DIR divers: Deviations?

[rjack321]

I use a 55lb wing for HP100s in salt water with a drysuit and 200gm thinsulate undergarments.

I have used a 40lb wing with AL80s (same garments) and it was totally adequate. Of course those tanks are only -1 when full.

Whether a 40lb wing is enough for HP130s I dunno, I don't have any. But it seems unlikely to be a good match. Mostly 'cause with 8" diameter tanks you can easily use a larger wing and not have a huge Manta on your back.

 

[lamont]

I found the 85s to be a bit small for my first dive to 150 in the lake. Damn its cold and dark down there = a sky high SAC! I can easily use those for Tech1 dives now - 35 dives later.

Harry, Lynne, and Michelle all had 95s or bigger.

Yeah, I was thinking that it'd be better to use double-LP85s for the shallow work with EAN32 in the backgas the first couple of days. Then on the graduation dives you can do double-130s with 21/35 and the swing in the backgas is less there because of the heli-yum (and by the time you need to start looking slick on deco you should be down around 1200+ psi and with the helium that leaves you 9# overweighted vs. 20# overweighted).

 

[lamont]

Whether a 40lb wing is enough for HP130s I dunno, I don't have any. But it seems unlikely to be a good match. Mostly 'cause with 8" diameter tanks you can easily use a larger wing and not have a huge Manta on your back.

theoretically a 40# wing should be enough to float your rig in the water, and should be enough to float you in it even when overweighted by the weight of your gas, particularly if you are diving helium.

i think its a bit small though since sometimes i'm doing support with EAN32 and either carrying a leash of heavy, full Al40s to setup and/or carrying down a 5# lead weight or two in case the push divers are light.

oh, it also helps when you're diving with newbish single tank divers and their weightbelt slips off and you drop down to get it...

 

[rjack321]

Yeah, I was thinking that it'd be better to use double-LP85s for the shallow work with EAN32 in the backgas the first couple of days. Then on the graduation dives you can do double-130s with 21/35 and the swing in the backgas is less there because of the heli-yum (and by the time you need to start looking slick on deco you should be down around 1200+ psi and with the helium that leaves you 9# overweighted vs. 20# overweighted).

It didn't help that I had no idea we were headed to the lake and had never done a wight check there. Crap!

So definately dump the 130s down and try out your weighting at the beach. I doubt you'll need any lead, I use a SS plate and no lead, you may even need an AL plate.

 

[lamont]

It didn't help that I had no idea we were headed to the lake and had never done a wight check there. Crap!

So definately dump the 130s down and try out your weighting at the beach. I doubt you'll need any lead, I use a SS plate and no lead, you may even need an AL plate.

With my double-130s and my 200g thinsulate I'm overweighted with an Al plate in the lake. With 400g if I ditch the v-weight and use a SS plate its just about right.

Its not an issue for me, though, I came down with pericarditis last week... Now there's not enough tech1 candidates in the PNW to setup a class anytime soon and the earliest date in the US that is open is either Dean or Sherwood's classes in April in Fl...

 

[rjack321]

Awww man, I'm sorry to hear that. Is this an off-shoot or lingering effect of the MX illness?

I hope you manage to get well soon.

 

[lamont]

Awww man, I'm sorry to hear that. Is this an off-shoot or lingering effect of the MX illness?

I hope you manage to get well soon.

Its Revenge of the Killer Mexican Bug. After the virus was all gone the immune reaction to it decided it wasn't quite finished yet and caused inflammation in the pericardium sac around my heart. It should only take a week or two on an NSAID to make it go away and I'm already starting to taper off it, although I was getting some pain that was probably a 3 on a scale of 10 today which has me a little concerned that it might need to be tapered slower if it gets worse...

 

[Soggy]

You are on a 110 ft wall, diving 32% (no need for argon). Upon descent you wing fails. You bang against the wall several times on you trip to 110 ft. Along the way you damage your left post and smack your head against the wall rendering you unconscious. You have a full set up tanks, no drysuit inflation and your out cold. Now that’s a bad day.

Ok, if we are going to completely throw reality out the window, let's have a shark come up and attack us at the same time while a giant squid drags us down to the depths.

 

[ams511]

Ok, if we are going to completely throw reality out the window, let's have a shark come up and attack us at the same time while a giant squid drags us down to the depths.

Actually I was thinking of the shark while reading this thread.

 

[dsteding]

You are on a 110 ft wall, diving 32% (no need for argon). Upon descent you wing fails. You bang against the wall several times on you trip to 110 ft. Along the way you damage your left post and smack your head against the wall rendering you unconscious. You have a full set up tanks, no drysuit inflation and your out cold. Now that’s a bad day.

Err, uh, at that point wouldn't the size of your wing be irrelevant? Unless you have some sort of "reg keeper" or a FFM, I think you are dead. And FFMs are not hogarthian or DIR . . .

Not to you're mention the most unlucky SOB on the planet.