Diving with Twins

[TSandM]

They're big single tanks with a bunch more failure points, and some functional issues that can kill you. (Filling with isolator closed.) You really do need to understand how the manifold works before you dive the tanks. I agree that learning to do the valve manipulations can come with time, but keep your dives conservative until you can do them.

 

[Peter Guy]

Again -- back to the "why" of doubles is (or at least, may be) important for the OP.

Re instruction for diving doubles -- Not so much -- as long as....

When I first started diving doubles it was with a mentor (I think more for the purpose of laughing at me being a lawn dart more than anything else -- "Just dive them, you'll figure it out.") but, in reality, they were just more gas and I treated them as if I was diving a single tank. (That is, had there been a valve/reg issue, as with a single tank, the response is, SURFACE.) I didn't do any valve manipulation or anything like that. I just started diving them as "bigger singles."

That meant I could just worry about trim, buoyancy control and such. It wasn't until much later (and, I'll admit) a class that I started really learning how to dive doubles.

 

[DaleC]

Once upon a time, I decided I wanted to take more air with me on a dive than was possible using one tank. Large tanks were still in the future. I thought twins would be a pretty good idea. I bought two matching tanks and a non-isolated manifold (I'm not sure isolated manifolds were available at the time). Using scrap aluminium, bolts, and clamps I put them together in a twin set. Next, I bolted them to my Scubapro stab jacket filled them and went diving.

What did I discover diving twins for the first time? They are easier than diving a single tank.

Once upon a time, I too decided I wanted to take more air with me on a dive than was possible using one tank. At first I dove a pony, but found, because that was designated reserve gas, I needed something bigger. I then slung an Al 80 for a while but that was sort of cumbersome. Then I took 4 cam bands, some weight stoppers and an STA and made a harness for two tanks. I threw my pony regs on, swapped some hoses and went diving. I've been diving the same rig ever since.
There was no use looking for an instructor because I've never heard of anyone currently teaching a course using my form of twins.

What did I discover diving twins for the first time? There really wasn't much difference than diving a single tank. I had more air.

 

[knowone]

Does diving with twin tanks require training,

what do I have to do/get to use them.







:sblogo:

Money. A little bit more money to buy Technical Diver Encyclopedia by Tom Mount. Sometimes youre just gonna need doubles. Doubles are good. Steel is good too. S/H is very good. You may only need to increase your capacity by 50ish%? Diving outside the Heads will eventually lead in this direction even if you currently have air. Why did I involve myself in this crap post. It answers your question.