Doubles recommendations for a small framed women?

[alwaingold]

I'd go with the HP100 set, but I'd get it ASAP or consider pushing Fundies till you can get some doubles time. You'll be progressing to tec, so why take Fundies with the intent of walking away with a rec pass when you'll need the tec pass to progress?

Eek, don't do that! As Lynne pointed out, there is no reason to do that given the availability of local GUE instructor(s) for a tech pass upgrade later on.

I have heard of lots of people either postponing fundies until they are in doubles, or rushing to get into doubles for a fundies class. Neither of these make sense to me if you have a local instructor available.

However, Kathy, if you end up in doubles anyway by the time you take fundies, why not take the class in doubles? If that is the direction you are going in anyway, it makes sense to get feedback from an instructor. I would just wait and see how you feel and how much time you've had in the doubles in early February and make a last minute decision.

Allison

 

[kathydee]

What kind of tanks do you already own? Why not try doubling those up and seeing if you like them.

Hi Tom,

I'm diving HP100 singles, but don't want to give up my singles at this point.

I'd go with the HP100 set, but I'd get it ASAP or consider pushing Fundies till you can get some doubles time. You'll be progressing to tec, so why take Fundies with the intent of walking away with a rec pass when you'll need the tec pass to progress?

Hi Dave,

Yeah it makes sense to take Essentials, then delay for a Fundies tech pass. But since I have been hanging out with the local GUE crowd both for diving & socially, I want to jump on the path sooner than later.

Like Lynne said, we have a fantastic local instructor. He says take Fundies now & the tech check off dive is not a big deal. Our locals have promised to mentor me in the skills needed. I don't want to get ahead of myself because Fundies will most likely be challenging enough at the rec level in cold water gear. At this point, I'll be really happy if my skills are good enough to earn the rec pass.

If this was warm water diving with good vis where I've logged most my dives - I'd be very hungry to progress. Here in cold water/lower vis I need more well-rounded experience at the rec level & am definitely not in a hurry for the tech pass .

But depending on how her diving goes, she might be ready to do Fundies in doubles, or not -- She's got some good, knowledgeable people to give her feedback on that decision.

I would just wait and see how you feel and how much time you've had in the doubles in early February and make a last minute decision

That's true & I don't know how diving will progress over the next 2 months. I'm open. I just feel fortunate to be surrounded by so many generous good divers and taking it one step at a time .

 

[ScubaSam]

Hi, Kathy,

This is a great thread about doubles given I'm looking for myself. Thanks to those who posted some good advice and insights in this thread.

Everyone's been telling me to try as many different size tank as I am able before I purchase so that is what I'm doing.

Good luck with your Fundies class in Feb. I look forward to reading your report.

 

[kathydee]

Everyone's been telling me to try as many different size tank as I am able before I purchase so that is what I'm doing.

Good luck with your Fundies class in Feb. I look forward to reading your report.

Hi Sam!

Thanks! Good luck with your test dives ! If you fall in love with some tanks let me know & I'll do the same for you !

 

[ScubaSam]

Hi Sam!

Thanks! Good luck with your test dives ! If you fall in love with some tanks let me know & I'll do the same for you !

Yes, definitely, I promise.

 

[TSandM]

I wouldn't double up your existing tanks, unless you can't afford to buy a set of doubles. I find there are enough situations where I want to dive a single tank that it is very nice to have them -- some boats don't do well with doubles (including ours), and some entries are much nicer in a single tank (like Monastery Beach). Plus you then have tanks you can lend people, too.

 

[Guy Alcala]

Hi Guy, You're local? It would be nice to meet you or have we already met? Yes I am attracted to wrecks and caverns, but I have to admit the slugs and fish of Lembeh Straights and even Lobos are deffinately a draw too ;-).

Yes, I'm local (East Bay). We've probably seen each other at BW or elsewhere but haven't 'met', although I now know what you and your gear look like. I dive in a red CF200X with BP/wing, 5' primary etc., and quite often a reel, tape or what have you clipped off to the butt D-ring; if I'm out of my suit I'm probably wearing shorts (and my hearing aids). BTW, do you also subscribe to ba_diving? There's a fair number of people here who are also on there.

I like looking at fish, but I need to go places where I can see new ones from time to time - you can only see so many blue rockfish. Seeing a bunch (ca. 15) of bat rays at BW at the end of October was quite fun. I haven't done any dive traveling yet, so in order to see new fish I need to go deeper instead.

OBTW, I don't remember if you mentioned them, but the Worthington LP77 would seem to be a better doubles tank around here than AL80s, especially for someone of your stature if HP80s are too short, and possibly better for you than an LP85/HP100: IIRR the LP77 is 23.2" tall vice 26.1" for a Luxfer AL80; 32.5 lb. empty vice 31.4 lb., but -1.0 empty/-6.8 full instead of +4.4/-1.4 for a net savings of 4.3 lb. per tank, 8.6 lb. total. I have no experience with it so can't tell you how it trims.

Guy

 

[Guy Alcala]

<snip>

I LOVED my week on the MV Tala, diving double Al80's in salt water

in my drysuit in 80 degree water
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

-- I was stable, I could stay down as long as I wanted, and I was warm no matter how long I stayed down. That is utopia for a diver.

Lynne, if I'm ever critically injured I want you to treat me. I expect you'd be completely calm and collected, because you must have ice water in your veins 80 degree water in a dry suit?:shocked2: I'd be boiling in my own juices if I tried that, even if I was nude inside the suit. Of course, I cross-country ski shirtless in shorts so my metabolism is somewhat unusual, but still.

Guy

 

[boomx5]

Of course, I cross-country ski shirtless in shorts so my metabolism is somewhat unusual, but still.

Guy

Dude...you're hardcore! If I ever go ice-diving I'm taking you with!

 

[StreetDoctor]

Kathy,

Why take essentials AND fundies? I did something similar with TDI's intro to tech course (instructor ran almost identically to fundamentals) and then took fundamentals and felt like somewhere in the middle I wasted a bit of money. No discredit to either instructor, but if you are looking to eventually follow the GUE path you have to take fundies. The way I understand it UTD will assess your skills and allow you to bypass essentials if you're up to par if you decide to go the UTD route. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, seems like wasted money that could be saved for doubles, tech 1, etc? Especially if you plan on taking fundies in recreational gear and have a GUE instructor that's local.