The corrugated hose or the rear dump? Can't you service those yourself?
I thought those parts would come from the same factory in China irrespective of the dive gear brand?
Coldwater diver with some basic BM tec training, looking to enter world of SM, need BC advice
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I thought those parts would come from the same factory in China irrespective of the dive gear brand?
Probably are.
I guess the only really specific thing is the bladder. Normally don't see those break unless punctured.
OP
Scuba Shibe
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Forgive my ignorance but those using the xDeep stealth, are you using a butt plate? Am I correct in assuming if you use a butt plate, you cannot also use the cargo pouch and vice versa?
Also, does the xDeep Stealth Tec come with the central spine weight pocket? Or do you have to buy it separately?
Also, does the xDeep Stealth Tec come with the central spine weight pocket? Or do you have to buy it separately?
Is your profile correct? <100 dives, now wanting to use 2 deco gases in SM but open water?
OP
Scuba Shibe
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Must say that sidemount with two cylinders isn't nice in my experience.
If going to normoxic depths (~60m/200'), those deco cylinders need to be ali80s so that you've enough reserves to cover one failure. Sidemount with 4 full-sized cylinders (2 sidemount, 2 deco) is horrid (IMHO). Steve Martin makes it look oh so easy, but they're utter bs'tards to handle. Steve also uses sliding bottom clips to tighten them into the body. If you don't do that, they dangle horribly.
If you're only using a second deco stage as a backup for shallower depths, circa 40m/130', then you can use ali7s or even ali40s if they're similar gasses. These are easier to handle but again dangle unless you tighten everything up.
Personally, backmount is far nicer for normoxic depths.
If going to normoxic depths (~60m/200'), those deco cylinders need to be ali80s so that you've enough reserves to cover one failure. Sidemount with 4 full-sized cylinders (2 sidemount, 2 deco) is horrid (IMHO). Steve Martin makes it look oh so easy, but they're utter bs'tards to handle. Steve also uses sliding bottom clips to tighten them into the body. If you don't do that, they dangle horribly.
If you're only using a second deco stage as a backup for shallower depths, circa 40m/130', then you can use ali7s or even ali40s if they're similar gasses. These are easier to handle but again dangle unless you tighten everything up.
Personally, backmount is far nicer for normoxic depths.
runsongas
Contributor
buttplate depends on tank length and height. can still use butt pouch with either, just will hang lower with buttplate if you clip to rails, can interfere with using crotch ring. alternative is mounting the pouch in between the rails assuming you have can light along weight spine.
A bleeding obvious question: assume the Tec45 is limited to 45m/165' and with helitrox (light helium mix) and one deco stage cylinder?
The next course after that is the Normoxic Trimix / extended range. This is circa 60m/200' and has two decompression stages. Definitely recommend you wait before going for normoxic and consolidate your skills.
The main diference for me was diving with two stages and improving the existing skills. Two stages gets you more resilience as one can fail and the other will get you out. Surprisingly the depth wasn't that interesting, more that you could push the 45m dives for decent bottom time whilst still having sufficient reserve gas "for that failure".
OP
Scuba Shibe
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Tec45 is part of PADI's "tec-rec" training (Tec 40, 45 & 50) and definitely less than ideal but an acquaintance offered to train me at his cost so I was able to save quite a bit of $. The course actually just has you using air as back gas, and two AL40 deco bottles - a 50% O2 and a 100% O2.
I say less than ideal because after gaining some additional knowledge outside of the course materials, some other agencies have divers use trimix for anything deeper than 130ft. Unfortunately trimix is on the pricier side obviously, almost to the point of cost prohibitive for me.
That being said, I don't have plans to take the next course and go deeper than 45', most of the dive sites I wanted to visit here are within those limits.
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