Hybrid Tech

[rjack321]

I would mind seeing a picture of you doing a 300 foot rebreather dive with bailout bottom and deco cylinders.

Somehow I do not see you using that configuration on a dive like the Andrea Doria.

Since when is the Doria 300ft deep? This is at 245ft in Lake Superior on the SS Kamloops, vastly colder (2-3C) but only what I would consider a modest wind driven surface current sometimes. She is a big ship but scooters are uncommon because she is laying on a steep slope and going up and down that fast on a CCR isn't especially pleasant, you have a much greater risk of things freezing zooming around (esp if you're on OC or BO), and you'll freeze without any kicking at all.

With 20-28mins of BT at an average in the 190-255ft range, this is a 2x 80s with an O2 bottle hung from the boat kind of dive for me. I could carry an al40 on the left under that al80, but keep the exposures modest enough to avoid the necessity of swimming around with it the whole time honestly - this is vacation and a 3 bottle dive is a bigger hassle for no value here. Net, runtime is around 85-100mins, about the longest exposure that's reasonable. You don't want to be stuck on deco as the boat is ripped from the mooring in a thunderstorm.

In these pictures, I have 2x 3L CCR bottles, an al13 of air as suit gas (it says argon but the boat didn't have argon), then 15/55 in the left BO, 50% in the right. Plus quite a bit of lead in a CF200 with weezle extreme+ underneath it. There is a long hose on the 15/55, but the 50% only has a 40" reg hose on it. My buddy taking the pictures had similar BO gasses and volumes.

 

[ND5342]

Sheesh.... you guys can get testy!

I know the Andria Doria is not 300ft! My comment was in response to a gear configuration that looked out of place in the open ocean where it seemed to me that @divezonescuba was referring to.

I am pleased in every response there is a different gas choice and configuration. Especially bailouts on left and/or on right!

Nice pictures @rjack321 by the way. Thanks for sharing.

I am going to stop commenting as this thread is turning into a "Look at my dive knowledge and skill superiority" kind of thread and none of the "old salts" whose opinions I follow have decided not to chime in. Not that yours do not have any merit.

They must be diving!

 

[Don Wallar]

Well, I started this thread and so I'm gonna close it out. Thanks for all the posts folks...I learned a lot. Just by the way, I did complete my Tec40 certification this summer and did my first real deco dive to 130 ft near Wiarton, Ontario. Used only air (133 back mount and AL40 left side). My instructor had checked with PADI and had approval for the hybrid configuration I described, hence, I was able to do the course. However, to proceed to Tec45 or 50 I MUST go to doubles back mount or sidemount. So that's where I'm at. I am glad I did the course as it has made me a much better diver. At 65 yoa in the next few weeks, I am not sure I want to go any further. I would love to get Tec50 but I just can justify the expense on new gear.
Again, thanks to everyone on this thread.