12ltr Cylinder?

[Woz]

Cyls at the show are not cheap. By the time you pay to get there, pay to get in, pay to park, pay for a sandwich then have to carry the f'in thing back to the car you wish you had saved yourself a tenner and bought one online.

12L dumpys get a bad press. I dived one for a week in Menorca and it was absolutely fine. Looked a bit silly twinned up, though.

[gwilson]

Im 5'10 ish and always use a dumpy, my bcd has two tank straps and the lower one sits just above the tank boot. I've used "standard" 12's but personally i find the dumpy more comfortable guess its all down to what suits you.

[Allan Carr]

Originally Posted by Little Pete

AAAAHHH hideous dumpies

I really don't like dumpy 12s. They sit so far down your back you never feel as if they're secure and they're just fat and orrid

I use dumpy 12's because they sit high up your back. I've got back problems and with standard 12's, I have to lean forward when sitting which is very uncomfortable. With a dumpy, I can adjust it so that it is at the same level as my bum when I am sitting down. They also have the advantage that I can carry them with straight arms - with standard tanks I have to carry them with my arms bent which is much more effort.

One thing I cannot stand is the way that many Americans have their cylinders slung with the cam band just below the shoulder of the tank such that the base is just above knee level. Could never understand why they do this although I have been ticked off by US dive guides several times for not setting my cylinder up like this.

As with so many things in diving, whether you go for standard cylinders or dumpies, it is a matter of personal preference.

[Richard Mason]

Originally Posted by Paul Hildreth

If you're not able to go to NEC for the dive show, I'd recommend GoDive. I bought a 15L Faber from them last year (March 2005), cheap, fast delivery. Have a look on their website. I got mine for somewhere in the region of £105 including delivery costs!


Paul

Jeez, you people have no idea how good a deal you get on diving gear, I bought a 15L Faber 3 years old, second hand off ebay for only a little less than the $AU equivalent. You'd be looking at more like £250 for the same thing here.

As for the dumpy, can't speak for the 12 but I have a 10L, which I really like, doesn't dig into my arse the way the 12l standard length does. That's a Heiser 207 bar and as luck would have it, I'm actually looking at replacing me old Heiser with a 12 x 232 dumpy ATM, so good thread. I'm not interested in twinning, so that's not a worry.

As for the comment about our Transatlantic (or in my case Transpacific) cousins with their low slung cylinder mountings - I couldn't agree more, I've seen pics of the same thing in my sons SSI dive manual. Mind you, most of those I see like that are using an Ally too, which being a floater, possibly it assists buoyancy at the surface? I dunno, it's weird though and looks very uncomfortable when out of the water.

[Sipadan]

i love dumpies, but i should imagine that like 10 litre cylinders, dumpy 12s would be a pain in the arse to trim on a twinset. if i was absolutely sure that i was never going to twin up, i'd go for a dumpy, any doubt and i'd go for a tall 12.