Opinions on new divers with technical setups?

[gbf]

Also, why tuck your hose behind something that you are possibly going to remove and use? If you don't have a can light and don't want to buy that halcyone thing, you can just cut a piece of PVC pipe to length to make a fake canister.

You don't "remove and use it", you pull the knife out of the little sheath. See pics below. Why add a piece of faux gear when you can use a piece of real gear to accomplish the task?


But I don't see the point of those blunt DIR knives if you have shears.

Back in the day, way way before Bill was Hogarth or DIR was even a gleam in the eye... We were dealing with a lot of home-made gear with little stainless screws. lotta times we needed a screwdriver when we were a long way from the truck. Hence the dollar store steak knife with the sharp point cut off. Since it was a knife it also served nicely as a cutting tool.
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The pic below is of a scabbard I made in about 1975 (yellow) and the dollar store steak knife. The black one is a relatively new one included in the package when I bought a DSS plate and wing. The webbing is really stiff and serves nicely to keep a 7-footer tamed.

 

[Ayisha]

I know this because this was me looking like some victim of an explosion in a dive shop with all the yellow tat and appendages. The octopus was always hard to "stow" because there's nowhere particularly clean to stash it. Weight belts fell out when on the surface. Trim was appalling and even resorted to ankle weights.

Your first post had a lot of merit, but consider how much of the generalities were actually projection and generalization from your own experience.

...And a BP+W is cheaper than a BCD...

Small point, but a BP+W is also a BCD.

 

[Celt]

Use what works for you and keep it simple so you can change things. I like the way a wing sits and for me it’s very easy to get on and off in the water. I use a jacket BCD when working shallow, I can carry a lump hammer, chisel, vicegrips hacksaw cableties and shackles with it, Diving gear is about how you use it not what people think.

 

[doctormike]

The pic below is of a scabbard I made in about 1975 (yellow) and the dollar store steak knife. The black one is a relatively new one included in the package when I bought a DSS plate and wing. The webbing is really stiff and serves nicely to keep a 7-footer tamed.

View attachment 645902

Even with the knife removed? OK, didn't think that it was stiff enough with just the sheath... but if it works, it works!

I also don't understand the advantage of the blunt knife over a shears (off topic!). I do know that a lot of people like them.

 

[formernuke]

I took a pre funnies class with around 20 dives (if that) under my belt.

I was so much more comfortable with it I switched from back inflate to BPW and switched my hoses out.


Shortly there after I went to Roatan (at the time no one else except cavies and techies dove that way) I was working on my master diver at the time.

My instructor told me before I left just to tell the DM that I was still fairly new (about 70 dives) and just liked that configuration otherwise they would think I was a cavie or techie playing around. The others on the boat gave my gear weird looks and I got a few questions, but other than that no issues.

 

[formernuke]

6’3 here, looking at a 60 inch primary

I need a dive with my buddy to let the webbing stretch and re adjust my new setup for BP/W anyway, so it’s a great chance for us to practice donate, mask removal, buoyancy, etc.

At 6 foot 3 go 7 foot. I'm 6 foot 2 and a 5 is to short. If your not using a can light get a set of emt safety scissors and sheath and use it to hold the long hose.

Make sure your trained for long house use and switch over.

 

[rddvet]

You won't have that issue from experienced technical divers at dive sites. Just the opposite. Most will respect you for having a backplate, wing, harness, and Hogarthian setup rather than a standard recreational BCD. Just keep in mind that you need to have the appropriate wings and hose lengths for a single tank, which will be different than for doubles or sidemount. Knowing what I know now, if I were to start from scratch, I'd start sidemount even if it's with two smaller tanks. I suspect it could be the wave of the future for recreational diving.

As for ScubaBoard, don't worry too much about what people say on here. Of the very critical ones, most are just repeating things they've read from others rather than wisdom acquired from experience diving. It's not uncommon to see critical comments from American technical divers on here challenged by European divers who have far more actual dive experience.

A few ridiculous comments in this post.

 

[San Diego Climber]

I also started off (classes aside) in BP/W and long hose config. Maybe got a few half-weird looks diving that and DIN steel tanks in the Keys, but from the jacket BC crowd with danglies and such. I dive pretty much the same config as almost everyone else I dive with in San Diego- all much more seasoned than I and no one ever laughed at me!

Another alternative to a can light, EMT shears, or stick that's helpful if you don't have pockets on your suit already is the Dive Rite hip pocket. Slides on the harness and keep it in place with a second buckle same as a canister would be attached, catches and holds a 7' hose perfectly and gives you accessible storage.

 

[Subcooled]

I was just down in W.Palm for some recreational diving. Here is my single tank, ow setup. Nothing special.. just a steel backplate with a Dive Rite harness and a basic wing. I like a pair of trim pockets on the waist and another on the upper tank band. I am 6’2” and 270.. and with a 5/6mm suit, I was just about perfect with steel 85 tank and 8# of lead.

You have a 90 degree swivel on your long hose. I did, too.

I had to donate gas. The reg rotated 180 degrees (upside down). My buddy inhaled water. Poseidon regs might behave differently from Apeks ones, though. I am nevertheless sceptical of any 90 degree swiwels on long hoses.

Technical setups (and procedures!) are great for learning!

 

[Caveeagle]

You have a 90 degree swivel on your long hose. I did, too.

I had to donate gas. The reg rotated 180 degrees (upside down). My buddy inhaled water. Poseidon regs might behave differently from Apeks ones, though. I am nevertheless sceptical of any 90 degree swiwels on long hoses.

Technical setups (and procedures!) are great for learning!

All of the popular poseidon second stages breath exactly the same regardless of how you orient them, left, right, right side up, or upside down.

Regarding you share-air issue.. even without a 90* swivel, what would stop a panicking diver from putting a traditional second stage in their mouth upside down? I am trying to get a mental picture of how the 90* elbow made this more likely?