diving wet with twin steel tanks

[Miami_Diver]

Im thinking if all else fails I can use the other bladder (dual bladder bc). I doubt I will sink like a rock in warm salt watter after ditching my weight belt.I figure I will have enought time to inflate my other bladder while I use my fins not to sink like a rock or not to sink at all.Ive also deploid my lift bag on several dives to pratice and it does lift me with no problem I like to dive with it incase I miss the anchor line I can hang for a safety stop or possible deco.if my other wings fail , well, a skie diver has 2 parachutes if they both fail hes dead so Ill take my chances. I just dont whant to wear a dry suit here in florida.

 

[GDI]

We have done this test several times and several ways. Every time I have a student who wants to use dbls I have them swim them to the surface. It is not a easy task. If you are diving wet and in some applications dry then you need to consider having redundant lift. Let us not forget that the deeper one goes the more neg they become. If you are carrying a few extra cylinders then this can become a bigger issue as one is not likely to ditch gas supply and the added weight and task loading. I would also caution you on leaving your redundant inflator hose disconnected. Proper securing and placement will ensure that it never accidently inflates and do correct maintenance on it. Place it where you can readily reach and use it. Since you have/or will have conducted the test of swimming dbls to the surface. Try the next test and time yourself to see how fast you can reconnect that added inflator Do not be surprised if you find that you have dropped several feet. This test is done by letting all the air out of your bladders and drysuit have a buddy hold you for support. Then without telling you your buddy lets go and you attempt to hold your position while connecting the inflator. You should be wearing all the equipment you would normally wear (for real fun try adding a few stage bottles) You will find that you will drop a few feet and this could be a dangerous situation in that your ears may start squeezeing the hell out of your head and cause you to become sidetracted adding to the stress of the moment and the gas you are breathing may become to rich for the depth and narcosis may also jump into the problem. Do you want me to go on here I think you get the picture. Now if you are doing this in cold water then do it with gloves on.

I have a problem with wearing a dry suit when the water temp 87 88degrees in my last 2 dives here in florida.but I love the twinn e7 100s for doubles. I was going to get a Zeagle tech bc . do you know if this or any other good dual bladder bcs to recomend

BTW Zeagle makes what is called a Big bertha bladder dual bladders each 65# lift and a Little Bertha dual bladder each 45# lift. They will fit on any of their shoulder sets and their BP. The Tech has 65# lift single bladder

 

[Tom Winters]

The Worthingtons are nicely finished, and even if they ever do rust on the outside, that's why they have Rustoleum in white. I'm not sure I would ever bother with a dual-bladder wing though. I like my nice simple Oxycheq for singles and an old DR Classic for doubles. Simpler is good.

 

[Miami_Diver]

The Worthingtons are nicely finished, and even if they ever do rust on the outside, that's why they have Rustoleum in white. I'm not sure I would ever bother with a dual-bladder wing though. I like my nice simple Oxycheq for singles and an old DR Classic for doubles. Simpler is good.

so you dont use a reductant lift? . assuming you dive wet since youre from boca.

 

[Tom Winters]

Nope - no redundant lift. On my next single wing, I'd opt for a heavier nylon than the regular Oxychek wing is made from. Their signature series is supposedly made from a heavier denier nylon. I had a 1" hole in my wing for a bunch of dives until I noticed it. It still held air since it was at the bottom of the wing. Oxycheq fixed it and I put some additional goop on it.
Unless your wing or bc cataclysmically exploded and every seam was ripped open, they hold air even with holes and leaks in them.
I had a drysuit but I eBayed it. It was a neoprene job and too warm except for a few times a year down here. A thin shell suit would be nice in the winter though.

 

[Sideband]

How about if you were a cold water diver with 30 some odd pounds of weight and your 7/7 wetsuit had lost most of it's bouyancy?

With steel doubles and "30 some odd pounds of weight" you are WAY overweighted. You could probably ditch about 30 or so odd pounds.
Joe

 

[stoiclown]

I would just go with the Double Wing. It's a little bit more money, but it doesn't take up any more room, & the amount of added security it adds more than outweigh the cost. I have even seen some people tuck the inflater in between the tank & wing so that it is out of the way.

Besides in my opinion here are your alternatives, if you only use one bladder; 1st You have a failure & have to swim up, which if you are using steel tanks you can be as much as 22lbs. neg bouyant, once you have swam up, staying up long enough for help to reach you or Vice/Versa. 2nd if you are unable to swim up, ditching your weight & possibly getting the bends. Even if you were to use a lift bag, once at the surface, how do you stay afloat? All the solutions require more than one fix, & for everything to go perfectly

Where as if you have a problem with a redundant bladder, all you do is switch to your altenate. Problem solved. No hassle, & you haven't endangered yourself or your buddy. Read the book shadow divers sometime & see how many guys got messed up trying to save their buddy, not themselves.

Anyway I hope this helps, & happy diving!

 

[Soggy]

To be fair, you need to empty your wing completely on the surface, THEN drop to 100 ft. That would simulate a complete wing failure better than 'emptying' it at depth.

Cool. Drop to 100 feet, empty your wing or bc completely, and swim... let us know how it goes

 

[JeffG]

To be fair, you need to empty your wing completely on the surface, THEN drop to 100 ft. That would simulate a complete wing failure better than 'emptying' it at depth.

and hope you can equalize quickly...and hope the bottom is 100ft.

 

[Soggy]

and hope you can equalize quickly...and hope the bottom is 100ft.

Well, I would hope you know how deep the water is before you jump in, but maybe I'm wrong. Personally, I wouldn't do this experiment in much more than 40-50 ft...it'll teach the same lesson, and I'd do it with an already deployed lift bag to use as a downline.