Do I really need training for doubles?

[The Laconic]

For rec diving, I dive a single tank with a BP/W. For cave (and occasionally solo rec) diving, I dive sidemount.

I've never strapped on doubles. It's a gap in my equipment and skill set that I want to eliminate. I'd like to get a pair of LP50s and another set of regs, and use them for solo rec diving, where sidemounted AL80s are overkill. LP50s also be nice to have for deeper rec dives in Lake Michigan, and for shallower rec dives where I'm instabuddied and effectively solo, if I ever feel like diving cold again.

So my question is: do I really need some kind of training first? I'd love to take GUE's doubles primer, but it's never offered. I looked into taking ITT, but the instructor thought it would be a waste. I don't really want to take AN/DP just for this purpose, since I'm not (yet) really sufficiently interested in tech diving. Can I just practice in the pool a bit, teach myself to do a valve drill, and otherwise dive within my existing limits?

 

[rivers]

If you have a GUE instructor near you , just contact them to arrange a doubles primer.

 

[DevonDiver]

I'd think most decent tech instructors would arrange some one-to-one to cover the basics. I've seen a few instructors offering a 1-day 'intro-to-doubles' as a non-certification 'course'.

It's definitely worth getting a primer on doubles... if you're gonna make use of a isolation manifold; because the shut-down needs to be drilled properly... and there's consequences if you screw up the order (and more than a few do that occasionally).

If you were just going to dive as independent doubles, or with no isolation, then you've probably got most of the knowledge already... from diving sidemount and/or BP&W single tank. But you may still appreciate some set-up/configuration expertise to get things started right.

 

[rhwestfall]

NAUI has an "Intro to Tech" (I probably have the wrong name for it) which essentially introduces you to the doubles configuration, including the BP/W / dubs / long hose / bungied octo / valve shut down (and as much else as your instructor feels necessary). Might be an interesting way to pick up things.....

The class is really just a primer to see if you are ready to get into tech, both mindset and financially....

Mine was done in a pool, and I used it to see if my shoulders (both damaged and surgically repaired, but some loss of range of motion) would work for shut down drills before I took the Tech plunge...

Mentors can be a great resource, but an instructor can really make a difference.

YMMV

 

[manni-yunk]

I wont say no...but I will say that I know an awful lot of people that went to doubles with strong mentorship. Many of them went on to take classes like ABC, trimix, etc where strong doubles skills were needed....so they eventually got more training....but I probably know more people that went to doubles without doubles training..than the opposite.

 

[RainPilot]

UTD offers a "Doubles mini" course. It's a one day pool session and theory as an introduction to doubles.

 

[bumcikaz]

Short answer is NO, just go and dive them in shallows to get used to and practice valve drills

 

[AfterDark]

I don't know if you if need training for doubles. I do know when I and many others that started using doubles 40 years ago there was no training; so I can safely say I and many other never received any formal training and have lived to tell of it and some like myself still use doubles today without ever having received training. Now whether you have the same ability I can't answer. Go dive'em find out.

I have a set of LP50 made 1965 I use as ID's those are my favorite set, the 72'sLP are nice for boat dives and 94'sLP are just bears and are very hard to handle.

 

[rx7diver]

I've never strapped on doubles... I'd like to get a pair of LP50s and another set of regs, and use them for solo rec diving... LP50s also be nice to have for deeper rec dives in Lake Michigan, and for shallower rec dives where I'm instabuddied and effectively solo... So my question is: do I really need some kind of training first?

Recreation, open water (no-overhead), no-decompression diving, correct? Perhaps "deeper" (i.e., ~100 fsw - 130 fsw) recreation dives, correct? Then, IMHO, no, one does not need formal training.

Make sure, when you are familiarizing yourself with doubles (i.e., when you are practicing in a confined water setting), that you are able to effortlessly perform the same essential U/W skills with them that you do with a single tank--for example, turning valve(s) on/off while wearing the tanks, doffing and donning, recovering your regulator(s), sharing gas, etc.

And make sure you understand what has changed, what is quite different. For example, suppose you believe it's important to be weighted in your single such that you will have significant positive buoyancy at the surface when your BC is completely empty and your tank is completely full, just by dropping your weight belt. Then, can you be weighted similarly in your doubles? If not, then what are the implications?

None of this is rocket science, IMHO.

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

 

[KevinNM]

It's definitely worth getting a primer on doubles... if you're gonna make use of a isolation manifold; because the shut-down needs to be drilled properly... and there's consequences if you screw up the order (and more than a few do that occasionally).

Yeah, I was doing a valve drill in class and when I reached back to turn off my left valve I found my instructor was holding it. Which was kind of a clue that I probably shouldn't be breathing off the reg that ran from that valve and should have switched back to to the other reg 2 steps earlier. Oops.