Curious

[Paladin]

Just to clarify, I never mentioned using a bc as an "elevator". I only use it to maintain buoyancy at the surface and when I'm moving horizontal. My OW instructor made it very clear to my and my cert buddies to move rise and descend under our own power.

I know I'm only OW certified, hence I didn't know about the double hose reg + tank w/o bc diving. Is this something that is discussed in AOW?

Also, when diving this config, why are double hose regs preferred over two separate regs? What would you do in case of an OOA incident?

Nope. These are old skills that aren't taught anymore. If you want to learn these skills, you'll have to find a mentor to teach you.



A double hose keeps the bubbles behind you, out of the way. Besides, they're just more fun to dive. In OOA situations, you buddy breathe or blow and go.

 

[Boiler_81]

I agree you did not mention the BC as an elevator. However, many current instructors teach this way by default by over weighting their students.

Diving without a BC will not be taught in any modern course. Therefore, new divers assume it is not possible. When I took my course the instructor taught us to get our weighting correct and we could dive without air in our BC. I am afraid this kind of teaching is long gone.

The only reason double hoses are brought into the discussion is many of them do not have low pressure ports to hook up a BC. Therefore you have to do without one. As stated previously, this is a skill that can be utilized with a single hose as well. Once you learn to get properly weighted you will find your diving is much easier and you will use less air.

 

[vintagediver]

Just to clarify, I never mentioned using a bc as an "elevator". I only use it to maintain buoyancy at the surface and when I'm moving horizontal. My OW instructor made it very clear to my and my cert buddies to move rise and descend under our own power.

I know I'm only OW certified, hence I didn't know about the double hose reg + tank w/o bc diving. Is this something that is discussed in AOW?

Also, when diving this config, why are double hose regs preferred over two separate regs? What would you do in case of an OOA incident?

"Buddy breath" or ascend.
But OOA never happens to "double hosers"

 

[USCScubaboy]

very interesting. Would definitely be interested in trying this out in the future.

Would this be done with steel tanks? Can't imagine anyone using al tanks that would be positively buoyant at the end of the dive.

 

[Paladin]

I forgot something. For a "true" vintage diver, if you run out of air, you yank the J valve rod and head for the surface!

 

[Paladin]

very interesting. Would definitely be interested in trying this out in the future.

Would this be done with steel tanks? Can't imagine anyone using al tanks that would be positively buoyant at the end of the dive.

Add four pounds of weight to your belt to compensate for the AL80's buoyancy and you'll dive pretty much just like using a steel 72.

 

[USCScubaboy]

Add four pounds of weight to your belt to compensate for the AL80's buoyancy and you'll dive pretty much just like using a steel 72.

Adding weight would definitely compensate for the buoyancy of the al tank. but the OP was referring to diving w/o a weight belt as well.

 

[Paladin]

Adding weight would definitely compensate for the buoyancy of the al tank. but the OP was referring to diving w/o a weight belt as well.

Oh. OK. I tried diving without a weight belt once. Well, to tell the truth, I forgot to put it on. The dive started out OK but as I burned through the tank (steel 72), I found myself having to work to stay down. In the end, I didn't even have to swim back to the surface. All I had to do was stop fighting the inevitable and float lazily to the surface.

 

[captain]

Captain, after hearing how I was about to dive, I had an instructor quitely tell someone that it was not possible to dive that way....what he did not know was the woman standing near him was my wife.....it was great fun to hover around his OW class in my old DH and no BC with buoyancy control he wished he had. Looks like you have mastered the impossible as well.

Actually that,s' not me but one of my vintage diving buddies.

 

[USCScubaboy]

haha. with my 7 mil on, I'm a floater too. would definitely need more than the 4 #s to offset the al tank to keep me at depth too.