Scuba Cylinder Specifications
Water volume, working pressure, weight, and buoyancy for common aluminum and steel scuba cylinders.
Buoyancy is in sea water with a valve fitted: negative sinks, positive floats. Free gas is the ideal water volume × working pressure estimate; manufacturers rate slightly less. Check your own cylinder's stamp and data sheet before planning gas or weighting from these figures.
aluminum cylinders
| Cylinder | Water volume | Working pressure | Approx. free gas | Empty weight | Buoyancy full | Buoyancy empty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AL80Recreational single tank (warm water, training, sidemount)Brands and source notesLuxfer, Catalina, Thunderbird. Standard rental tank globally; becomes positively buoyant near end of dive. Weight and buoyancy from the Luxfer LAL80 sheet (full -0.80 kg, +1.54 kg at 500 psi, in sea water with valve); empty and at-50-bar are derived from the 500 psi row. | 11.1 L | 3,000 psi | 2,296 L81 cu ftrated 80 cu ft | 14.3 kg31.5 lb | −0.8 kg−1.8 lb | +2.0 kg+4.4 lb |
AL 12LRecreational single tank (Asia, some EU regions)Brands and source notesLuxfer, Various Asian manufacturers, Some EU brands. Common in Asian dive markets; larger and heavier than AL80. Weight and water volume from the Luxfer P3080V (12.0 L, 16.5 kg, 204 mm; Luxfer scuba spec sheet 2022, which prints no buoyancy). Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 12 L | 2,901 psi | 2,400 L85 cu ft | 16.5 kg36.4 lb | −1.4 kg−3.1 lb | +1.4 kg+3.1 lb |
AL72Recreational single tank (smaller divers, shorter dives)Brands and source notesLuxfer, Catalina. Good option between AL63 and AL80; popular for travel and sidemount. | 10 L | 3,000 psi | 2,068 L73 cu ftrated 72 cu ft | 13.0 kg28.7 lb | −1.0 kg−2.2 lb | +1.5 kg+3.3 lb |
AL63Small divers, short recreational divesBrands and source notesLuxfer, Catalina, Thunderbird. Popular with small-frame divers or kids; lighter but same diameter as AL80. Weight and buoyancy from the Luxfer LAL63 sheet (full -1.1 kg, +0.77 kg at 500 psi, in sea water with valve). | 9 L | 3,000 psi | 1,862 L66 cu ftrated 63 cu ft | 12.2 kg26.9 lb | −1.1 kg−2.4 lb | +1.2 kg+2.6 lb |
AL50Stage / deco for light gasBrands and source notesLuxfer, Catalina, Thunderbird. Compact stage/deco bottle; manageable for warm-water tech dives. Weight and full buoyancy from the Luxfer LAL50 sheet (9.7 kg; full -1.13 kg in sea water with valve). Empty and at-50-bar are computed from the weight and water volume: the sheet's +0.36 kg at 500 psi sits 1.49 kg above its full row, more than the 1.38 kg of air 6.9 L holds between those pressures, so it cannot be right together with the full row. | 6.9 L | 3,000 psi | 1,427 L50 cu ftrated 50 cu ft | 9.7 kg21.4 lb | −1.1 kg−2.4 lb | +0.4 kg+0.9 lb |
AL40Stage / deco / O₂ bottleBrands and source notesLuxfer, Catalina, Thunderbird. Common oxygen bottle for deco; good trim when clipped to left side. Weight and full buoyancy from the Luxfer LAL40 sheet (6.9 kg; full -0.32 kg in sea water with valve). Empty and at-50-bar are computed from the weight and water volume: the sheet's +1.13 kg at 500 psi sits 1.45 kg above its full row, more than the 1.14 kg of air 5.7 L holds between those pressures, so it cannot be right together with the full row. | 5.7 L | 3,000 psi | 1,179 L42 cu ftrated 40 cu ft | 6.9 kg15.2 lb | −0.3 kg−0.7 lb | +0.9 kg+2.0 lb |
AL30Pony / emergencyBrands and source notesLuxfer, Catalina, Thunderbird. Pony bottle for emergency gas; small enough for travel or boat use. Weight and buoyancy from the Luxfer LAL30 sheet (full -0.68 kg, 0 kg at 500 psi, in sea water with valve). | 4.3 L | 3,000 psi | 889 L31 cu ftrated 30 cu ft | 5.6 kg12.3 lb | −0.7 kg−1.5 lb | +0.2 kg+0.4 lb |
