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Sorry for the semi-hijack, but I noticed that Luxfer has 3365psi aluminium tanks which have about 12l volume (the last one on the list):
https://www.luxfercylinders.com/prod...inium-cylinder
Has anyone tried them for sidemount? They sound pretty heavy, are they any better than steel when it comes to unclipping the bottom and pushing them in front?
I was initially thinking 120's but then thought asking here what would be the equivalent of 85's for my next set... I'm thinking 120's may be TOO big.Quote:
Originally Posted by sdalcher
Lp 120's are fine once you are in the water. Carrying them to the water, thats the trick. Get a hand truck.Quote:
Originally Posted by twaldo
i can get just as far swimming with 85's as I can with 108's... to heavy and too much drag. I'd go with another set of 85's.
In side mount I had the exact same experience. A set of 85s and a stage will get me much further than a set of 108s and I find the 85s and a stage more comfortable than 108s and not much of a big difference in swim efficiency.Quote:
Originally Posted by IowaCaveDiver
so the standard stage is an AL80?Quote:
Originally Posted by rddvet
What are the physical differences between LP85 and 95's ? If I were going to stay with a second set of 85's, reason I ask is I see 95's come up for sale way more often than 85's.
Assuming all are FabersQuote:
Originally Posted by twaldo
95's are 8" OD, 85's are 7" OD. 95's are also 2" shorter. I do not like diving 95's, too stubby for me.
If you are wanting a tank that will not change your buoyancy and trim but in size "bigger", then LP120's from Faber dive the same as 85's in terms of trim and buoyancy. As stated above though, while they don't actually add any real drag, they are quite a bit heavier than the 85's, over 15lbs heavier each, and also 3" longer, so that takes effort to get moving and stop which is the biggest thing most people notice and why you get anecdotes about not getting appreciably farther than the 85's alone. The extended penetration isn't quite linear for me, but it's about 95%.
If I were you, I'd try to find another set of 85's just to keep it easy on yourself. Harder to find than 95's, but you'll be kicking yourself a lot less for having matching tanks.
Standard stages are AL80's yes, though I would recommend taking a stage class from someone who actually knows what they're doing with sidemount stages because they are a righteous PITA
If you scooter and/or go into sidemount only passages then by all means get the 120s. If only swimming big cave, then all the above points have merit. Find some 120s to try out and then decide.
Tom said everything you need to know. I hate 95s in bm and sm.Quote:
Originally Posted by twaldo
One thing to keep in mind is different tanks can be annoying in sm for reasons you dont think about. My 85s are dialed in perfectly. When I went to a slightly longer or wider tank I found theyd hit my drysuit pockets differently and its annoying. My wife prefers worthy 100s to 85s. Theyre basically the same tank but 100s are slightly shorter. Just that tiny difference was a world of difference to her since shes short. The 85s ended mid-knee on her and were annoying when frog kicking. The 100s are just short enough comparatively to eliminate that.
As I said in an earlier comment, there are a ton of factors that go into it. For instance Tom is much taller than me, so some tanks work better for him than others and vice versa. Borrow some tanks or better yet stick with what you already like. Sm can already be a pia when making adjustments. Why add to that.
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I'd recommend a second pair of 85s (or HP 100s, which are about the same size). I personally find 104s/108s (or the shorter 95s) to not really give much advantage in the gas to drag ratio. 120s would, though I personally wouldn't use them much (had a pair; and they sat in the pickup truck bed much of the time). If, however, you're sump diving (or diving really little cave), LP 50s or 45s/46s are pretty nice.