2 valves per tank, why?!

[Graeme Tolton]

The h or y valvewill only be of use to you if you are trained for it or at least have an understanding of when, how and why to use it. 45f isnt all that cold. Imho a pony is better redundancy than an h valve.

 

[Canyondreamer51]

I just came back from Diving Kreidesee Hemmoor last Saturday (July 25,2015) and here is the deal as told to me by my good friend who certifies students at this lake (and who was my buddy): There is a very steep thermokline from 20 meters to 30 meters: (~55- ~36DGF (15 --> 4 DGC). Divers have died in this lake by getting to the 90+ feet and then started to panick because of the sudden cold, hyperventilating and freezing the first stage over running out of breathable air. The double first stage is meant to make a non-frozen valve available should that happen.

Interestingly enough, I brought all my equipment with me containing one first stage only, and my German friend did not think of this when we staged, so my first dive (to 100 feet or 31m) was with only a single first stage valve. When coming back up and starting to stage the second dive, a control officer came around to check gauges (without additional (teck) certification you are forbidden to go deeper than 40m) and my friend then saw my single first stage and immediately threw a piece of clothing over it. He said I/we could have been fined if they discovered I had been diving with only one first stage valve. Then for the second dive I had the double first stage (making me look like a BORG with a face mask, two regulators, and tubes to the dry suit and BC!!)

On a side bar - this is an amazing divers paradise that I am suprised no more Americans know about. I am definitely going to suggest to my dive club to consider a dive-excursione for those wanting to practice cold water skills to this place, where there are on-site campgrounds and small cabins you can rent very reasonably, a filling station for air, Nitrox and Trimix, and hundreds of divers from all over Nothern Europe spread around a very large area whgich is OK, as the Lake is huge (for being an artificially filled decomissioned quary, with platforms, planes, trucks, buildings, and other gizmos to thrill divers of all skills from 30 feet all the way down to ~200 feet. I may do a search to see if anyone had made a dive report from this place as if not, I may do it

 

[rhwestfall]

yep, single tank dives in cold water....

like this:



but in Canada, not Europe.....

and as a second "plus". this helps me to not have to mess with my stuff when switching from doubles to singles....

 

[rhwestfall]

The h or y valvewill only be of use to you if you are trained for it or at least have an understanding of when, how and why to use it. 45f isnt all that cold. Imho a pony is better redundancy than an h valve.

I prefer "belts AND suspenders".... :cool2:

 

[NAM001]

I dive with H valves. I get some flack for it for the above listed reasons. I also dive doubles and this makes the configuration nearly identical. I was in a cavern and went ooa on one reg,,, i just switched to the other and that was it. the valve to the primary reg rolled off. Most may never need that kind of backup. However i like it. Yes if the dip tube would have plugged then there would be no advantage. Is the glass half empty of half full. when you are ooa, any option is better than none. I just happen to be able to afford and use such an option. Yes 2 dip tubes would be more ideal but once again it could better than nothing. To some point training is not a factor. vbecause those who would use this kind of valve probably already oknows what to do with them. those that dont are no worse off than with a single valve.

 

[Doppler]

Imho a pony is better redundancy than an h valve.

It is (given certain provisos), but that's not what's mandated there.

For the record, there was a time when an Y or H valve or a pony was suggested for single-tank dives below 30 metres here is north america... (TDI circa 1995), however, that suggestion was unpopular and was scrapped.

Well, not scrapped entirely... some of us still promote it as a good idea.

 

[Freewillow]

As far as I know, the law in France is that any diver that 'take charge" of another diver has to have two redundant circuits: this means a double output, 2 first stages and 2 second stages. Wether you find it "too much" or "not" is irrelevant. It is a part of "code du sport", so it is in the law .

 

[Dr. Lecter]

a control officer came around to check gauges (without additional (teck) certification you are forbidden to go deeper than 40m) and my friend then saw my single first stage and immediately threw a piece of clothing over it. He said I/we could have been fined if they discovered I had been diving with only one first stage valve

Are you seriously confused about why more Americans aren't traveling to this "divers paradise"?

 

[high/baric]

Are you seriously confused about why more Americans aren't traveling to this "divers paradise"?

I don't think PADI, or any other major training organisation for that matter, allows people to dive below 40m with only recreational training. As for the dual first stages, most people don't bring their own tank when they travel. Renting a second first stage could be a little extra, but doubtfully a deal breaker if you have already invested so much in the trip. And unless you have to have two second stages on both first stages you can just have your octo in the second one and have the same amount of hoses to deal with. In fact, I find this place pretty interesting right now and really hope that Canyondreamer51 will write a report on it.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

I don't think PADI, or any other major training organisation for that matter, allows people to dive below 40m with only recreational training.

No dive training organization in the US is in the business of allowing or prohibiting people to do anything, whether above or below 40m. But if you want to travel to Europe for the equivalent of Dutch Springs with a 200' deep end and actual SCUBA police, more power to you.