AL19Pony / bailoutBrands and source notesLuxfer, Catalina, Thunderbird. Very small bailout bottle; close to neutral when empty. Water volume is Luxfer's true LAL19 figure (2.87 L), so its real-gas free gas reads a touch over the marketed 19. Buoyancy from the Luxfer LAL19 sheet (full -0.60 kg, -0.05 kg at 500 psi, in sea water with valve). | 2.87 L | 3,000 psi | 594 L21 cu ftrated 19 cu ft | 3.6 kg7.9 lb | −0.6 kg−1.3 lb | +0.1 kg+0.2 lb |
AL13Argon inflation / bailoutBrands and source notesLuxfer, Catalina, Thunderbird. Usually mounted for drysuit argon inflation; rarely used for breathing gas. Buoyancy from the Luxfer LAL13 sheet (full -0.80 kg, -0.40 kg at 500 psi, in sea water with valve). | 1.9 L | 3,000 psi | 393 L14 cu ftrated 13 cu ft | 2.7 kg6.0 lb | −0.8 kg−1.8 lb | −0.3 kg−0.7 lb |
AL100Longer rec single / big gas in warm waterBrands and source notesLuxfer, Catalina, Thunderbird. High-capacity aluminum; tall and heavy. Weight and buoyancy from the Luxfer LAL100 sheet (full -2.10 kg, +0.86 kg at 500 psi, in sea water with valve). | 13.2 L | 3,300 psi | 3,003 L106 cu ftrated 100 cu ft | 18.6 kg41.0 lb | −2.1 kg−4.6 lb | +1.4 kg+3.1 lb |
steel cylinders
| Cylinder | Water volume | Working pressure | Approx. free gas | Empty weight | Buoyancy full | Buoyancy empty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steel 12L 232Single tank EU cold waterBrands and source notesFaber, Eurocylinders. Most common steel cylinder in Europe; stays negative. Weight from Faber's cylinder database (EN 1964-1 build, without valve, 171 mm): 14.1 kg; the 2023 design (EN ISO 9809-1:2019) weighs 13.3 kg, about 0.7 kg more buoyant. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 12 L | 3,365 psi | 2,784 L98 cu ft | 14.1 kg31.1 lb | −3.8 kg−8.4 lb | −0.6 kg−1.3 lb |
Steel 12L 300Compact high-pressure singleBrands and source notesFaber, Eurocylinders. Very dense; allows more gas but heavier topside and affects trim. Weight from Faber's cylinder database (EN 1964-1 build, without valve, 171 mm): 18.0 kg. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 12 L | 4,351 psi | 3,600 L127 cu ft | 18.0 kg39.7 lb | −7.9 kg−17.4 lb | −4.0 kg−8.8 lb |
Steel 15L 232Cold/long divesBrands and source notesFaber, Eurocylinders. Heavy but long bottom time; stays negative when empty. Weight from Faber's cylinder database (EN 1964-1 build, without valve, 203 mm): 18.2 kg; the 2023 design weighs 16.7 kg (Faber press release, 14 April 2023), about 1.3 kg more buoyant. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 15 L | 3,365 psi | 3,480 L123 cu ft | 18.2 kg40.1 lb | −5.1 kg−11.2 lb | −1.1 kg−2.4 lb |
Steel 10L 232Small divers / twinsetBrands and source notesFaber. Often used as twin 10s for balanced doubles in cold water. Weight from Faber's cylinder database (EN 1964-1 build, without valve, 171 mm): 12.2 kg; the 2023 design weighs 11.5 kg. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 10 L | 3,365 psi | 2,320 L82 cu ft | 12.2 kg26.9 lb | −3.7 kg−8.2 lb | −1.0 kg−2.2 lb |
Steel 10.5L 232Small divers / twinsetBrands and source notesFaber, Eurocylinders. Popular compact steel; often used as twin 10.5s in Europe. Weight from Faber's cylinder database (EN 1964-1 build, without valve, 178 mm): 12.9 kg; the 2023 design weighs 12.0 kg. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 10.5 L | 3,365 psi | 2,436 L86 cu ft | 12.9 kg28.4 lb | −3.9 kg−8.6 lb | −1.1 kg−2.4 lb |
