Cheetah223:
Why not? There's really not that much difference between diving doubles and diving a single tank, except the weight is more evenly distributed across your back.
Diving Doubles?
- Thread starter CuriousRambler
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Why not? There's really not that much difference between diving doubles and diving a single tank, except the weight is more evenly distributed across your back.
I decided to transition to doubles when I decided to follow GUE training towards technical diving. I bought a set of AL80 doubles (I've since acquired a set of LP95s that I use for "everyday diving" and a set of HP120s that I have not got wet yet) and all the other required hardware, and set the whole rig up in an afternoon.
I did 5 dives on my doubles "on my own", then took the DIR-F class. It was easy to find all the information you need to have to rig the gear, configure the regulators and hoses, etc. with a minimal amount of internet research. DIR-F clarified a number of issues, and pointed out areas that I need lots of work on (bouyancy, trim & procedures), but that's just a function of time in water and practice. There's no secret "voodo" to basic doubles diving.
Manifolded, double regulator doubles add additional redundancy to your diving - but to maximize that redundancy, you need to learn a new set of procedures (the valve drill). The drill itself is pretty straightforward, but there are a lot of tricks & tips you'll want to learn from a qualified instructor to help you actually perform the drill - especially if you're diving in a drysuit.
You'll also have a lot of gas available. For the first time, I had enough gas to exceed NDL. Pay attention to your dive plan and don't exceed your limits. There's no reason to "accidentally" go into mandatory deco - doubles don't cause that problem, inattentive divers do. (My wife, who apparently has lungs the size of cherries, could easily put herself into mandatory deco with an AL80, even at depths as shallow as 80fsw....)
One caution: They're heavy. I'm in the gym regularly now to protect my back because of the weight of the whole rig; I need to add strength and conditioning. Just standing up from a park bench or truck trailer for the first time carrying the tanks will be shock - and that's assuming you've got your backplate setup correctly to carry the load. This is by far not a show-stopper; people carry heavy stuff around all the time. But unless you're used to it, it can be surprising. There are attendant issues, like standing up in surf, and climbing up and down beaches that become very challenging with all that weight on your back. Take it slow, pay attention to your footing, and don't overheat yourself. If the load is too heavy, ask for help. Once you're in the water, the weight vanishes, and you're "of the seas" in a whole new way!
Ryan
I did 5 dives on my doubles "on my own", then took the DIR-F class. It was easy to find all the information you need to have to rig the gear, configure the regulators and hoses, etc. with a minimal amount of internet research. DIR-F clarified a number of issues, and pointed out areas that I need lots of work on (bouyancy, trim & procedures), but that's just a function of time in water and practice. There's no secret "voodo" to basic doubles diving.
Manifolded, double regulator doubles add additional redundancy to your diving - but to maximize that redundancy, you need to learn a new set of procedures (the valve drill). The drill itself is pretty straightforward, but there are a lot of tricks & tips you'll want to learn from a qualified instructor to help you actually perform the drill - especially if you're diving in a drysuit.
You'll also have a lot of gas available. For the first time, I had enough gas to exceed NDL. Pay attention to your dive plan and don't exceed your limits. There's no reason to "accidentally" go into mandatory deco - doubles don't cause that problem, inattentive divers do. (My wife, who apparently has lungs the size of cherries, could easily put herself into mandatory deco with an AL80, even at depths as shallow as 80fsw....)
One caution: They're heavy. I'm in the gym regularly now to protect my back because of the weight of the whole rig; I need to add strength and conditioning. Just standing up from a park bench or truck trailer for the first time carrying the tanks will be shock - and that's assuming you've got your backplate setup correctly to carry the load. This is by far not a show-stopper; people carry heavy stuff around all the time. But unless you're used to it, it can be surprising. There are attendant issues, like standing up in surf, and climbing up and down beaches that become very challenging with all that weight on your back. Take it slow, pay attention to your footing, and don't overheat yourself. If the load is too heavy, ask for help. Once you're in the water, the weight vanishes, and you're "of the seas" in a whole new way!
Ryan
Regarding the expense of doubles. They really aren't much more expensive depending on what you already have. If you have two alum80s then they are perfect to double up. You can get a set of bands for $100 and you can also get a good sea elite manifold for $170. What could be more expensive is the bp&w and second first stage. Also if you go to diveriteexpress there is a very good article on how to set up doubles.
super opus
Contributor
my frist doubles was with a intrecter on his free time it was a beach dive and steal 80s after that i was hooked havent been in singles sence now i have doubles hp steal 100s i set up my doubles with alot of help just to learn how to do it but i was in doubles around 50 dives
but still its alot im only 150 with all my gear on coming out of water feels it about the same wight as me haha
but still its alot im only 150 with all my gear on coming out of water feels it about the same wight as me haha
Adobo
Contributor
Some people told me that switching to doubles would be like starting all over again.
For me, the experience wasn't quite that bad. Consider the following:
- I was already familiar (not necessarily proficient) with the basic concepts such as bouyancy, trim, propulsion techniques and so on.
- I was already familiar with diving a backplate and wing system.
- I already had a support network of divers that were familiar with what I was trying to accomplish and could give me pointers along the way.
