Gear Help

[SparticleBrane]

The idea of using colored regs is downright dangerous. Plenty of people have switched to the wrong reg at depth (read: O2 at 80ft) because they thought the yellow one was oxygen, but it was the green one (...or was it the red one?!)
Keep all the gear standardized, it just makes sense.

 

[mthirsc]

I dive and really enjoy independent doubles... With isolator closed I think that is what you're referring to, not different mixes. There is no reason to have a manifold if you're going to dive independents, and then you can use your cylinders as singles as well. The idea with indys is either cylinder alone at any time has enough gas for your return. If one system craps the bed, you call the dive and turn around.

If you are talking about two different mixes on independents it would just be asking for trouble. You already have to switch regs at least twice during the dive to balance them and maintain the redundancy or you defeat the purpose and they become a little unbalanced.

 

[tedj01]

oxycheq is almost local to you in FL; go to their web site and look around; do a search here and see what others have said. If interested see if you can drop by. You may want to do it soon; they say they are moving to cave country.

 

[Jason B]

Closed isolators, I assume 2 different mixes in your doubles, and colored regs to sort it out.

Scary stuff.

Good luck in your class.

 

[mthirsc]

The idea of using colored regs is downright dangerous. Plenty of people have switched to the wrong reg at depth (read: O2 at 80ft) because they thought the yellow one was oxygen, but it was the green one (...or was it the red one?!)
Keep all the gear standardized, it just makes sense.

This is true... it could be dangerous. If diving indys, better to have different brand regs, different style mouthpiece, some other way to tell them apart by feel. For example, I have a custom mouthpiece on one and a normal on the other and one is SP and the other Aqualung. The SPG's are mounted on opposite sides and are different. I am also going to switch to a long hose on one reg to make it even more obvious and better for air sharing.

 

[Cheekymonkey]

Thank you for all the help Mirrocraft, you answered a few of my questions really well there, thanks again.

 

[Cheekymonkey]

I know what you guys are saying about color issues, my colors are simply black white and green, even at depth not really an issue to confuse.

As for whats happening in the class Jason, I wasnt saying that was what we were doing at all, I was simply asking another question that I had thought up and was intersted in.

Thanks again for suggestions and concerns guys.

 

[Cheekymonkey]

Once again the thing I am really lost on is BP/W setups, I have no idea what I am looking for.

How do they come do you order all the parts seperately, really need help with this sort of thing. Brand wise sort of confused.
I see harnesses for sale and backplates, but then again I see other people threading themselves? Have no idea what the difference is.

Once again Thanks ahead of time.

 

[JeffG]

Once again the thing I am really lost on is BP/W setups, I have no idea what I am looking for.

How do they come do you order all the parts seperately, really need help with this sort of thing. Brand wise sort of confused.
I see harnesses for sale and backplates, but then again I see other people threading themselves? Have no idea what the difference is.

Once again Thanks ahead of time.

Why ask....you seem to have all the answers already.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Once again the thing I am really lost on is BP/W setups, I have no idea what I am looking for.

How do they come do you order all the parts seperately, really need help with this sort of thing. Brand wise sort of confused.
I see harnesses for sale and backplates, but then again I see other people threading themselves? Have no idea what the difference is.

Once again Thanks ahead of time.

My personal recommendation based on actual usage is DSS (Deep Sea Supply). Go to their website and check out their products. I bought the single tank rig with Hogarthian Harness, SS plate, and LCD30 wing. I also got the LCD 50 to use with doubles. I'm doubling lp95's and lp72's. Price is great, workmanship of the plate and wings is top shelf. I'll put my DSS rig up against my one buddy's Halcyon set up any time and he paid close to twice what I did for mine. Are there other rigs of equally good quality and reputation? Yes, but except for the H, I've not tried them. We have four transpacs at the shop and I considered going with one of them but there is just too much going on there. buckles, straps, rings in the wrong place for me and even my price as an employee was too much for something I saw would get tossed aside soon anyway. I'm not DIR yet. May never be but I cannot argue with most of their philosophy on gear and keeping things simple and standardized. I dive a long hose(7ft) with bungee back up when not DMing. And sometimes even when I am, in open water. I have an OS systems tri lam drysuit and I'll be diving the set up this weekend for the first time with the drysuit. I've got 20 some dives with it wet including 6 in the St. Lawrence and found it to be stable, secure, comfortable, and easy to get in and out of. It also looked a lot cooler than the big clunky jackets the others were wearing. I have one spg on a 24 inch hose clipped off on the left hip. I'll sometimes clip to the left chest ring if I'm carrying an extra bottle just for convenience. Biggest difference for me was the amount of weight I dropped off the belt. In 5mil with a steel hp80 and my probe jacket bc I needed 10 lbs to go down and hold a stop @ 10-15 ft in fresh water. With the BPW I wear zero weight on a belt and can easily hold a stop at 6 ft. The only time I wear any weight with this set up in fresh water is when I carry my can light on the right side of my waist belt. It's 3lbs neg in water. Then I'll put an xs scuba pocket on the left and drop a 2lb in there just to even things out. If I'm doing solo and carrying my pony I don't add the weight. the pony balances things out. As for threading a plate the DSS comes with really clear instructions and it took me all of 5 minutes to thread it. Adjusting is a little trickier but it's not rocket science and after a couple times it's instinctive. PM me if I can be of anymore help. BTW what did your Adv Nitrox and Deco course cost you. I'm trying to find one now.