Steel 7L 232Deco/stage EUBrands and source notesFaber. Stage/deco bottle for cold water; remains negative throughout. Weight from Faber's cylinder database (EN 1964-1 build, without valve, 140 mm): 8.5 kg; the 2023 design weighs 8.2 kg. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 7 L | 3,365 psi | 1,624 L57 cu ft | 8.5 kg18.7 lb | −2.7 kg−6.0 lb | −0.8 kg−1.8 lb |
Steel 3L 300CCR oxygen / diluentBrands and source notesFaber, Eurocylinders. Standard 3L rebreather bottle; fits most CCR frames. Weight from Faber's cylinder database (EN 1964-1 build, without valve, 100 mm): 4.8 kg; the 2023 design weighs 4.6 kg. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 3 L | 4,351 psi | 900 L32 cu ft | 4.8 kg10.6 lb | −2.7 kg−6.0 lb | −1.7 kg−3.7 lb |
LP85Tech singles / doubles USBrands and source notesFaber. Popular cave/wreck tank; slightly positive when empty. Water volume and weight are the Faber LP85 sheet's (13.0 L, 14.2 kg). The sheet lists full -3.80 lb (-1.72 kg) and +2.32 lb (+1.05 kg) at 500 psi. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a valve. Faber's sheet quotes buoyancy without a valve and its row labelled 500 psi is the empty figure (physics without a valve reproduces both rows within 0.17 kg), so the figures here sit about 0.6 kg lower than the sheet. | 13 L | 2,640 psi | 2,366 L84 cu ftrated 85 cu ft | 14.2 kg31.3 lb | −2.5 kg−5.5 lb | +0.4 kg+0.9 lb |
LP95Tech doubles USBrands and source notesWorthington, PST. Cave/wreck doubles workhorse; roughly neutral when empty. | 15 L | 2,640 psi | 2,730 L96 cu ftrated 95 cu ft | 17.0 kg37.5 lb | −3.6 kg−7.9 lb | −0.2 kg−0.4 lb |
HP100Popular US cold-water singleBrands and source notesFaber. Good trim and buoyancy; favorite single for drysuit divers. Water volume and weight are the Faber FX100 sheet's (12.9 L, 15.6 kg; the sheet's 34.0 lb disagrees with its own kg figure). The sheet lists full -8.41 lb (-3.81 kg) and -0.59 lb (-0.27 kg) at 500 psi. The Worthington/PST X7-100 is a different cylinder (~11.6 L). Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a valve. Faber's sheet quotes buoyancy without a valve and its row labelled 500 psi is the empty figure (physics without a valve reproduces both rows within 0.17 kg), so the figures here sit about 0.6 kg lower than the sheet. | 12.9 L | 3,442 psi | 3,061 L108 cu ftrated 100 cu ft | 15.6 kg34.4 lb | −4.5 kg−9.9 lb | −1.0 kg−2.2 lb |
HP120Long US single divesBrands and source notesWorthington, PST. Tall and heavy; lots of gas for single-tank tech or long rec dives. Weight and water volume from the Worthington X7-120 (15.3 L, 18.0 kg without valve; XS Scuba's Worthington sheet). The sheet lists -5.0 kg full and -0.9 kg empty with valve; physics sits 0.2 to 0.3 kg above. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 15.3 L | 3,442 psi | 3,631 L128 cu ftrated 120 cu ft | 18.0 kg39.7 lb | −4.8 kg−10.6 lb | −0.6 kg−1.3 lb |
HP117Tech singles / doubles USBrands and source notesFaber. Popular tech diving cylinder; good balance of capacity and trim. Water volume and weight are the Faber FX117 sheet's (15.0 L, 17.7 kg; the sheet's 37.6 lb is 17.05 kg and does not reproduce its own buoyancy rows). The sheet lists full -9.12 lb (-4.14 kg) and +0.35 lb (+0.16 kg) at 500 psi. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a valve. Faber's sheet quotes buoyancy without a valve and its row labelled 500 psi is the empty figure (physics without a valve reproduces both rows within 0.17 kg), so the figures here sit about 0.6 kg lower than the sheet. | 15 L | 3,442 psi | 3,560 L126 cu ftrated 117 cu ft | 17.7 kg39.0 lb | −4.7 kg−10.4 lb | −0.6 kg−1.3 lb |
