Doubles etc.

[nereas]

Most of the time I'm not diving with a buddy. I wouldn't exactly call it solo diving, but I do not wish this to become a discussion of solo diving.

I would not apply this practice to decompression diving though. If I were to venture into deco diving I'd do with with a dedicated buddy.

I would apply it to carrying doubles and diving within NDLs. At the moment I'm considering using cam bands to double the 95s together and diving them as independent. I like the versatility of this, and the task loading isn't a problem.

You don't need to do this either. Twin 95s equals 190 cu ft of breathing gas. That is way too much for a single NDL dive, and not nearly enough for 2 dives back to back, at the rate you are apparently consuming air/nitrox.

 

[Rainer]

You've never been diving with doubles, but you're some how sure the task loading of independent doubles isn't a problem? Based on what??? Find a good instructor/mentor. Then go from there.

 

[nereas]

You've never been diving with doubles, but you're some how sure the task loading of independent doubles isn't a problem? Based on what??? Find a good instructor/mentor. Then go from there.

Or better yet, simply stick with single-tank diving, which you have been trained for, and simply find the right sized tank for you.

 

[Rainer]

If his goal is to eventually move on to deco diving, he's going to need to learn to dive doubles at some point. Sure, maybe that's aways off, but talking with someone doing the dives he wants to eventually do might be a good place to start.

 

[dsteding]

If you are heading the tech route, getting into doubles earlier rather than later is a good thing, imho. Of course, my first doubles dive was at dive 41, and almost all of the last 60 or so since then have been in doubles.

They do add the possibility of slipping into deco, but that is managable. They do add additional complexity, but that can be learned to be dealt with. They do change your stability and buoyancy, so they take practice.

I would advice finding some local people that dive similar ways, and FWIW, independant doubles seem like both a PITA and not an optimal configuration.

 

[Jay Roy]

I agree with everything in your post, aside from this. There is no reason you need to be deco certified to dive doubles. Infact it's my feeling that being experienced and comfortable in doubles BEFORE taking your deco cert is the logical step. Obviously being deco trained before doing deco diving is necessary tho.

Jim

Sorry Jim, I'm going to have to disagree with your post..There are way too many people diving doubles that dont have a clue what to do if there is a failure anywhere in the system. Doubles is about the safest way to go, if you know what to do when the crap hits the fan....
Not to mention, people can get into alot of trouble with all that extra gas on their backs..I've saw plenty of people with no deco training run their dives well into deco, and just do whatever their computer says...
Perhaps a course such as http://www.niagarascuba.ca/courses/intro_to_tech.html
would fit nicely for someone not quite ready to enter the world of deco..but thinking of heading there in the near future..

Sorry for the shamless plug...

 

[timle]

Infact it's my feeling that being experienced and comfortable in doubles BEFORE taking your deco cert is the logical step.

100% agree. I have doubles on the way and plan to dive a whole bunch of minimum deco dives before ever thinking about deco. For me doubles is more about redundancy than more air, especially as I move from cavern to cave. If and when I take DIR-F I want to be comfortable in my doubles.

 

[Rainer]

Gue-Fundamentals or NAUI Intro to Tech are two good classes to consider if you'd like formal training on diving doubles BEFORE taking a deco course.

 

[in_cavediver]

My opinion - there has been a lot of bad advice stated hear.

Doubles are just a piece of equipment to use. Like singles, they provide air. They also can provide redundancy and better trim in some cases. They usually but not always provide more air than singles. They also have a few skills unique to that piece of equipment such as valve shutdowns as well but those skills need not be mastered to start using them. (lose the redundancy and add failure points yes, but for NDL diving, its the same bailout as a single tank)

To make a transition from single to doubles, it is very advantageous to have someone who dives doubles mentor you for a few dives. Lacking that, (or if you prefer), there are several pre-tec/entry tec classes that will help as well. GUE Fundementals, some Rec Deep diver courses* (IANTD is one), Naui intro to tec, Advanced Nitrox, Rec trimix are all good starting places. (*many rec agencies deep diver class do not include doubles or redundant equipement option. Padi for instance does not. Check before assuming for any agencies class)

Doubles are not "Just for Tec"
Doubles are not "Just for Cave"
Doubles do not equal "Deco"
Doubles are not dangerous to rec divers
Doubles, even without valve drills, still are OK for NDL rec divers.
More air doesn't mean problems for rec divers.
Bad air management is equally bad in big singles as doubles

Doubles are merely a tool divers can use at any level. If you plan to go farther into tec, start working with doubles and trim now. The last thing you want is to take an advanced (tec) class and spend half of it learning to use/struggling with your equipment. There are enough other things for you to struggle with.....

 

[Rainer]

Doubles are not "Just for Tec"
Doubles are not "Just for Cave"
Doubles do not equal "Deco"
Doubles are not dangerous to rec divers
Doubles, even without valve drills, still are OK for NDL rec divers.
More air doesn't mean problems for rec divers.
Bad air management is equally bad in big singles as doubles

Reminds me of one of Spectre's tag lines over on TDS: "Doubles don't kill people..... Stupidity kills people"