieve with a steel tank as it puts a lot of weight away from my mid point and the usual stable position is upside down laying on my back.

The current trend seems to be horizontal only, which is a simple task as all that is needed is a big floppy 30lb wing to taco around the tank.....horizontal works great if you are diving doubles and making deco stops but not what I want to achieve for single tank no stop diving.
I really believe in as little drag as possible and don't use a big wing.

Truth be told the best tank would be a regular aluminium 80 and a couple of 2 lb weights positioned as close to my belly button as possible at the beginning of the dive and then slide the weights around towards the plate as the tank empties, but I've got used to having the extra air of the 120's.

It's been a while since I've been tank shopping.
I'm 6'2" so stubbies don't work for me.
I need a 100ish cf long skinny tank with the buoyancy characteristics as close to an Al80 as possible.
Is there anything out there that is better than a Faber 85?

 

[halocline]

Except for the volume, LP72 sounds kind of what you're looking for. Definitely my favorite tank to dive with in terms of buoyancy/trim/dry weight. They're about the size of LP85s but with a lower pressure rating and the resulting lower dry weight (26lbs!)

What about the long HP120s? (faber FX, worthington)

Edit: Actually, if I'm thinking about the correct 3500 PST tank, aren't the faber FX100s pretty similar?

Maybe I'm thinking of a different tank.

 

[Fishpie]

72's are what I use for beach dives.....I have over a dozen of them left over from when I was predominately teaching kids.

I am looking for the least negatively buoyant, small diameter, higher capacity steel tank.

I am a bit dubious of the figures given in the tank stats tables.......mainly because when I compare my current PST 120 3500psi tank to the PST E-7 120 it just doesn't make sense.
It has the E-7 120 as -10.5 full and 0 empty and the HP 120 as -10.3 full and -1.3 empty........both tanks are 120's yet there's over a pound difference in the weight of gas they hold.

I haven't dove an E7 but I've handled many and they are definitely heavier than my HP's.......the specs have it the other way round.

 

[redacted]

72's are what I use for beach dives.....I have over a dozen of them left over from when I was predominately teaching kids.

I am looking for the least negatively buoyant, small diameter, higher capacity steel tank.

I am a bit dubious of the figures given in the tank stats tables.......mainly because when I compare my current PST 120 3500psi tank to the PST E-7 120 it just doesn't make sense.
It has the E-7 120 as -10.5 full and 0 empty and the HP 120 as -10.3 full and -1.3 empty........both tanks are 120's yet there's over a pound difference in the weight of gas they hold.

I haven't dove an E7 but I've handled many and they are definitely heavier than my HP's.......the specs have it the other way round.

Yes, there is something wrong with the E7 data. It is still a 9+ lb gas swing. TDL has the same error.

This site looks more reasonable: http://diver.net/chris/PST_Scuba_2006_Product_Specifications.pdf

TD

 

[Fishpie]

Thanks for the different stats.......gotta say still dubious, as this chart has the old 104 as only -0.5 empty and there's no way those suckers are that light. It's my tank of choice when diving dry just because they are so heavy.

 

[NAM001]

This may be moot, but without looking at the tank specs i will say that there are some 120 tanks that has capacity of 125 and others that have less thatn 120. 1# is about a 10 cu/ft difference. The lp85's are nice tanks and give you almost 10% more gas than the al80 at thier + rating. Not to mention the big pluss and that is they are LP tanks. Just opinion of course.

72's are what I use for beach dives.....I have over a dozen of them left over from when I was predominately teaching kids.

I am looking for the least negatively buoyant, small diameter, higher capacity steel tank.

I am a bit dubious of the figures given in the tank stats tables.......mainly because when I compare my current PST 120 3500psi tank to the PST E-7 120 it just doesn't make sense.
It has the E-7 120 as -10.5 full and 0 empty and the HP 120 as -10.3 full and -1.3 empty........both tanks are 120's yet there's over a pound difference in the weight of gas they hold.

I haven't dove an E7 but I've handled many and they are definitely heavier than my HP's.......the specs have it the other way round.

 

[Fishpie]

Looks like the Faber LP85 at about +1.5 empty still is the most buoyant steel tank.....if the figures are to be believed.

....I might be over obsessing here since I don't really need the extra gas over an Al80 (I will usually use just the one tank (HP120) for both dives when boat diving, unless I want to use different mixes.
Another option is the 3300psi Catalina AL 90's but they don't turn up very often.

 

[neonstingray]

As mentioned an HP100 or FX100 is pretty similar to an LP85. Don't confuse the Faber HP100 with the FX100. The FX100 is equivalent to other HP100's but there's also a Faber 3180psi HP100 (aka MP100) that is a repurposed boat anchor.

 

[NAM001]

If youare saying that by the chart then tht figure may not have a valve on it. my h valve makes it neg when it is empty if i remember. even so with 500 psi in it that shouldd make the tank near neutural.

look at the data from huron tank specs. The tank is i think lighter than listed because the valve used is a heavier valve 2.5# vs our 1=-1.5# valve. If you need to know what it acvctually is with your valve. put an mt tank on a line fron a scale in the pool. if it floats then put a 10 # weight on it if it weighs 9# then the tank and valve is -1 mt. I have 2 lp 95s and they work great for me 6' 240# With steel bp/w, I am 2-3# neg at safety adn 400 psi with al or kydex plate i am light in fresh water. in salt water with 3/2 shorty i use 8# weight.

Looks like the Faber LP85 at about +1.5 empty still is the most buoyant steel tank.....if the figures are to be believed.

....I might be over obsessing here since I don't really need the extra gas over an Al80 (I will usually use just the one tank (HP120) for both dives when boat diving, unless I want to use different mixes.
Another option is the 3300psi Catalina AL 90's but they don't turn up very often.