Doubles!!!

[darylm74]

Just posting that I did my first dive with doubles yesterday. I typically dive a single BP/W but I borrowed my friend's wing and doubles and took them out yesterday. I loved them, though had to watch the thermocline. Otherwise I would start to drop quickly. I do have a double's wing that I'm buying from a friend of mine who is getting out of tech diving due to health. I can't wait to get it and get my steel 95's doubled so I don't have to borrow them anymore .

Hmmm....do people with single wings usually sell them when they go to double's?

 

[ppo2_diver]

No. I kept my single wing to use for teaching classes and when I dive on vacation.

 

[Hyper-limits]

Hmmm....do people with single wings usually sell them when they go to double's?

I use both, I have a halcyon pionner 32# for single tank diving and a 55# for doubles.
I one thing that I do is use the same harness and BP with either wings.

 

[Lil' Irish Temper]

Hmmm....do people with single wings usually sell them when they go to double's?

I got rid of mine, and I was planning to get another single wing next year, but I think I am just going to keep diving doubles for everything.

I don't regret it one bit. I just switched, and I also use double 95's. You will love it, they trim out nice.

I really noticed on the dive boat when people are all trying at once to switch tanks, I just go sit out of the way and watch, and smile. No weight belt to mess with anymore. To me the extra weight balances out the pro vs. cons.

Just do what makes you happy, and see what works for you.

LIT

 

[Warren_L]

I'm the same as ppo2_diver. Singles for teaching and vacation.

 

[Uncle Pug]

I would advise you to keep your singles wing if you can afford it. (If you can't afford to keep a singles wing you are probably heading in the wrong direction going doubles/technical diving anyway.)

I use doubles for dives that require doubles but more often than not the dives I do only require a single. It is much easier doing the small boat diving we do using singles and I find that when taking pictures I can position myself easier using a single than with doubles.

I personally have 4 lp 104s with bands and crossovers and plugs so I can double them up or use them as singles. I have 6 more sitting in my garage that belong to friends but are at my disposal. (I have other tanks including a small set of doubles as well... the answer is always: "More tanks!")

I keep one doubles rig set up as well as one singles rig. I can use what I need that way for the dive at hand.

If possible I'd suggest keeping the singles rig and adding a doubles rig to your arsenal. If you can't just go out and buy everything (tanks, regs, wing, plate, manifold, bands, ect.) then at least work toward that end. Build your doubles rig with what you have but keep the single wing and buy stuff to put together a singles rig as you can.

TIP: if you order crossover plugs along with your manifold (SeaElite is good) you can also use the tanks as singles. Keep the K-valves for use with deco bottles. When you buy a tank for your singles rig buy two and if possible get them without valves... purchase another manifold set with plugs. Now you have options: four singles, two doubles or a set of doubles and two singles.

 

[hermosadive]

Slightly off topic, I dove my first doubles dive today as well. The problem I ran into was with the bolt hole on my Hammerhead backplate .

The standard bolt holes are to small to accomodate the bolts that were on the set of doubles I borrowed. I believe the holes are 5/16" and the bolts on the Highland bands I had were 3/8". I need to measure them and I plan to drill the plate so they will fit. Thankfully, I was able to swap plates with another buddy who had an aluminum OMS plate in their IQ-pack. Otherwise, fun dive without any problems.

 

[Florabama]

Just wondering...when on a dive boat, do you just dive your doubles the same as everyone is diving their single tanks? If the boat is making multiple dives, how do you know how much gas to save for the second dive, and then, what if there's a third dive? How do you manage all that with doubles?

 

[Warren_L]

My twin 130s, when full, hold a little more than 3 AL80s worth of gas. When diving with single tank divers, I don't worry about saving gas for a 2nd dive as they will run out of gas before I will, so the gas planning is based on the single tank divers.

 

[Florabama]

My twin 130s, when full, hold a little more than 3 AL80s worth of gas. When diving with single tank divers, I don't worry about saving gas for a 2nd dive as they will run out of gas before I will, so the gas planning is based on the single tank divers.

Twin 130s are a load aren't they? What about smaller sets of doubles like 95s?