Doubles for Recreational Diving?

[Ben_ca]

Monastery Beach in Monterey is a good example. On a flat day, doubles would be no problem. But when the surf is up and I may have to crawl up a steep beach on the exit, I feel more comfortable in a single.

When the surf is up at Monastery you do not go in, period.

 

[TSandM]

When I got rolled at Monastery, the surf was about 12"

Doubles have a lot of hidden benefits. I'll meeting up with just about anybody for a first dive if I'm in my doubles. I figure the list of things that can happen that would make me dependent on a buddy when I'm in doubles is so short, and so unlikely, that I'm almost self-sufficient with them, especially if I control the parameters of the dive.

 

[texdiveguy]

I recently completed a cavern course and the cave called to me. I figure it is time to start diving doubles.

Then I started to consider why only "tech" divers dive doubles because the benefits of doubles to most diving is starting to seem obvious... and the thoughts led to this post. I can see why many people wouldn't dive doubles, but I also dive solo a bit, so instead of a pony bottle, etc. and...

I think you get the idea.

As you have found out even recreational divers enjoy diving doubles if they wish....not really a 'tech' thing anymore.

You can still safely do wonderful 'solo' diving with a single back gas tank and a pony bottle....doubles though do offer just another option.

 

[TSherman]

Wow, this thread is kinda scary. Ok, here is my rant and my $.02.

If you don't need doubles, dive your singles. These will just make you do stupid things. Your tanks should be used based on your dive plan. I own doubles for NE diving and I rent singles when I vacation dive (rec dive with pretty fish).

Your reason for diving doubles shouldn't be because you are too lazy to switch tanks during a rocky boat sit (even though I do the same thing in NC). The dives in NC are pretty much shallow, under 120' so doing 2 dives a day on twin 100's or 120's isn't too bad.

My biggest issue is that I see a lot of people who dive doubles in a wetsuit. Do you have enough lift to get up if your BC goes out on you? I assume everyone has a lift bag and a signal device to get up on.

Many people are taking "Tec" type gear and saying I can do this. You should really have a little training before you decide to go long. How do you plan your dive to know you have enough gas to finish multiple dives using just your back gas? Its a pretty simple calculation. Do you have enough to lend to your buddy and finish your dive?

Straping on doubles and "swinging a bottle" isn't all there is to tech diving. There is a lot of theory and trial and error experience needed to move on.

You really need to speak to someone and remember you are chancing your life to the experts that post in here when you believe everything you read. A certified Tech instructor is the best resource you can have. There are plenty of them in different agencies. They will give you the benefits of setting up your doubles for what you want to do. I would very seriously consider a dry suit for doubles. Most responsible divers use them when adding the weight of doubles. Redundancy Redundancy Redundancy! It may just save your life!

 

[jackass]

Who you talkin to Willis?

 

[texdiveguy]

Wow, this thread is kinda scary. Ok, here is my rant and my $.02.

If you don't need doubles, dive your singles. These will just make you do stupid things. Your tanks should be used based on your dive plan. I own doubles for NE diving and I rent singles when I vacation dive (rec dive with pretty fish).

Your reason for diving doubles shouldn't be because you are too lazy to switch tanks during a rocky boat sit (even though I do the same thing in NC). The dives in NC are pretty much shallow, under 120' so doing 2 dives a day on twin 100's or 120's isn't too bad.

My biggest issue is that I see a lot of people who dive doubles in a wetsuit. Do you have enough lift to get up if your BC goes out on you? I assume everyone has a lift bag and a signal device to get up on.

Many people are taking "Tec" type gear and saying I can do this. You should really have a little training before you decide to go long. How do you plan your dive to know you have enough gas to finish multiple dives using just your back gas? Its a pretty simple calculation. Do you have enough to lend to your buddy and finish your dive?

Straping on doubles and "swinging a bottle" isn't all there is to tech diving. There is a lot of theory and trial and error experience needed to move on.

You really need to speak to someone and remember you are chancing your life to the experts that post in here when you believe everything you read. A certified Tech instructor is the best resource you can have. There are plenty of them in different agencies. They will give you the benefits of setting up your doubles for what you want to do. I would very seriously consider a dry suit for doubles. Most responsible divers use them when adding the weight of doubles. Redundancy Redundancy Redundancy! It may just save your life!

I agree with some of your statement....safety is paramount when doing any scuba diving be it single or doubles cylinder OC configuration...even CCR!

I don't agree that a Tech instructor is absolutely needed to learn the skills ness to dive doubles within recreational NDL's....a good mentor is very helpful and of course a large dose of common sense and patients! I learned on my own over time and did quite well.

As to 'responsible' divers using dry suits to dive doubles.....well a dry suit is a wonderful form of redundant buoyancy control for doubles diving in the event your bc goes south (its the best)....but safe doubles diving can also be done in a wet suit as well. The old lift bag trick works if you know how to use it properly for this purpose and practice this skill often...sounds easier than it really is when used for a safe means of accent. A better method and the one I use, is using a redundant wing during all wet suited doubles diving...some folks go with dual bladder wings (not my persl. choice).

PS-- say HI to Rich... nice chap.

 

[Belmont]

I use doubles for recreational diving.


Why?

All my singles are in use for stage bottles or something else.


When?

Every dive.


How do I plan multiple dives?

First dive is done with an AL80 stage. Second dive is on doubles only. If I am not taking the stage bottle, then I dive thirds on the first dive, the recalculate thirds for the second dive and dive that.

Are they all or mostly all cave dives?

 

[dsteding]

I spent around 100 dives in doubles a fair amount, and will be in them next month prepping for my tech class with AG. But, once I get through that class I'll use them for dives where they are needed. A single 130 is plenty of gas for any recreational dive I want to do, and although many people like doubles for stability, my recent back issues suggest limiting the abuse of my back could be a good thing.

Plus, I've gone through the "diving doubles rocks" phase. I kinda like the freedom of a single tank.

 

[texdiveguy]

I spent around 100 dives in doubles a fair amount, and will be in them next month prepping for my tech class with AG. But, once I get through that class I'll use them for dives where they are needed. A single 130 is plenty of gas for any recreational dive I want to do, and although many people like doubles for stability, my recent back issues suggest limiting the abuse of my back could be a good thing.

Plus, I've gone through the "diving doubles rocks" phase. I kinda like the freedom of a single tank.

Dang sorry to hear of back troubles....I hope that it is on the mend and of a nature that will be history at some point in the near future--ouch!!

Curious what you mean by 'the freedom of a single tank'....I dive both configurations myself and don't experience any more feeling of freedom in a single over doubles..?

 

[dsteding]

Dang sorry to hear of back troubles....I hope that it is on the mend and of a nature that will be history at some point in the near future--ouch!!

My L 4/5 disc pushes on my spinal column, in the words of my doctor "I have good news, you are getting old." The good news was no herniation/bulge.

Curious what you mean by 'the freedom of a single tank'....I dive both configurations myself and don't experience any more feeling of freedom in a single over doubles..?

Back kicking at Mach 1, rolling on your back and frog-kicking along, the ease of starting ascents, that kind of stuff. I like the stability of doubles, but the mass certainly makes things slower underwater.

If I don't need 200 cubic feet of gas for a dive, I'm not gonna bring it-unless I feel the need to get back into doubles to work up to something (like my upcoming class, or a big dive if I haven't been diving them much). That being said, I can go back and forth between the two setups pretty easily, I adjust within a few minutes of the dive.