Posted by Karl S. on November 01, 2001 at 11:28:35:
In Reply to: Karl, Karl, Karl.... posted by Robin on November 01, 2001 at 09:44:39:
"steel tanks are better than aluminum for your primary air supply because they stay negative or neutrally buoyant"
is what I said.
where did you get "steel tanks are safer"? you seem to have made a few mistakes. one mistake in reading. one mistake in assuming. one mistake with your strawman.
i know dive store owners who prefer steel tanks for themselves, but who go exclusively with aluminum tanks for their rental stocks. they feel the aluminum is safer for rental purposes, since it becomes positively buoyant as it drains, and they want their rental tanks and their rental customers to float to the surface when the tank is almost completely empty.
i also know dive store owners who go exclusively with low pressure steel tanks for their rental stocks. they feel that aluminum tanks require more Pb(lead) to be properly weighted, and that most divers dont know how to properly weight themselves with rental gear, and that to safely carry out a 15 fsw safety stop, it is more difficult to be properly weighted for aluminum tanks.
so, what is really safer? that sounds like a crap shoot to me, in this case, whether aluminum tanks or steel.
what do I think is safer? I dive with a twin bladder B/C, with 85 lbs of lift capacity, and twin power inflators, and twin oral inflation hoses, and a spare 85 lb lift bag in the left B/C pocket, and a spare mask in the right B/C pocket, and I can ditch every pound of my weights. thats MY definition of "safer".
I believe a steel tank(s) with a steel backplate is UN-safe.