what tank?

[floatergal]

newish diver...using fusion dry suit..hog bp/w. edge regs...I dont want to invest in a tank, just to find that i need a different tank. I am not wealthy...my dives are cold water most of the year...100-130ft. at most...i want to go into wreck and maybe cave...I am 5'6" 170lbs.

advise please...

[in_cavediver]

Originally Posted by floatergal

newish diver...using fusion dry suit..hog bp/w. edge regs...I dont want to invest in a tank, just to find that i need a different tank. I am not wealthy...my dives are cold water most of the year...100-130ft. at most...i want to go into wreck and maybe cave...I am 5'6" 170lbs.

advise please...

I'd suggest a pair of either LP85's or HP100's. Get them as a pair now so when you want doubles (for wreck penetration and cave diving), you simply add bands and manifold. Make sure they are height matched. Some tanks length varies enough to be problematic with doubles.

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by in_cavediver

I'd suggest a pair of either LP85's or HP100's. Get them as a pair now so when you want doubles (for wreck penetration and cave diving), you simply add bands and manifold. Make sure they are height matched. Some tanks length varies enough to be problematic with doubles.

What he said.

If you can't afford a pair, one will do for now, but you're going to be spending a good bit of time later dragging your tank from shop to shop, trying to find a match. Took me 6 months last time I tried to match tanks that weren't purchased pre-paired... but I did it.

[floatergal]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

What he said.

If you can't afford a pair, one will do for now, but you're going to be spending a good bit of time later dragging your tank from shop to shop, trying to find a match. Took me 6 months last time I tried to match tanks that weren't purchased pre-paired... but I did it.

thank you both....that is the general consensus the two tanks you mentioned...and to get them as pairs at the begging...now i just have to find a deal...

it seems i have the word out that when someone is upgrading to let me know and buy their used..but that could be a long wait...

Is there a lot of difference between the hp100's and the hp120's for a woman my size? there is a great deal on the 120's right now for 220.00 each
I know that its heavier tank to lug around but besides that???? any opinions?

thanks again. wendy

[BSea]

I'd highly recommend against the 120. 1st of all, it's very long. I have 1, and I use it less & less because for it to trim properly, I have to set it up really high. Next, it's heavy. If you eventually wanted to go to doubles, that would be a large set. If you wanted to plan on doubles, and wanted more air, then you might think about the 8" diameter tanks. Probably a 108lp or 119 HP. Again, both are heavy, but would probably trim better. A problem with 8" tanks is that some charters won't let you use them because their tank holders are designed for the smaller diameter tanks.

All in all, I'd stay with the 85's or the 100's. They are the perfect size for most divers IMHO.

[floatergal]

Originally Posted by BSea

I'd highly recommend against the 120. 1st of all, it's very long. I have 1, and I use it less & less because for it to trim properly, I have to set it up really high. Next, it's heavy. If you eventually wanted to go to doubles, that would be a large set. If you wanted to plan on doubles, and wanted more air, then you might think about the 8" diameter tanks. Probably a 108lp or 119 HP. Again, both are heavy, but would probably trim better. A problem with 8" tanks is that some charters won't let you use them because their tank holders are designed for the smaller diameter tanks.

All in all, I'd stay with the 85's or the 100's. They are the perfect size for most divers IMHO.

thank you all may i ask one more question. the lps hold less gas than the Hp...so in choosing between the lp85 or the hp100 what is the major difference? in weight outside of water for sure...neg buoyancy....opinions welcome...wendy

[BSea]

Originally Posted by floatergal

thank you all may i ask one more question. the lps hold less gas than the Hp...so in choosing between the lp85 or the hp100 what is the major difference? in weight outside of water for sure...neg buoyancy....opinions welcome...wendy

Here's a link showing tank buoyancy characteristics, weights, just about everything you want to know. You'll notice that the HP 100 & LP 85 are almost identical except for the amount of air.

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by floatergal

thank you all may i ask one more question. the lps hold less gas than the Hp...so in choosing between the lp85 or the hp100 what is the major difference? in weight outside of water for sure...neg buoyancy....opinions welcome...wendy

I agree you should avoid the HP120, btw... those tanks are best for very strong, taller divers.

The LP85 and HP100 are very nearly the same tank. The LP85 is a hair taller.

The way HP/LP works (generalizations ahead) is this: LP tanks hold 2650 psi to reach their stated capacity, and HP tanks need 3442 psi to reach their stated capacity. So if you take the HP100 and only put 2650 in it, you essentially end up with an LP85. Similarly, if you take the LP85, and fill it up to 3442 (an overfill, either on purpose or by accident) you pretty much end up with an HP100.

Either are good tanks. I prefer the HP100 because some places will refuse to overfill an LP tank, and if I really want the extra gas, I'll miss out. It somewhat depends on where you live, though... in Florida, pretty much every place will happily overfill your LP tank, so the slightly cheaper LP tanks make more sense. Around here (SoCal), few places are willing to overfill tanks, so if you want to be sure of getting around 100cf of gas for a dive, you'd better have an HP tank that can legitimately be filled to that level.

[Rainer]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

I agree you should avoid the HP120, btw... those tanks are best for very strong, taller divers.

The LP85 and HP100 are very nearly the same tank. The LP85 is a hair taller.

The way HP/LP works (generalizations ahead) is this: LP tanks hold 2650 psi to reach their stated capacity, and HP tanks need 3442 psi to reach their stated capacity. So if you take the HP100 and only put 2650 in it, you essentially end up with an LP85. Similarly, if you take the LP85, and fill it up to 3442 (an overfill, either on purpose or by accident) you pretty much end up with an HP100.

Either are good tanks. I prefer the HP100 because some places will refuse to overfill an LP tank, and if I really want the extra gas, I'll miss out. It somewhat depends on where you live, though... in Florida, pretty much every place will happily overfill your LP tank, so the slightly cheaper LP tanks make more sense. Around here (SoCal), few places are willing to overfill tanks, so if you want to be sure of getting around 100cf of gas for a dive, you'd better have an HP tank that can legitimately be filled to that level.

Well, an LP85 at 3442 is noticeably better than 100cf, but your point is well taken for diving on the WC: LPs simply aren't going to be as popular as in FL or the NE (where over-fills are easier to come by). That, coupled with the fact LPs aren't nearly as price competitive as they used to be (about 18 months ago an LP85 was $200 new vs. around $340 for an HP100), makes HP the better choice on this coast at least.

[in_cavediver]

I made the LP85 - HP100 suggestion based on availability. I generally would tell people to get the HP over LP if cost is similar. I personally don't care. I can get fills to whatever pressure I want - up to 4000 in the LP tank.