55 lbs. Enough Lift ?

[Lil' Irish Temper]

Alright I have almost everything, I have chosen to keep my ATX 200 and I will be getting another one as my other regulator.

Now I need the 7 foot hose. With the ATX 200 do I need the 3/8 or 1/2 inch 7' hose from the 1st stage to the second and who has the best prices for hoses and bungie necklace?

(checked ScubaToys already) didn't see any

 

[lamont]

bungie necklace?

just buy a bunch of bungie and make your own. two knots in the end of it and a ziptie to your mouthpiece and you're done.

 

[Tavi]

Not to threadjack LITs thead, but why are 100's are completely a different story? Shouldn't they be similar nearly empty to E8-119s?

I ask because I'll be investing (and isn't that a great word?) in a smallish set of doubles in the sorta-near future and one option would be E7-100s. The other options being LP-85s or even 72s. Mostly I want to make sure that whatever I buy now is useful for the future...

I'm curious too, as I ust bought a pair of E-7 100's to double up!!

 

[HarryH97]

I'm curious too, as I ust bought a pair of E-7 100's to double up!!

In comparison to E8-119's and E8-130's, the E8-100's will need about 5-6 more pounds when they go empty. You can probably get away with it in fresh water, but in salt water, fully rigged doubles DIR set-up is about 8 lbs negative with 6cf AR, Canister Light, AL BP, and empty tanks. This is just shy of the 12-14 lbs minimum requirement for cold water drysuit diving up here in the PNW. As always, your YMMV.

Harry

 

[Lil' Irish Temper]

With my doubles and using 2 Apeks ATX 200's should I keep my 7' hose and my 22" hose at the 3/8" size with a 1/2" port plug so I can switch to another reg if need be and keep everything universal. Or should I just stick to 3/8" and don't worry about the port plug?

 

[Tavi]

With my doubles and using 2 Apeks ATX 200's should I keep my 7' hose and my 22" hose at the 3/8" size with a 1/2" port plug so I can switch to another reg if need be and keep everything universal. Or should I just stick to 3/8" and don't worry about the port plug?

You can switch out the second stage either way. On That end of the hose The fittings will be the same size. The only problem is if you have to switch out the hose. 3/8 is more common and easier to find. The easiest solution is to carry a spare hose in your save a dive kit.

 

[Lil' Irish Temper]

Dove my doubles for the first time this weekend, and all I can say is

Trim was great, no weight, learned some new things though. . . .

Learned a few things:

Set them on the floor in the corner of the boat, so you can sit on the floor to get into your rig, put the crotch strap on etc. No stress on your back, and worrying about doing a turtle on the deck in front of the paying customers.

On a drift dive if you get a little bit sideways, Hold on, because you are going to be passing people left and right. Those doubles are like a sail on a sailboat when the current catches them.

When you hear that funny growling behind you - that is not a killer fish, its the air shifting in the cell, and it will move you.

And finally buoyancy ~ I'm sure for some it was to easy ~ for me it took 2 dives before I didn't go slamming into the bottom, to get somewhat of a grasp on what my BP/W were trying to tell me. But it will come with time.

 

[kidspot]

Thanks for sharing your journey LIT - I was just given a couple of small steel tanks (lp 65's) I'm going to double up. While I don't do any diving at this point requiring doubles, it seems like a good time to start learning. I was quite fortunate to find an Explorer 40 on clearance for $250 (including SS plate, MC pack etc..) and a Halcyon manifold for $175 - so it seemed like a very good time to go this route.

Now I just need to order a pair of 6.9" bands ... I wonder if my LDS has even heard of such a thing... back to Ebay I guess...(after giving them a chance to turn up a pair)

Aloha, Tim