Do you dive without......

[Crush]

It's not ment to be a skill as such but rather as task loading while doing other things. Part of the DM training is a gear exchange while buddy breathing, it's just ment to task load the DMC to see if they remain cool. It was kinda fun for me and Collim7 you will see on the board at times.

I did a 50 yard swim (in a pool) while buddy breathing with no mask as part of my basic OW.

 

[Splitlip]

Old school is cool. Looking at photos of old timers and how streamlined they are. Looking at the typical diver nowadays (including DIR type)...we look like a bunch of bloated whales.

Who you calling "old timer"?

I was certified in 73, but I was a teen. No octos, no BC's, no safety stops but pin point buoyancy. Plus we had to know how to SWIM!

Although, I do admit, I eventually began using a snorkel vest as a "BC", but I did not know what that was.

I finally picked up the original scubapro Stab Jacket.

 

[DrunkenParrot]

Very nice splitlip

 

[Splitlip]

Thanks,

 

[KPA Kragujevac]

Well, I started diving without BC and with 2x12 steel tanks (36kg full) and with spiro 8 submarine rescue regulator.Guess what, no weights needed.Back then in our club , we were proud of our doubles , others had only 1x10.Other than that , it was perfectly OK underwater , but if you needed to swim, or run out of air that is when the trouble started.Only solution was to discard the tanks, and swim ashore thinking about the lost equipment charge.No pressure gauge either, however there was a trusty (and often leaky) reserve valve, and whan a tank starts to sing-ing-ing , you just pull the lever down and relaxing "fzzzzt" means that you have about 70 bar left.We did have some old style "toilet seat" BC-s mouth-inflatable, and our instructor was always happy to point out that they are safer because "in case of loss of consciousness they keep your head back".Maybe so, however they also make it extremely difficult to swim when inflated, constantly rolling you backwards.When I tried the modern BC and 15L tank for the first time I was thrilled.We are all trained in buddy breathe from the very beginning so octopus was not an issue and it seemed like wasting of a perfectly good second stage.However, those are things that make diving easier for the larger circle of people and make instructors job much safer, allowing smaller stature and weaker phusically to dive.When diving with a larger group I always have everything and a kitchen sink, but when I go diving on our rivers and lakes I wear no BC and only MK2 with R190, no pressure gauge.As a matter of fact, i have old 15l Scubapro tank with plastic backpack and a RESERVE VALVE lever and all.It even has a integral pressure gauge on the valve and works like a charm.If i need a compass i take wrist type.For a depth up to 10m I don't really need my expensive 2-nd stages, consoles and BC dragging through a mud for nothing.But if I take someone with me that is a different story, one push of a button and he is safely floating.That's priceless...

 

[Wayward Son]

I did when I started, in the early 1970's. These days I have more gear, LOL

But I was a skinny kid then, negative in SW. Now, all by myself, I need 4 lbs in SW to be neutral. Things change.

 

[Splitlip]

Old buddies.

 

[Splitlip]

I did when I started, in the early 1970's. These days I have more gear, LOL

But I was a skinny kid then, negative in SW. Now, all by myself, I need 4 lbs in SW to be neutral. Things change.

LOL.

4# for me too.

Now I feel better.

 

[gypsyjim]

It was a lot more simple in 70', but I have come to like the SPG, alternate air source, and a few other improvements.

As Herman says, it's a great feeling when you know you are weighted correctly, so that you only touch your BC or wing on the surface, but I am not committed to the minimalist setup. It was ok 40 yrs ago, but I like a lot of the new gear I am using these days.

Still fun to dive the old way once in a while, to make sure you got it together though.

 

[Splitlip]

it was a lot more simple in 70', but i have come to like the spg, alternate air source, and a few other improvements.

As herman says, it's a great feeling when you know you are weighted correctly, so that you only touch your bc or wing on the surface, but i am not committed to the minimalist setup. It was ok 40 yrs ago, but i like a lot of the new gear i am using these days.

Still fun to dive the old way once in a while, to make sure you got it together though.

nice! (beaver tail suit too.)