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    Diving the Red Sea

    I did Northern & Dahab with redseaexplorers.com and enjoyed it very much. GUE infested but openminded, sidemount / rebreather / double tank / freediving friendly. Trimix, DPV, Nitrox, ... Started from Hurghada. I've seen the MY Blue but wasn't on it. Very different focus; no tech diving, no...
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    Current opinions on Padi Tec-rec?

    This post yes, but in practice you can either do TMX45 as an add-on to an existing Tec45 certification, or do Tec45 and Tec50 with TMX right from the start, e.g. Nitrox, Advanced Recreational Trimix, Normoxic & Trimix
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    Current opinions on Padi Tec-rec?

    There is PADI TMX 45 and TMX 50. You can do the deep dives of the Tec45 and Tec50 courses on Trimix, right? Tech through PADI or TDI?
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    Using octo upside down

    I look and the "consistency" is a few and always the same guys, who elaborate their long hose primary donate superiority story to everybody who can't hear it anymore and doesn't bother to argue as it's useless. A loud ignored minority in an internet forum does not equate collective experience in...
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    Using octo upside down

    Actually the work-of-breathing of the Mares MV is OK with 0.67J/l . The point is rather that a safe second is often tuned a bit harder by the factory or service guy, because you want it to work reliably but not accidentally freeflow. Sometimes it's too much and then people complain that their...
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    Thinking of doubling up my HP80s

    You could also try a DUI classic weight belt harness. With a weight belt harness you can use any fin you like and put a lot of weight on the hips (instead of the waist like a regular weight belt), that may be the perfect place to achieve good trim depending on your body shape. Heavy fins can...
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    Using octo upside down

    The Mares MV Octopus works upside down, is cheap and good. The Mares brand is popular in Europe where it's cheap and you get it serviced everywhere, but since you're from Arkansas better check first if a local dive shop offers Mares service and about the prices. Better don't mix brands between...
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    What's your favorite set of doubles?

    I think it depends mostly on how tall the diver is. A short diver with long narrow doubles has them inconveniently riding on his buttocks. A tall diver with short wide doubles will be top heavy. There are of course many variants of steel tanks available, but the most common situation is...
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    AOW before Tech?

    I agree agency standards change over time, but not that every agency has to offer the same program and I still see the inconsistency with GUE team diving philosophy, and DIR idea of keeping things simple. What's wrong with specializing in a niche and offering good focused OC backmount training...
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    Sidemount regulator recommendations?

    IMO swivel turret and 5th port is nice to have and I'd like that option for sidemounting if I'm buying a new reg anyway, but it's not a must-have and you'll be able to make your current reg work for sidemount. There are many degrees of freedom: you can rotate the tank a little, rotate the 1st...
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    AOW before Tech?

    What will change in a few years? You can take cavern/intro/... class in sidemount today. I don't expect GUE to change their position on sidemount though, for other reasons. They are deeply invested in project oriented team diving, where every diver should have the same configuration so that...
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    AOW before Tech?

    It really depends on the country. In Germany, VDST shows decompression tables and gas planning already in DTSA* (first card, like OWD). So you have to calculate a gas plan for staged deco already to pass the OWD class, but due to the limitation depth to guided dives and 20m, DTSA* means NDL...
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    Croatia, general divers info

    Went to DIVE LOFT KRK - Diving Center on Krk island in Croatia | Diving Courses, Boat Dives, Full Day Diving Trips, Discover Scuba Diving with a group of friends three years ago and it was good.
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    Overshooting NDL and mandatory deco stops

    NDL diving and deco diving are different because of the safety stop. For calculating NDL in rec diving, a GF of 85~95 is usual in dive computers and it's OK, because the 3min@5m safety stop has a big impact. Say you set GF=90 and use the 13min NDL time at 30m. (PZ+ for example gives you 16min...
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    Twin-set manifold vs Sidemount vs Independent Twins

    recreational openwater sidemount is often chosen because of back pain. Only few advanced divers go into so narrow caves that they need sidemount for technical reasons. When you're 30 and fit then twin 12l tanks mounted to a steel backplate with installed p-weight lead seems to be acceptable to...
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    Current opinions on Padi Tec-rec?

    Sounds funny but doesn't make sense in my opinion. Since there are so many different deco models, tables, computers, conservatism settings, ... one diver's NDL dive is another diver's deco dive. There's a big gray area here going from NDL diving, light deco, lots of deco, ... Very different...
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    Is there a valid reason for a pony bottle

    If all you need is more gas for contingency, you might as well take a larger tank and leave the pony at home. The point of the pony is that it is an independent source of gas. When does that make a difference? For example a cold water backmount diver who isn't able to shut his valves due to...
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    Is there a valid reason for a pony bottle

    Obviously divers have different personal subjective opinions on what level of safety they need, and two divers often disagree in that regard even for the same dive under the same conditions. So you may discuss the objective differences say between a pony bottle and a mono tank with an h-valve...
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    Tech training advice

    The instructor effectively charges you for his time and hence course prices strongly correlate with the number of dives, number of training days, classroom hours, required for the class. Gas costs are the same, books, and agency fees differ a little but not so much. Some agencies split courses...
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    Advanced Open Water course in tourist locations with BP/W?

    I can't see a reason why BPW would be a problem. Some jacket BCs are very similar to BPW. But I expect the instructor will require ditchable lead such as a weightbelt when you're in a wetsuit, no p-weights screwed to the backplate. Anyway, better ask the instructor before booking the class.
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