Stupid tank question

[OMyMyOHellYes]

OK - know noothing re: steel or doubles, but .... And in general every tank design will have its champions and detractors. Btu for doubles, LP steel 95s experience or reputation? + marked 2400 psi bottles. Anything to share or think about? Like "Damn they are floaty empty" or "damn they are real blasted heavy?" or "that's way too much air" or "Damn they are WAY too big around and really slow me down in the water because of the increased drag" (JK)?If say someone that once dove no longer does and might consider pharting with such a set if somebody told them they were thinking about branching out into some tec studies and they said something like "Have I got a smoking deal for you!"

 

[CT-Rich]

No body ever said they had too much air. Tanks can be too tall or too heavy. My daughter has a great SAC and can get by with an AL 80 while I am sucking the rust out of my 120. AL tanks definitely get floaty when empty and require more lead. Steel tanks trim out better IMHO.

When buying tanks, you might want to pay attention to the diameter. My Steel 120s have the same diameter as my daughter’s AL 80s, so we can switch between them without having to adjust the cam-bands. Steel will be more expensive, but will last forever and have more size/pressure options.

Used AL 80s are cheap and easy to get, but because of some metallurgical issues some shops will get picky about which ones they will fill.

 

[rx7diver]

Do you have an idea why you would want to wear doubles--you know, the type of diving you would be doing while you're wearing them?

rx7diver

 

[inquis]

HP100 / LP85s are the sweet spot for the majority of users, judging from various past threads, and LP95s don't have nearly the following. They will be 20% heavier (+6 lb) empty. (Double LP95s will be nearly 90 lbs empty on your back.) They are shorter and therefore trim out well for shorter divers (and not so well for taller divers). Depending on drysuit underlayers, you may not have any lead to compensate for head-heavy trim (without carrying more lead than necessary). FWIW, steel tanks and wetsuits are generally not a great combo.

All that said, smoking deals are sometimes too good to pass up. I suggest that you try to dive them before you commit.

 

[rx7diver]

If you are thinking deco diving in warm Caribbean waters in a wetsuit, for example, then you'll probably want to dive Al 80's. If you're thinking deco diving in cold water (e.g., Great Lakes) in a drysuit, then you'll probably want to dive steel doubles.

Whatever your exposure suit, you'll want to be able to easily reach the valves of your doubles. (So, your cylinders should not be too short.)

Cylinders that can be purchased for a great price are really not a bargain after all if they are the wrong cylinders for the type of diving you will be doing.

rx7diver

 

[runsongas]

LP95s are fat and short is why they get no love. most are better served with a taller tank and short divers generally would be fine with less capacity from a hp80 instead.

 

[Tracy]

In the big tank doubles world, you have 95s and 104s. (Or their HP versions)
95s are considerably shorter than 104s.
For shorter people that need the gas, they are great. The taller you are, the harder it will be to get trimmed out with them. Generally a good rule of thumb is 5'8" or less can dive 95s comfortably and they work well. 5'10" and above are generally going to trim out better in 104s. There are exceptions to people's body designs, but that works 90% of the time.
Since I have a crap ton of various tanks laying around, here is a picture of both.
On the right are 95s, behind are 104s, on the left are 85s, and the orange ones behind are steel 72s.

 

[happy-diver]

Well I said I had too much air just after I said my spine is permanently compressed from carrying it

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I'm 5'7" and when I was diving doubles, before switching exclusively to sidemount, I had LP 72s and LP 85s doubled up. Those were great setups. Then I got a set of LP 95s at a ridiculous price and decided to give them a try.
One dive at an inland site was enough to convince me that unless I was going to be diving from a boat where I could stand up, take two steps, and fall in the water, there was no friggin way I wanted to lug those around on my back.
Broke them down and have been using them for deep single tank dives ever since.
Fully set up with bands and manifold, regs, harness/wing, and a steel plate, it was close to 100 lbs on my back. Honestly, just felt like too much effort for the dives I was planning to do. The LP 85s with a stage or two was always more than enough for anything up to 180 ft or so.
If you are more energetic than I was or don't mind the extra weight, they are great tanks.
The LP 85s were 12 lbs lighter as a set than the 95s and that doesn't sound like a lot, but it really made a difference.

 

[Hoyden]

I dove double 95s before getting my renbreather and loved them. I am 5'5" and they were perfect for me. I prefered them over lp 85s which were a little long for me. I am short, older lady and had no problem walking them to the water , but most of my diving was boat diving so I might have felt differntly if I was doing regular long hikes in my gear. I still own one set that I have broken into singles sine I don't dive doubles anymore. They held a lot of gas when you needed them to.

YMMV,

Jackie