How long is a piece of string?How long does it have to be around for it not to be a fad? In your opinion.
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How long is a piece of string?How long does it have to be around for it not to be a fad? In your opinion.
Pretty much what I expected from you.How long is a piece of string?
One nice thing about doubles is it's not a fad.
Surely that's an attempt at humour, right?
Wrong.
How long does it have to be around for it not to be a fad? In your opinion.
How long is a piece of string?
Pretty much what I expected from you.
Your name suits you lolSo, how long have you two been married?
I am currently planning my next step in my diving training/adventure and have been tossing which set up to start with and it has caused a kind of a lock up in a decision. I am hoping by providing some insight into my situation that some constructive guidance will help in my decision making process. Here it goes:
Level-PADI rescue with 100 dives (give or take a small few)
Location-Central Florida(springs 1.5hr, drift dive central 2-2.5hrs)
Current BC-Diverite transpac
Tanks- LP85 steels-(I will probably keep 85s regardless what system I start with)
Suit- Will be staying wet for another year. (3mm and 5mm)
Regs- Deep6, currently on a 84"and 22"
Computer- Perdix AI
Future plans(Ideal)- Decide on either system and dive it exclusively for roughly 6 months, then begin system not chosen 1st. Will do TDI intro to tech and/or training in new gear configuration(s). I would grab up all the required gear that I don't have over the next few months and be ready by end of summer to put the time in for the training. I don't see the need to rush any of this.
No physical limitations that would make one "easier" over the other. I have read countless threads, stories, and watched numerous videos. I have gear ideas for each system and have read countless pages on them, hence why I am in decision paralysis. I do plan on getting into technical diving down the road, too many variables to set a firm time frame.
Thank you for the help.
Both options are good, and bad.
Until you start a tank farm sidemount is nice as you can do it with minimal tanks. Use what you have now. Any rental tanks can be setup as well. With doubles you have a set of doubles. Have to completely empty them to split them back into singles if you want to do any regular diving. I know people who just do the simple recreationally dives on doubles, just don't change tanks between dives. That works, keeps you practiced out in doubles, but adds weight on land along with bulk.
I don't find sidemount off a boat that difficult. Narrow boat gates can make for an interesting sideways giant stride entrance. I've done a fair bit of sidemount. It does get the monkey off your back that a big set of doubles can create. But sidemount can also be fussy about getting everything to behave. I did a lot of dives playing with lengths of chokers, mounting positions, etc. Backmount does take the win for easier to setup. Still some adjustments but not nearly as many.
Baby doubles is something I have to admit I have never tried. Heard about them. Makes sense, but a little pricy with minimal gains in air.
You mention future plans. What are the long term plans. Not 6 months, more like 6 years.
My quick thoughts. Since you have a pair of tanks right now and still looks like you will be doing single tank as well. Sidemount is a quick and fairly cheap way of stretching your current gear with minimal investment. You state you plan to add the other method later, that would be another pair of tanks (so you can keep your existing tanks for single tank diving) and a little more gear.
Since you are diving wet, sidemount is probably a little better as well. Steel doubles in a wetsuit can get sketchy. Sidemount would let you throw away an anchor and still keep some air.
Go sidemount. And keep an eye out for a good set of used doubles for later.
What do I dive? I still own the regs off a sidemount setup but nothing else. Dive a rebreather. Once you start looking at a bottle of Helium it is the only thing that makes sense. I do own a tank farm. Every dive cylinder I bought I still own. Use them all even if in different roles. My AL40 deco bottle is now my small bailout bottle, same for the AL80s. The 100s are drive gas for the booster or clean air from the dive shop for home blending. Took 20 years to get to this point. But it is a good place to finally be at.