Doubles recommendations for a small framed women?

[elan]

For your height HP100 should be great tanks. Or LP85 - I think they are a bit longer. There are also OMS/Faber ? 66 which should also work

HP120 - AL80 would probably be too long. Being short you can also try wider and shorter tanks like LP95 or HP119

I see people dive double AL80 here with a dry suit but so far I failed to see the logic as they put extra 8lb just to compensate the positive buoyancy of those.


Looking at your number of dives I would guess you do not have problems with buoyancy and basic skills so why not do your Fundies with double tanks.

 

[TSandM]

Essentials is a great place to start. It's a workshop, with no pass or fail, so there is little pressure on the divers. It doesn't (or didn't, at any rate, when my husband took it) go through everything that is covered in Fundies, but you definitely get introduced to the non-silting kicks, to proper trim and good buoyancy while task-loaded, and to a proper S-drill. It's a friendly, useful class, and if you go off and practice the skills, you have a great basis to take Fundies. Most people don't want to take Fundies if they don't think they can pass it, although there is nothing at all wrong with doing that. But rather than have people out "practicing" for a Fundies class with no information on how to do it properly, Essentials is a great beginning.

 

[Guy Alcala]

Anyone who has seen me attempt an ascent knows I am NOT a "tech diver" despite the gear and the cards, but I do, now and then, strap on a deco bottle and stay down "beyond recreational limits."

Why?

To look at the pretty fishies, fans, sponges and other things that are there. "Technical diving" is merely a tool for expanding one's diving range IMHO. I don't understand the idea of doing a "technical dive" just for the purpose of going deeper or staying longer -- if indeed that is the poster's intent. Just about everyone I know uses the techniques to go see something -- NOT just to do it.

If you are bored with fishies, etc. at 60 feet, you'll be just as bored at 150.

You have indeed misunderstood me. I like looking at fishies, I just get bored with seeing the _same_ fishies all the time; being able to go deeper or into different environments allows me to see _different_ fishies (and sponges, nudis etc.). That being said, my main interest is diving wrecks, and the wrecks in the best shape are the ones that are deep, and (often) cold. So, to see them in person (and penetrate them) I need to be a tech diver. If they were all in 25 feet of 85 degree water that would be okay, but they're not.

I like to climb mountains, too; I get the best view from up there, and the harder it is to get there the less evidence there is of other people, something I value. I had to acquire skills/knowledge/experience to get that view, and I enjoyed the process of acquiring them. Well, mostly: wet, cold, cramped bivis weren't much fun, especially before Gore-Tex, Walkmen, LED lights for reading, and similar improvements.

Becoming a tech diver will be much the same, more expensive but less uncomfortable (a good thing, too, as I'm less willing/able to put up with physical discomfort than I was 20 or 30 years ago.

Guy

 

[Guy Alcala]

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

Well, it helps that it's the Sierra and not the Rockies - the coldest I've ever done it and been comfortable was a windless 18 deg. F, and that was a couple decades ago. And once, during a spring solo trip in the White Mountains the necessary conditions of weather and privacy converged and I was able to ski for a couple of hours au naturel (fortunately without any sunburn).

Of course, when I stop I have to put several layers on, as my internal thermostat only has on and off settings.

:focus:

Guy

 

[ScubaInChicago]

Kathy, I think getting the trim down in singles is a pretty good idea, especially if your getting all or most of the weight off the weight belt and have figured out how to fine tune it. With this said document, document, document the changes you make and try not to make radical changes all at one time. Try to evolve into a different setup slowly and maximize your comfort and confidence in that setup.

In slight contradiction to the other thoughts suggested in this thread, be careful on trying out different tanks, unless you know how to test your trim and tweak your weighting on your own with minimal feedback from others (this is helpful in not thinking your buddy is a trim Nazi, but outside feedback and VIDEO helps).