- I was quite familiar with scubagear.
I took the "mini" that TSandM was referring to so that my first dives with doubles would be under the watchful eye of an instructor. Also, I knew that while the "minis" are informal, the content and knowledge passed on from someone who has considerable experience in both diving doubles and teaching divers is well worth the expense.
All these things together have made the experience quite uneventful so far (only 6 dives with the doubles). I suspect that if you go out and dive a bunch before moving to doubles, you will find that most of the things I listed will be true for you as well.
One thing to keep in mind that might help you with your progression to doubles (or any other progression you might have in diving) is to be mindful of equipment that you can upgrade as you progress. Specifically, backplate and wing systems are typically well suited for doubles. If you start out with the garden variety BCD, you might wind up changing gear to accommodate doubles. Whereas if you go with BP/W system, you will be adding incrementally as opposed to changing out gear altogether and having to learn a new system.
For me, the experience wasn't quite that bad. Consider the following:
- I was already familiar (not necessarily proficient) with the basic concepts such as bouyancy, trim, propulsion techniques and so on.
- I was already familiar with diving a backplate and wing system.
- I already had a support network of divers that were familiar with what I was trying to accomplish and could give me pointers along the way.
- I was quite familiar with scubagear.
I took the "mini" that TSandM was referring to so that my first dives with doubles would be under the watchful eye of an instructor. Also, I knew that while the "minis" are informal, the content and knowledge passed on from someone who has considerable experience in both diving doubles and teaching divers is well worth the expense.
All these things together have made the experience quite uneventful so far (only 6 dives with the doubles). I suspect that if you go out and dive a bunch before moving to doubles, you will find that most of the things I listed will be true for you as well.
One thing to keep in mind that might help you with your progression to doubles (or any other progression you might have in diving) is to be mindful of equipment that you can upgrade as you progress. Specifically, backplate and wing systems are typically well suited for doubles. If you start out with the garden variety BCD, you might wind up changing gear to accommodate doubles. Whereas if you go with BP/W system, you will be adding incrementally as opposed to changing out gear altogether and having to learn a new system.
Cheetah223:
David P
Guest
Well I just picked up my set of doubles today, jumped in the ocean and figured them out. Today was my 51st dive, I bolted together a set of 120's (no real need for that much air, but I'm 6'4 so I went for the tall boys) They are heavy moving around by hand but walking across the parking lot getting onto the boat didn't seem much different from a single (along with being tall I'm pretty damn big at about 280lbs) we did a live boat bail out at the oil rigs today in some killer current. Big splash and kick like hell to get into the protection of the rig. After a minute of catching our breathes we decended. I made sure I went a little slower than normal as I had so much extra weight on my back. The plan was to stop @ 50 feet and double check everything. As I was descending into the blackness (I gotta get an HID) I finally relaxed, exhaled a big ol breath (big lungs with a 52" chest makes for alot of bouyancy!) and started plumeting! Squirt a bit of air into the bc and drysuit to offset the squeeze and I hovered beautifully at 52'! Hoo Raa! Played around a bit, was amazed that I'm still feet heavy with doubles and no weight belt. Went down to 110 feet and started my way back up. I felt much more stable in the doubles, and was amazed that I actually liked the 7' hose. I tried the long hose when I first started diving and didn't like being all wound up so I returned the hose after one dive. Now it feels much more streemlined as it doesn't stick out past my shoulder and I don't feel it bounce in the current. The only downfall to the doubles during the dive was the resistance while kicking hard trying to grab the stupid tow line! To be honest everyone was out of breath even the skinny little guy in a wetsuit and aluminum 80 so maybe it was just the *** kicker current... oh yeah after we got back to port, after a long morning of diving I sat down, sholdered my rig and tried to stand up... "Hey, where'd all this weight come from? I should took up miniture golf!" The crew all laughed. 
PerroneFord
Contributor
David P:
Two thoughts.
1. Maybe you don't need those "tall tanks" after all.
2. Maybe you could adjust your wing down a bit or add a small weight to the top bolt of the doubles to make you a bit more head-heavy.
I find that everything associated with technical diving at least twice as expensive as rec diving. Two good DIN regulators, doubles wing, manifold, bands, deco bottles, o2 cleaned reg, stage straps, bolt snaps, stage bands, and on and on. It's worth it. though.
Just buy a simple manifold like the sea elite. Buy bands and an extra set of regs then go diving in your pool a couple times. Get the feel for the extra weight, and the balance of the tanks on your back. Once you are ready to do it for real, do a nice and easy shore dive
OP
CuriousRambler
Contributor
Thanks for all the input. Definitely heard a few answers I wasn't quite expecting, but why would I ask if I thought I knew enough to expect all the answers, right?
It's going to be a while before I actually dive doubles for sure. Money isn't free, and as I'm just graduating and trying to get on my feet in the "real world" it surely isn't at a premium. Unfortunately I recognize there are more important things than scuba gear right now haha.
It's going to be a while before I actually dive doubles for sure. Money isn't free, and as I'm just graduating and trying to get on my feet in the "real world" it surely isn't at a premium. Unfortunately I recognize there are more important things than scuba gear right now haha.
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