Ditchable weight

[HenrikBP]

... and shows a real lack of diving flexibility.

... or simply a desire to continue to practice in a configuration that you're not quite comfortable in yet ...? What better way to ease into a set-up than on friendly, relatively shallow dives with lots of competent people around you?

Just a different perspective.

Henrik

 

[ScubaFeenD]

... or simply a desire to continue to practice in a configuration that you're not quite comfortable in yet ...? What better way to ease into a set-up than on friendly, relatively shallow dives with lots of competent people around you?

Just a different perspective.

Henrik

And not an incorrect perspective either. Just seems like overkill sometimes.

 

[ligersandtions]

... or simply a desire to continue to practice in a configuration that you're not quite comfortable in yet ...? What better way to ease into a set-up than on friendly, relatively shallow dives with lots of competent people around you?

Just a different perspective.

Henrik

IMO, there's a difference between practicing with doubles with a goal in mind, than diving doubles just because it's cool or because it's the "DIR" way to dive.

I do the occasional doubles shakedown dive at sites that don't require the use of doubles so I can keep the skills up....but for the most part, I'm quite content with diving my single on the majority of the shallow reef dives.

 

[rjack321]

I agree. You should have been on the GUE adventure dives in January. Easily recreational profiles and not one person there dove singles (except for Dan, his wife, and Bill Mee). Absolutely ridiculous in my mind, and shows a real lack of diving flexibility.

Sometimes you dive the tanks that you have (or are loaned). However I was told doubles were a stipulated requirement of the organizer for the deeper yet still <100ft dives of this trip. Maybe ask him if that's true and why.

 

[HenrikBP]

And not an incorrect perspective either. Just seems like overkill sometimes.

IMO, there's a difference between practicing with doubles with a goal in mind, than diving doubles just because it's cool or because it's the "DIR" way to dive.

Sometimes you dive the tanks that you have (or are loaned). However I was told doubles were a stipulated requirement of the organizer for the deeper yet still <100ft dives of this trip. Maybe ask him if that's true and why.

I agree it's overkill if you feel that you *must* dive doubles at all times "just because".

I also agree that there is a difference if you dive a particular setup only to appear "cool" to others, or blindly accept that "that's how it must be".

But overall I'm a big believer in doing what you like the way you like to do it (within safe guidelines). I may have told the story about when I first moved to NYC: I lived on Upper West Side by the park, and riders from the nearby riding stables would ride down my street to get to the park. One Sunday morning I see a guy riding down the street in full Cowboy get-up. I mean the boots and spurs, the chaps and vest, the hat, the huge "Western" saddle. All to just slowly walk your horse around the reservoir.

At first I got a good chuckle, but then thought "Good for You". Hey, if that's how you want to enjoy your sport - go all out, and more power to you.

IMO the same applies to gear selection, doubles included. Pick your gear for you and for your own reasons and do what you like to do the way you have fun doing it.

I was on that FL trip - I didn't hear of any tank requirements as such. There was talk of those with the appropriate level of training doing a swim-through to 130' as a technical dive, and it was made clear that trying that in an AL80 was not a good idea . Other than that I don't know of any requirements.

Henrik

 

[rjack321]

I was on that FL trip - I didn't hear of any tank requirements as such. There was talk of those with the appropriate level of training doing a swim-through to 130' as a technical dive, and it was made clear that trying that in an AL80 was not a good idea . Other than that I don't know of any requirements.

Since you're not Dan, his wife, or Bill Mee were you diving doubles? With or without chaps?

 

[Anti-Hero]

Interesting concept. Thank you for this.

You didn't go over a balanced rig / weight check in your Fundies class?

 

[HenrikBP]

Since you're not Dan, his wife, or Bill Mee were you diving doubles? With or without chaps?

I dove doubles ... are you saying chaps aren't required doubles equipment ... but all the other guys said ...

Henrik

 

[Jax]

You didn't go over a balanced rig / weight check in your Fundies class?

Not specifically the way Gareth stated it, where ditchable weight is an offset. Just that a balanced rig allows a comfortable ascent with a BC failure and full tanks; this weighting should also allow a diver to hold a safety stop with nearly
empty cylinders. The math of it, without the reasoning.

If you cannot swim up your rig because it is too heavy at the start of the dive, then you need to offset this with ditchable weight. In the good old days this consisted of basically your weight belt and your canister light but with modern canister lights it makes little difference so you are talking about weight on a weight belt.

 

[Cave Diver]

Not specifically the way Gareth stated it, where ditchable weight is an offset. Just that a balanced rig allows a comfortable ascent with a BC failure and full tanks; this weighting should also allow a diver to hold a safety stop with nearly
empty cylinders. The math of it, without the reasoning.

I thought you said you knew all of this stuff prior to going into the class? If you knew the math, but not the reasoning it seems like that would have been a perfect opportunity to ask about the "why."