I figured out for myself when switching between different sets of doubles and attempting to hover over a platform about an inch from it, that the different tanks had their own personalities....I would hover with the platforms with the intent of letting my body hit the platform evenly (your mind can play tricks on you and make you think your trim is great) but the level platform doesn't lie. This is where the experience in adjusting your weight in a singles rig comes into play. It could be as simple as exchanging a v-weight for a tail weight, or moving the bands up/down to adjust. And contrary to belief, in you are being told your body is 20 degrees out of trim, use the platform to verify that your body is not compensating for being head heavy, if you feel your feet getting floaty, move the weight down....

If you have the opportunity to use other peoples tanks, try them out for at least a half dozen dive AFTER you have your trim dialed in.

Best of luck with your classes, you'll do great...

 

[kathydee]

Kathy,

Why take essentials AND fundies?

When I took Essentials I had about 200 dives but only about 30 cold water drysuit dives. Essentials provided a supportive fun environment to learn the basic skills that Lynne mentioned. I'll add basic teamwork, NDL stops/limits, and dive planning to her list.

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. Guy

LOL I'll keep an eye out for the shorts & hearing aid combo . If you see me please come say hi! ba_diving I just signed up.

Looking at your number of dives I would guess you do not have problems with buoyancy and basic skills so why not do your Fundies with double tanks.

I have about 260 dives, but only 60 are in a drysuit. In a wetsuit - no problem.

We'll see how the trial doubles dives go over the next few months. I'm not in a hurry.

 

[kathydee]

wet, cold, cramped bivis weren't much fun, especially before Gore-Tex, Walkmen, LED lights for reading, and similar improvements

I kind of have fond memories of those cold, dripping, cramped bivis . But before led's and Gore-Tex? Ouch that's hardcore !

 

[TSandM]

Kathy, you're lucky in your Fundies instructor, too. From what I have read, Beto is great about helping people get their doubles rigs properly adjusted and weighted for good trim. I've actually learned stuff just from reading the reports of his classes. Nobody ever told me it was okay to lengthen the harness to drop the tanks!

 

[StreetDoctor]

Essentials is a great place to start. It's a workshop, with no pass or fail, so there is little pressure on the divers. It doesn't (or didn't, at any rate, when my husband took it) go through everything that is covered in Fundies, but you definitely get introduced to the non-silting kicks, to proper trim and good buoyancy while task-loaded, and to a proper S-drill. It's a friendly, useful class, and if you go off and practice the skills, you have a great basis to take Fundies. Most people don't want to take Fundies if they don't think they can pass it, although there is nothing at all wrong with doing that. But rather than have people out "practicing" for a Fundies class with no information on how to do it properly, Essentials is a great beginning.

What's the tuition for essentials? I guess my point was if you already dive with folks trained in "DIR" methods like it appears Kathy does it seems like a waste. Most of the things you listed you could easily pick up on from a good mentor that has UTD/GUE training. I read a lot about stress/pressure in fundamentals class and I'm sure leading up to my class I was definitely nervous but once I actually got in the water I don't feel it was any different than any other scuba class I've taken in regards to feeling pressured to perform. I'm sure some of this is instructor dependent but unless you're taking the class cold turkey it seems like overkill to do both.

Sweating the details isn't really necessary, trim and buoyancy control are the only real things to have some kind of foundation with. For example I posted a training video around here pre-fundies class and was critiqued on my fast light movements, so I slowed down in class and was then told to speed up by the instructor. Little things like that aren't necessary to worry about and can easily be corrected in class. Afterall it is a class and not just a test.

 

[StreetDoctor]

When I took Essentials I had about 200 dives but only about 30 cold water drysuit dives. Essentials provided a supportive fun environment to learn the basic skills that Lynne mentioned. I'll add basic teamwork, NDL stops/limits, and dive planning to her list.

I didn't realize you already took essentials. I think you'll find that fundamentals will also be a fun environment where you'll be taught basic skills, teamwork, NDL stuff, and dive planning I look forward to reading your class report and I'll hopefully have finished (and passed!) a GUE T1 class to report on around the same time