equipment suggestions

[RJP]

Cave instructors are gonna frown on tank boots anyway, so I wouldn't even bother with them...

If they rode out to the caves and geared up on a boat in 4' seas they'd change their tune a bit!

:shocked2:

That said, I didn't realize when I responded to clifftondiver that I was in the cave forum (nav'd direct to the thread from home page) and the point about boots is well made. Easy to gear up on a truck bed or picnic table without boots.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Most of our caves don't require that boat ride

 

[Dive-aholic]

Hey, I've ridden out to caves on a boat in 4 inch ponds!

 

[carrielsal]

I'm not sure how it compares with cave applications (probably the same), but for tech diving, a 300 bar manifold was required (by my instructor).

..why?

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Hey, I've ridden out to caves on a boat in 4 inch ponds!

LOL, I've seen the Mill Pond whitecap!

 

[ucfdiver]

..why?

misinformation on the instructors end, or he/she was selling 300 bar valves.

Personally I think 300 bar valves are unsafe because they take longer to screw in, and if you need to hurry in the water to do a rescue, they can delay efforts.

(truth is I'm too lazy to screw them in, but like Mark Twain said, one excuse is as good as another. Furthermore, I've noticed that when you just don't feel like doing something, a BS safety excuse is a common way to justify it.)

 

[RJP]

..why?

Because it could blow when you overfill the tank to 5,000psi!

:shocked2:

 

[Doc Harry]

Any brand except OMS

 

[carrielsal]

misinformation on the instructors end, or he/she was selling 300 bar valves.

Personally I think 300 bar valves are unsafe because they take longer to screw in, and if you need to hurry in the water to do a rescue, they can delay efforts.

(truth is I'm too lazy to screw them in, but like Mark Twain said, one excuse is as good as another. Furthermore, I've noticed that when you just don't feel like doing something, a BS safety excuse is a common way to justify it.)

That's what I was thinking. I did a lot of reading on 200 vs 300 bar valves and had a discussion with my tech instructor last year before I bought my first manifold and decided on the 200 bar.

 

[clifftondiver]

I have two sets of the same 119's with highland bands. No problem with tank boots.

That said, there may be different tank boots you can use with your tanks? I've never actually looked for other than the hexagonal ones that came with the tanks.

interesting. Honestly, I never tried to fit them. They are the Worthington x-8 119's. You say your bands fit? Hopefully we're talking about the same tanks. It'll make gearing up MUCH easier!

Thanks,
Cliff