Steel Scuba Tanks Vs Aluminum

Aluminum versus steel scuba tank.

Steel scuba tanks vs aluminum. Top picks on scuba tanks luxfer. What is are the differences between steel and aluminum tanks. When using aluminum it is the other way around. The dry weight itself is a measurement of the scuba tanks weigh when they are on the land.

An 80 cubic foot steel tank rated to 3000 psi will be slightly smaller than an 80 cubic foot aluminum tank rated to 3000 psi because the tank walls are thinner. Because less material is needed to make them steel tanks are usually slightly smaller and lighter than aluminum. Size of steel vs aluminum tanks. Therefore the scuba tanks made from aluminum material will be heavier than the ones made from steel.

Smaller than an aluminum tank of the same capacity a steel scuba tank is a more compact air supply solution a fact that becomes doubly important for twin tank setups. These are two of the most popular scuba tanks and their values are representative of tanks built from the same material. Steel tanks are less buoyant than aluminum thus you will need less weight when diving with one. The numbers we will use in the example below are for the aluminum luxfer 80 and the steel faber 80 scuba tank used in salt water.

Note that this concern does not apply to high pressure steel cylinders depending on the service pressure of the scuba cylinder it may be filled with oxygen rich gases up to a maximum of 3442 psi. Most steel and aluminum tanks have a diameter of 7 25 inches with a height of around 20 to 30 inches. Steel tanks have thinner walls than aluminum tanks with an equal pressure rating. They tend to shift from negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy as the diver consumes the oxygen.

A scuba tank s capacity is determined by its size and pressure rating. The core properties of steel are its high durability and stronger than the aluminum. You should avoid high pressure aluminum scuba tanks such as the 3300 psi compact or neutral buoyancy aluminum tanks or the 3300 psi al100. Carbon fiber tanks are usually lighter than steel.

Before selecting either of the two it is important to know their fundamental differences. This is because the scuba tanks from aluminum need to be thicker so. As a general rule you have to add about 5 pounds per 2 kg to your weight base when you re using an aluminum tank. Steel tanks are available either in high pressure hp or low pressure lp.

Scuba diving tanks are usually made of aluminum or steel.