Do you turn the air off or leave it on after setting up on a tank?

[Lorenzoid]

Why should getting in the water with your air off be a crisis for a recreational diver?

Have you ever gone in on a rocky beach? One with current? Maybe some chop? Slip and end up face down with 60-70lbs of gear on you and you'll be hard pressed to get back up.

What recreational configuration weighs 60-70 lbs?

Recreational diving of double tanks is not uncommon in some parts of the world, such as the UK and the US west coast. I have done a bit here in the Southeast.

 

[Mod63]

What recreational configuration weighs 60-70 lbs?

60 lbs is 27kg
let's see:

15l steel tank with valve 19kg
2 independend regulators 4kg
BCD 4kg

standard rec set up in parts of Europe

 

[Bob DBF]

Why should getting in the water with your air off be a crisis for a recreational diver?

It's f'n embarassing, and no where included in the dive plan.

 

[Boarderguy]

Snorkel?

What recreational configuration weighs 60-70 lbs?

Snorkels live in the box unless needed for a very long surface swim

60-70 lbs, let's see:
Steel 100 = ~35
BP/W = ~10
Lead = ~15-20
Wetsuit = ~20
Regs = ~4
Fins = ~4
That math right there puts an average cold water diver at 90+ lbs and that is only with a single tank. Warm tropic diving is much easier since you don't need the thick neoprene or drysuit and associated lead. I'll forgive you this time.

 

[SlugLife]

What recreational configuration weighs 60-70 lbs?

Anyhow, back to my original point, once in the water you should be close to neutral. This will remain true regardless of current or surface conditions. Just get your head out of the water and inflate your BCD. Crisis over.

With SideMount, and just full 2 AL80s, I'm already approaching 60lbs.

That said, even with 2-tanks plus SM equipment, the same concepts of neutral buoyancy apply. SM diver should be relatively neutral at the surface.

The only exception might be a SM (or doubles) diver, running 2x steel tanks, who is overweighed with zero weights. You should still be able to surface with moderate finning, but it'll be more effort, and you'll want to manually inflate your BCD immediately. (or reach over and turn on your air)

 

[Chavodel8en]

I don't see any benefit to leaving it on, because you should always do the same pre-dive checks just before getting in the water including checking that the valve is on and fully on. Thinking you can make that check optional based on some previous state such as whether you left it on after assembly introduces an unnecessary but very real risk for nearly zero gain.

One benefit to leaving the air on is to ensure you dont have a slow leak. I tend to leave my air on - and if in the half hour before I start my shore dive, if I've lost a significant amount of air, better to know that now than to lose my air unknown during the dive.

So my routine is to leave air on and check my air at some point before I walk in. I agree w/ folks who say a routine is best - whatever side of this issue you are on.

****

As to it not being a crisis to hit the water with air off as a rec diver... maybe not an emergency, but still a PITA that I want to avoid

 

[CT-Rich]

Snorkel?

What recreational configuration weighs 60-70 lbs?

steel 120 & drysuit & sufficient lead, not difficult at all for cold water diving. I am 6’7” and 240lbs.

The tank set up is secondary to the pre-dive check. If you are not taking a couple of puffs while looking at your gauge, you are not ready to get in the water.

In Bonaire last week we had a novice diver that did not have their air 100% on and half way through the dive had problems.

 

[Beau Holden]

The way I do it depends; If I am on boat or on land, in the sun and its like 90 degrees, I get everything setup and pressure up, check for leaks, check tank pressure and all systems working. If all is good, turn tanks off purge all pressure and chill to splash time. At splash time turn tanks on and recheck system, all good, go dive.

If its nice and cool and I am going to remain by my equipment., set it up, turn tanks on and check system leave tanks on. At splash time, recheck BC, regs and tank pressure.

 

[inquis]

One benefit to leaving the air on is to ensure you dont have a slow leak.

How would you know it's a slow leak or something bumped the purge button during the ride to the site?

 

[Lorenzoid]

How would you know it's a slow leak or something bumped the purge button during the ride to the site?

I assumed his reference to the half hour before his shore dive meant while the rig is sitting on a bench or the tailgate of his vehicle while he gets ready. That's what I do, and for the same reason he mentioned. I look at the gauge to see my pressure after setting it up, leave it on while I don my drysuit, discuss the dive plan with my buddy, eat an energy bar, etc., and then look at it again before getting into the rig to see if the needle moved.