60# wing?

[CptTightPants21]

I guess we just have different opinions on what is competent and acceptable. I have also had tech divers tell me I was "capable" and "excellent, yada, yada". In my experience, it means that I am competent and can dive with them, but it not the level of execution and perfection that I seek.


Buoyancy while task loading is the whole ball game. How much time is he really going to spend with you and how much will it cost? This whole, I'll do the class, practice, and stretch out the certification for 10 months doesn't work in my book. Odds are, you'll do the dives, rinse, repeat enough times and then the instructor will deem that you have done all the skills up to the "standard". This is the same way you get OW certified students that can barely dive and freakout with water in their mask--because they were able to do the skills to "standard". You can find all the stories online of trimix divers that couldn't pass GUE fundies.

You're right I don't know you or your instructor. But I have seen and read this happening before. The reason that so many people are sure you are not ready is because they have thousands of dives and know you can't possibly be ready. It is like a 12 year old playing major league baseball, maybe one day he will be a hall of famer, but at 12 there is no possible way he is ready for big league ball.

You seem to be taking all of your classes with this one instructor, have you ever video tapped yourself? I repeat my recommendation to find a completely independent third party that will give you a straight answer. You friends at the dive shop no matter how experienced aren't a fair representation.

 

[tursiops]

He also said that I could wait until class started, go over this with him in more detail as part of the class, and still have plenty of time to buy what I need before our first time getting wet.

This was his best advice. Wait. Just. Wait.

 

[stuartv]

Seriously though....if you search through the threads that Stuart has started they are riddled with people offering advice and then Stuart countering that advice like some half-baked scuba lawyer. People have honestly tried to help you in your journey and you just can't seem to accept advice at least not without challenging it for paragraphs on end. Why you even managed to crap on Tobin who has forgotten to log more dives than you can ever hope to do in your lifetime. If you seriously want input then ask away, but if you are actually just looking for affirmation for a decision you have already made then get a dog. The people on this board have helped me immensely as I have grown as a diver largely because when I asked a question I was ready to listen to the answers without getting defensive and argumentative. People are trying to keep you on track for a learning journey that will never totally end, but you seem to practically want to dive the Doria before your first year is up. A good friend and instructor often refers to divers who were in a hurry to go from zero to hero as "friends I no longer have to send Christmas cards to". I know this post will piss you off just like almost every other one that didn't agree with you, but remember, God gave you two ears but only one mouth for a reason.

Thanks for posting this instead of sending a PM.

I thanked kelemvor. He actually answered my question with useful information and my original thought of getting a Hog wing changed to getting a DR Classic. So, if you statement that I'm only here to get affirmation on a decision I already made has any support, please provide it.

I asked Dr Lecter for some more info on what he posted (which actually attempted to answer one of my questions). No argument from me. Just asking for more details about what he said. He said a Halcyon wing is better quality than a DR. I didn't and don't argue that. I just asked for more details about what that means. I guess you consider that an argument?

I asked eelnoraa for clarification on his response (which also was focused on answering one of the questions I asked) and explained more on how I came to the answer I had previously posted, so he could critique my process better. Another member has since posted that the method I used, which eelnoraa said was wrong, was actually fine.

I thanked CaptTightPants for his info and responded to some of what he posted (e.g. where he asked what specific tanks I have). Certainly no argument.

I have thanked and responded thoughtfully, I think, to every post where the person was actually answering my questions and trying to be helpful.

Other posts were not even intended to answer my questions, but were intended to be helpful and, to those, I have tried to respond thoughtfully and provide additional information that might address that person's expressed concerns. If providing more info to address someone's expressed concerns is "arguing" to you, then I'm not sure what you would have me do. It sounds like you expect me to just take the word of strangers who put big numbers in their SB profile over the judgment of someone whom I know and with whom I have dived. Or maybe I should just ignore those attempts to help me and not respond at all?

And there have been posts that did not attempt to answer my questions, nor did they actually offer anything useful - only insults to myself or my instructor.

And you are taking ME to task for what I've posted?!