HP130Very long cold divesBrands and source notesWorthington. Gas monster; heavy and long, often awkward for smaller divers. Weight and water volume from the Worthington X8-130 (16.0 L, 20.3 kg without valve; XS Scuba's Worthington sheet). Low confidence: the sheet's -0.9 kg empty and its 131.4 cu ft rating both point to about 16.7 L, so its volume or weight is off. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 16 L | 3,442 psi | 3,797 L134 cu ftrated 130 cu ft | 20.3 kg44.8 lb | −6.2 kg−13.7 lb | −1.9 kg−4.2 lb |
HP133Very long cold/deep single divesBrands and source notesFaber. Faber's largest single (sometimes called a 130). Heavy, and close to neutral when empty. Water volume and weight are the Faber FX133 sheet's (17.0 L, 19.4 kg). The sheet lists full -9.08 lb (-4.12 kg) and +1.45 lb (+0.66 kg) at 500 psi. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a valve. Faber's sheet quotes buoyancy without a valve and its row labelled 500 psi is the empty figure (physics without a valve reproduces both rows within 0.17 kg), so the figures here sit about 0.6 kg lower than the sheet. | 17 L | 3,442 psi | 4,034 L142 cu ftrated 133 cu ft | 19.4 kg42.8 lb | −4.7 kg−10.4 lb | −0.1 kg−0.2 lb |
CCR 2LCCR oxygenBrands and source notesFaber. Compact CCR O₂ bottle; easy to travel with and replace. Weight from Faber's cylinder database (EN 1964-1 build, without valve, 100 mm): 2.6 kg. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 2 L | 2,901 psi | 400 L14 cu ft | 2.6 kg5.7 lb | −1.3 kg−2.9 lb | −0.8 kg−1.8 lb |
CCR 3LCCR diluentBrands and source notesFaber. Standard diluent cylinder for most CCR units; often filled to 232 bar. Weight from Faber's cylinder database (EN 1964-1 build, without valve, 100 mm): 3.6 kg. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 3 L | 2,901 psi | 600 L21 cu ft | 3.6 kg7.9 lb | −1.4 kg−3.1 lb | −0.7 kg−1.5 lb |
HP80Short/shallower cold-water single or doublesBrands and source notesFaber. Compact steel; stays negative when empty. Water volume and weight are the Faber FX80 sheet's (10.2 L, 13.0 kg). The sheet lists full -8.05 lb (-3.65 kg) and -1.74 lb (-0.79 kg) at 500 psi. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a valve. Faber's sheet quotes buoyancy without a valve and its row labelled 500 psi is the empty figure (physics without a valve reproduces both rows within 0.17 kg), so the figures here sit about 0.6 kg lower than the sheet. | 10.2 L | 3,442 psi | 2,421 L85 cu ftrated 80 cu ft | 13.0 kg28.7 lb | −4.3 kg−9.5 lb | −1.5 kg−3.3 lb |
HP119Long cold-water single / big-gas doublesBrands and source notesWorthington, PST. High-capacity HP steel; stays negative. Weight and water volume from the Worthington X8-119 (14.8 L, 19.3 kg without valve; XS Scuba's Worthington sheet). Low confidence: the sheet's -0.9 kg empty and its 123 cu ft rating both point to about 15.6 L, so its volume or weight is off. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 14.8 L | 3,442 psi | 3,512 L124 cu ftrated 119 cu ft | 19.3 kg42.5 lb | −6.3 kg−13.9 lb | −2.2 kg−4.9 lb |
LP50Doubles/sidemount small-frame divers, cave/wreckBrands and source notesFaber. Popular small LP cylinder in the US; often overfilled in practice. Weight and water volume from the Faber LP50 (7.8 L, 8.6 kg; Faber LP spec sheet). Neither the Worthington nor the PST sheet lists an LP50. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 7.8 L | 2,640 psi | 1,420 L50 cu ftrated 50 cu ft | 8.6 kg19.0 lb | −1.8 kg−4.0 lb | −0.1 kg−0.2 lb |
