Dress For Success...

[SparticleBrane]

Would you seriously consider adding 3000psi of oxygen to an aluminum tank on the supposition that it was "oxygen cleaned" from the factory? If so, you're a braver man than I.

Perrone--here's a post by Joel over on TDS about O2 clean tanks from the factory. Interesting reading.

 

[stiebs]

True, I do need to save my money, but if I come across a good deal, why should I pass it up

Because good deals will always come up again

 

[mwhities]

I understand and appreciate everyones comments. I'm not going to get a deco bottle right now, I'm most wondering what would be the "best" one for my size.

I'm going to respond to the responses I looked over.

I know the 30# LCD is no where close to being big enough to handle a set of doubles. I understand that the rig I'm getting now is for and ONLY for a single tank. I will eventually, after replenishing my bank account, start working on a double rig as well.

Double AL 100's? Why not? Again, I think these will only be used as two singles, but I know the person that once had them used them as doubles. I can see where the straps were.

Definitely will be saving for other equipment, that's not an issue at all. I know the first/second stages are going to put a good size dent in getting other equipment.

I'm not planning to tech Tech I or anything that advanced for at least, if I even go that far, for a few years. I'm thinking that I'm going to be a technical recreational diver. (Make sense?) aka... as in wreck diving, no pentatration. I think I will want to do cavern diving, but I think that will be the extent. At least for the next 5+ years. If I get better with everything, I may go do a Tech I class. All depends. I plan to do a Fundies class sometime next year, maybe. Barring what the cash situation is.

I was mainly seeing what would best fit me for a deco bottle. Yeah, I'm jumping way ahead of myself, but I figured I could get a least an answer to that. After I posted, I looked up the prices on several different setups and I see that it is quite expensive for a deco bottle. So no worries, I'm not going to waste money on one.

I'm to much out of shape for fundies this year. That's why I stated earlier that I might be able to take a class next year. If anything I need to play with my SMB and spool to see/make sue/if I can, deploy it and not kill myself or others in trying. (Rememberm if you don't know, I only have one-arm. )

TSandM, Noted and appreciated.

No scooter for me for awhile. I think the deco bottle will come before that.

Thanks again all, as I stated, I'm not going to buy the deco bottle, even if a good deal pops up.... I will however, work on getting my SAC and many others skils dialed in.

Anyone in the MS, AL, North FL area want to be a mentor?

Michael

EDIT: Few spelling errors and etc...

 

[onfloat]

One more thought, "Is it really a good deal if it just sits in your garage waiting to be used, while the equipment you really need is on the store shelf?"

 

[MonkSeal]

I'll just point to two things.

I understand and appreciate everyones comments. I'm not going to get a deco bottle right now, I'm most wondering what would be the "best" one for my size.

Deco bottle size is primarily in function of deco lenght. When you come at that level of diving you'll see that SAC (especialy deco) is (more or less) same for everyone. Or at least, we take it as that.

If anything I need to play with my SMB and spool to see/make sue/if I can, deploy it and not kill myself or others in trying.

If you want to prepare for fundies, forget SMB and concentrate on bouyancy and trim - that's everything you need.

Regarding equipment for fundies, you need only fins (non-split), mask, suit, appropriate reg set-up and BP/W. You can always rent a bottle, borrow SMB and backup light.

 

[GetNarc'd]

I'm not planning to tech Tech I or anything that advanced for at least, if I even go that far, for a few years. I'm thinking that I'm going to be a technical recreational diver. (Make sense?) aka... as in wreck diving, no pentatration. I think I will want to do cavern diving, but I think that will be the extent. At least for the next 5+ years. If I get better with everything, I may go do a Tech I class. All depends. I plan to do a Fundies class sometime next year, maybe. Barring what the cash situation is.

Wreck diving without penetration and/or decompression within 130 ft. from the surface is by most definitions recreational diving. Recreational tech is a bit of an oxymoron... ? :blinking:

I'll just point to two things.

If you want to prepare for fundies, forget SMB and concentrate on bouyancy and trim - that's everything you need.

I think regardless of our intentions, anyone at this level of diving should be concentrating on those simply because you'll have more fun if you feel you're in complete control.

 

[Derek S]

Go diving.

Then go diving some more.

Then go and learn to dive better, by diving some more.

Maybe enroll in fundies.

Get told you look like you're fahking a dog by author of book mentioned above while attempting a Frog kick in the pool.

Look forward to 3 more days of fundies.

You forgot the part about eating Lucky Charms.

Dan is a great guy though, he'd be hard-pressed to find a better instructor, but the North East has more than a few (Bob Sherwood, Ed Hayes, Dan M).

 

[Colliam7]

I understand and appreciate everyones comments. I'm not going to get a deco bottle right now, I'm most wondering what would be the "best" one for my size. Thanks again all, as I stated, I'm not going to buy the deco bottle, even if a good deal pops up.... I will however, work on getting my SAC and many others skils dialed in.

Interesting question, and thread. As I understand it, the original focus was what size bottle might you need, with emphasis on a 40 vs an 80. If I misread, my bad. As I understand the question though, I suspect the answer is 'Both'. And, of course, this is just my opinion based on my individual experience.

If you end up in 4 years, with sufficient funds to move toward tec, you may well find that you dive with an 80 AND a 40 as deco bottles, sometimes one, sometimes the other, sometimes both. If you deco on back gas, you face some possibly long hangs, and that is not ideal, even if it is a usual contingency. If you dive a single deco mix (let's say 50% O2) depending on how deep you went, how long your bottom time was, etc, and therefore what your deco schedule calculated out to be, you might find you needed more gas than a 40 would provide, so you might dive an 80. You might find an 80 was fine for one mix decos, but you wanted a shorter deco time, so you would want a second bottle, probably a 40, with 100% for the 20' stop. Certainly, part of tec training would include managing a single gas (back gas), managing two gases (back gas and a deco mix) and managing three gases (back gas, and two deco mixes). Some (smaller, low SAC rate) people will dive two AL40s. Some more enthusiastic breathers (like me) dive a 40 and an 80. Some even dive two 80s.

Long before tec (long before I had money for it, that is), I bought an AL40 as a pony bottle (even though most people I dove with were using 13s and 19s), anticipating that I would possibly use it in the future, if I did tec. Plus, in the water it wasn't that bulky. My first back gas tank was an AL80. After I moved to steel HP120s, I thought about selling it but kept it in case I went into tec. Glad I did. Now, I dive the 80 as my 50% bottle, the 40 as my 100% (or 80% if necessary).

 

[mwhities]

Thank you all.

Michael

 

[frankc420]

Not trying to bust on ya again Michael, but, I think your wasting your money.

IMO, you can spend 10k on dive gear, but the rate your going you won't have any money left to actually go diving.

Your supposed to be my dive buddy, but I may have double or triple the dives you do before you hit the water again!