Further, YOU brought up Tobin. I did not attack Tobin. I responded to posts from Tobin where Tobin provided wrong information AND claimed that I USED him. I give Tobin the benefit of the doubt and assumed that he did not KNOW his info was wrong - otherwise, that would have meant he was lying. But, I did provide documentation to SHOW that what he posted was wrong. Through it all, he never admitted that what he posted was wrong, nor did he even acknowledge that he accused me of using him and that his accusation was based on wrong information. Some people might conclude that he's a name-calling liar. I do not. I only conclude that he has too much ego to ever admit that he was wrong about anything.

Finally, I specifically stated that I am working towards a goal of being certified for ANDP by the time I've been diving for a year and a half. You turned that into diving the Doria in my first year. Do you REALLY mean to assert that a person who puts the time and energy into it, working with a suitable instructor, is going too fast if they have a goal of getting an ANDP certification within 19 months after they completed OW? Does the collective wisdom here really think that is too fast?! It sounds like what it really boils down to is anyone that does it faster than you is crazy. *I* know it's not a competition. Do you?

 

[cool_hardware52]

It is with the greatest hesitation that I'm making this post. I have already asked in a previous thread why anyone should engage StuartV. There is no upside.

I have a straight forward means of calculating required wing capacity for doubles, and can explain the rational behind each step.

I've developed it after having been approached by 1000's of divers who are contemplating the transition from singles to doubles.

I have a good idea of their concerns, level of knowledge, and at least as important, their typical misconceptions.

This information would at the very least equip the diver contemplating doubles with some useful questions when interviewing instructors.

I however will not repeat this information here. Who needs the grief?

Tobin

 

[tursiops]

Stuartv, your original post said it had three questions. Actually, there were 7 questions, all somewhat different and some rather detailed. That post had more than twice the number of words as are in the Gettysburg Address. The post was not focused, so you should not expect focused answers.

You are asking your multiple open-ended questions on an open forum; if you don't want the input, don't open the door.
Most of the answers do exactly what you do: they show skepticism about your data and calculations. Your defense is always that your instructor is perfect...so let him do his job! Take the damn class and THEN ask your questions. One. At. A. Time.

 

[RJP]

So, if you statement that I'm only here to get affirmation on a decision I already made has any support, please provide it.

The fact that you argue incessantly with anyone who does NOT affirm your desired plan of action sort of speaks for itself.

My experience has been that the only way to get some people to follow your advice is to find out what they want to do... and then advise them to do that.

 

[Dhboner]

"It sounds like what it really boils down to is anyone that does it faster than you is crazy. *I* know it's not a competition. Do you?"

Yes that's what it is...if you beat me to the Doria I'll turn in my snorkel I see a Darwin award in someone's future.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

I asked Dr Lecter for some more info on what he posted (which actually attempted to answer one of my questions). No argument from me. Just asking for more details about what he said. He said a Halcyon wing is better quality than a DR. I didn't and don't argue that. I just asked for more details about what that means.

I don't sell Halcyon (or any other brand), and I don't see the point in spoon-feeding you the detailed factual underpinnings of my general points, which I've generated only with a lot of time and money invested in buying, maintaining, repairing, and occasionally diving lots of different wings. I've flagged for you the potential issues as I see them, feel free to do your own due diligence or don't...at least looking at both wings in person would give you an idea about what I mean re: quality, however.

I will point out that drop-in Halcyon bladders are about $80 and themselves bear a Halcyon warranty, mitigating much of the risk of buying a used Halcyon wing in the $200-$300 range.

 

[halocline]

Why is it that every time I ask a simple question here -...(rant).... you're actually not helping ANYONE.

There's any easy solution to your problem, stop asking questions on SB. Or, be prepared for answers you don't want to hear. I've never met you, I have no idea what kind of a person you are in real life, but on this board your behavior is immature and annoying. You ask a question and then complain bitterly when someone doesn't GIVE you what YOU want to hear, as if the posters on this forum somehow owe you something.

Good luck with your technical diving pursuits!

 

[stuartv]

Thank you to those of you who posted help. I appreciate being redirected to the DR Classic wing. Based on some of your posts, that definitely looks like a better option than the Hog wing I was originally looking at. And I also appreciate the confirmation that a 60-ish pound wing is the right capacity to be looking for based on my current plans.

Sincere thanks for the help.