LP72Vintage/ubiquitous US steel; still common on boatsBrands and source notesPST, Worthington. Classic 2250 psi steel 72; slim profile; about neutral when empty. No sheet prints its water volume: 12.2 L is derived from the rated 71.55 cu ft at 2475 psi (real-gas air at 70 °F); the dataset's former 13.2 L was the error. The weight (13.7 kg) is the one that gives the published empty buoyancy (0 lb with valve; US Divers figures quoted on ScubaBoard); the 26 lb (11.8 kg) quoted beside it would make the cylinder +1.6 kg empty at that volume. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 12.2 L | 2,250 psi | 1,893 L67 cu ftrated 72 cu ft | 13.7 kg30.2 lb | −2.3 kg−5.1 lb | 0.0 kg0.0 lb |
LP104US tech doubles workhorseBrands and source notesPST, Worthington. Large LP steel; heavy topside; remains negative when empty. | 16.6 L | 2,640 psi | 3,022 L107 cu ftrated 104 cu ft | 20.5 kg45.2 lb | −5.0 kg−11.0 lb | −1.5 kg−3.3 lb |
LP108US tech doubles / big singleBrands and source notesFaber. High-capacity LP steel; excellent for long tech dives and doubles. Water volume and weight are the Faber LP108 sheet's (17.0 L, 18.6 kg). The sheet lists full -5.0 lb (-2.27 kg) and +3.0 lb (+1.36 kg) at 500 psi. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a valve. Faber's sheet quotes buoyancy without a valve and its row labelled 500 psi is the empty figure (physics without a valve reproduces both rows within 0.17 kg), so the figures here sit about 0.6 kg lower than the sheet. | 17 L | 2,640 psi | 3,094 L109 cu ftrated 108 cu ft | 18.6 kg41.0 lb | −3.1 kg−6.8 lb | +0.6 kg+1.3 lb |
Steel 18L 232Very long cold-water singleBrands and source notesFaber, Eurocylinders. Common EU large single; heavy but lots of gas. | 18 L | 3,365 psi | 4,176 L147 cu ft | 21.0 kg46.3 lb | −5.5 kg−12.1 lb | −0.5 kg−1.1 lb |
Steel 8.5L 232Small divers / twinsetBrands and source notesECS, Eurocylinders. Compact EU steel; often used as twin 8.5s. Faber makes no 8.5 L. Weight from a retailer listing of the ECS 8.5 L 232 bar 140 mm (11.0 kg, without valve); low confidence, other brands list 10.0 to 11.9 kg. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 8.5 L | 3,365 psi | 1,972 L70 cu ft | 11.0 kg24.3 lb | −3.7 kg−8.2 lb | −1.5 kg−3.3 lb |
CCR 2.7LCCR oxygen/diluent (varies by unit)Brands and source notesEurocylinders. A CCR bottle size seen on some frames. Weight unsourced; buoyancy computed from it. Faber's database lists no 2.7 L (its 100 mm sizes are 2, 2.5 and 3 L), and no other maker's sheet was found. | 2.7 L | 3,365 psi | 626 L22 cu ft | 3.9 kg8.6 lb | −2.0 kg−4.4 lb | −1.2 kg−2.6 lb |
CCR 2L 232CCR oxygen/diluentBrands and source notesFaber. The EU-standard 232 bar rating of the compact CCR bottle. Weight from Faber's cylinder database (EN 1964-1 build, without valve, 100 mm): 2.8 kg; the UK BS 5045-7 build weighs 2.6 kg. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 2 L | 3,365 psi | 464 L16 cu ft | 2.8 kg6.2 lb | −1.5 kg−3.3 lb | −1.0 kg−2.2 lb |
CCR 3L 232CCR diluentBrands and source notesFaber, Eurocylinders. The EU-standard 232 bar rating of the common CCR diluent cylinder. Weight from Faber's cylinder database (EN 1964-1 build, without valve, 100 mm): 3.8 kg; the UK BS 5045-7 build weighs 3.4 kg. Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 3 L | 3,365 psi | 696 L25 cu ft | 3.8 kg8.4 lb | −1.6 kg−3.5 lb | −0.8 kg−1.8 lb |
Steel 12L 200Sidemount / single tank EUBrands and source notesFaber. The light 200 bar Faber 12L; popular for sidemount in Europe, and slightly positive when empty. Weight from Faber's cylinder database (EN 1964-1 build, without valve, 171 mm): 12.0 kg. The 203 mm build weighs 13.6 kg (12.3 kg in the 2023 design). Buoyancy is computed from the weight and water volume, in sea water with a standard valve. | 12 L | 2,901 psi | 2,400 L85 cu ft | 12.0 kg26.5 lb | −1.6 kg−3.5 lb | +1.3 kg+2.9 lb |