Need to buy new Tanks, which one?

[MrBill_FTL]

Hi There, I'm new to this board, did a few quick searches and didn't find the answer, can someone help me?

I've been diving for about 30 years, and have all my friends old equipment as they got out... I have a variety of tanks, mostly alum 80 and 100 (and a 65) that have been hydro' at least 3 times. (oh! plus a steel 73 and 100)....

last year a large shop in ft laud refused to fill 4-5 alum's as they were the luxor's that have cracked.

I did find a shop to vip & fill them last season, and I hydro' one that was due...

But, after the fact I did some research and now agree with the large shop, after 20+ yrs,, these tanks should not be used any more...

I think its time to get new tanks.

so is the choice, aluminum, or steel high pressure?

would I need to convert all my regulators to use the steel high pressure?

a guy who uses them swore by the steels....

I rarely dive 80'+, and 90% is in less than 40', and dive about 30 dives a year. mostly off a ocean kayak from the beach... so size is important.

is there additional maintenance on the steels?

thanks!

--- I'm reading some threads, and it looks like theres about 100 choices in tanks, besides the basic steel and alum. high and low pressure...

a quick read on a similar thread, lp95 ? low pressure steel 95 cubic inches?

last time I bought a tank, I had 3 choices, 65, 80, or 100 cubic inches...

any good links to edu-kate me?

 

[Bobby_M]

http://www.diveriteexpress.com/library/tanks.shtml

For me, the choice is hinged on how much weight you normally use on the belt or in integrated pockets. Going from an AL80 to a Worthington X7-100 (HP steel) will take 6 pounds off your weightbelt.

Of course, is cost is a concern, aluminum is a no brainer. A pair of steels will cost 3x that of a pair of AL80s.

I'm still trying to decide between the X7-100 and X7-120. I'm leaning towards the 120 because I'm 6' tall and will also appreciate the higher volume during nitrox dives.

Bobby

 

[MrBill_FTL]

I'm reading threads all morning...

pls correct me if I'm wrong:

steel costs 3x as much as alum. they can be smaller, and hold more gas, if filled to about 4000 psi. (or not)

looks like I could get high or low pressure.

low pressure I could use my 3 or 4 working octopuses, but w/ high pressure I'd need to spend another $60 (? or so?) to convert each to HP (1st stage plus hoses?)... plus having to find shops that can fill that much...


since I beach/kayak weight and size is important, but so is price.

I mostly lobster dive, so I over weight, almost 22lbs.

on a 80 alum, I put a 2) 3lb lead weights on the boot of the tank, another 6 in the bc, and 2 5lbs on a belt. (with 3m wetsuit), not much less with a skinsuit...


SOoooo, even if I make the plunge into steel, how much difference it the total weight?

I still have to pull it up onto a kayak (SIT), and I'll need weight to stay down on the bottom.

I'm never going to stop diving, but can I really justify the price of the steel tanks?

-another curve... nitrox... at my age (48), maybe I should be a nitrox diver... could I convert the steels to use nitrox?

yeah, I have a lot to learn... I guess Im Old School.. learned with J valves. and even double hose regulators...

but I need more tanks in the next 3 weeks... before mini season starts.

any quick advise?

just get 2 80 alums?

 

[rongoodman]

You might consider low pressure steels. They cost more than aluminum, but less than HP steels. They are mostly neutral or slightly negative when empty. Depending on where you get them filled you might be able to get them over-filled by a substantial amount, getting extra capacity for free.

 

[hunter991]

Nitrox for steel tanks is no different than aluminum. Get them cleaned and you are set. HP steels that come with a pro din/K valve can be used with DIN regulators or your current Yoke regs, you wouldnt' have to change anything at all.

 

[cecilb63]

I kayak dive with pst steel 100's. no problem, pulling it onto the boat.

I would never buy an al 80, in fact I could have one for free but turned it down.

I do need another tank or two but it will be steel.

 

[BSea]

We are from the same school. I just turned 50, and have been replacing my old aluminum tanks with High pressure steel. I chose HP vs LP because of the weight factor. A HP 100 weighs about the same as an AL 80 but is smaller by about 3 to 4 inches. The LP 95 weighs more, but I don't recall how much. I think about 10 pounds, but I'm not sure. So being 50, I decided I didn't want to carry any more weight than I had to. And since the steel tank is less bouyant by about 5 or 6 pounds, I carry less lead when I dive.

Maintenance is the same for both AL or Steel.

Depending on the age of your regulator, you might want to check & see if will handle the additional pressure. But with the 100, you could fill it to 3000 & still have more air than your AL 80.

Finally, I recommend nitrox if for nothing more than I don't feel as tired after 2 dives than when I dive with air. Based on the dives you make, the extra bottom time isn't a factor, but the safety and the way you feel seems to make diving nitrox a plus. I have 3 tanks plus a pony, and they are all nitrox ready tanks.

 

[CompuDude]

We are from the same school. I just turned 50, and have been replacing my old aluminum tanks with High pressure steel. I chose HP vs LP because of the weight factor. A HP 100 weighs about the same as an AL 80 but is smaller by about 3 to 4 inches. The LP 95 weighs more, but I don't recall how much. I think about 10 pounds, but I'm not sure. So being 50, I decided I didn't want to carry any more weight than I had to. And since the steel tank is less bouyant by about 5 or 6 pounds, I carry less lead when I dive.

Maintenance is the same for both AL or Steel.

Depending on the age of your regulator, you might want to check & see if will handle the additional pressure. But with the 100, you could fill it to 3000 & still have more air than your AL 80.

Finally, I recommend nitrox if for nothing more than I don't feel as tired after 2 dives than when I dive with air. Based on the dives you make, the extra bottom time isn't a factor, but the safety and the way you feel seems to make diving nitrox a plus. I have 3 tanks plus a pony, and they are all nitrox ready tanks.

For the record, a Worthington or PST HP100 will usually weigh a few pounds LESS than an aluminum 80, on land, in addition to being a few inches smaller.

If you fill 'em to 3000 psi you have 87.2 cf of gas. Compare that to an Aluminum 80's 77.4 cf of gas at the same pressure. Win! If you fill it all the way to 3500psi, you'll get the full 100cf of gas. The math keeps getting better if you overfill them, but I prefer to go easy on that.

I'm firmly convinced HP100 tanks are the best all-around tank out there. HP120's and 130s are fantastic, too, but they're kinda beastly. A steel tank costs more than an aluminum tank, but it pays or iteself in increased bottom time. And bottom time is the reason we do this.

 

[MrBill_FTL]

alright guys, sounds like I need at Least 1 new HP 100 tank.. and maybe later a 120 or 130. (if I do go deep, I want all I can carry)and maybe a new regulator too.

Question on the valves.. what do I have now? DIN?
I have a box with 3 or 4, I think they are called K valves, plus a J valve...

Can I use these valves with the HP steels?

I have 3 or 4 regulators now...

I like to have at least 2 full setup, ready to go... for friends. just in case..

So migration to HP... If I need to change valves, can I do it later? or in stages?

Nobody told me this sport was expensive.....

 

[Turtle Diver]

Another vote for the X7-100. I have one, and it's my favorite tank.

The valves you have are yoke. J and K were part numbers in an old US Divers (Aqua-Lung) catalog 50+ years ago. The regulator fits over the valve, and you tighten a knob on the reg to hold it on to the valve.

DIN valves screw directly into the valve, like a garden hose going into a spigot. The two valve systems are not directly interchangeable, but there are adapters.

If you get an X tank, it comes with valve that can go both ways. So use your yoke reg, and if you convert to din later on, unscrew the insert in the valve, and now it's a din valve.