Independent Doubles!

[ianr33]

I believe in the GUE Tech 1 manual you are trained to be able to handle up to 3 failures.

Surprisingly enough I am not GUE trained

Maybe it depends on what you consider a failure to be?

Total loss of backgas for a team of 2 is only 2 failures. How do you survive that?

 

[StreetDoctor]

Surprisingly enough I am not GUE trained

Maybe it depends on what you consider a failure to be?

Total loss of backgas for a team of 2 is only 2 failures. How do you survive that?

A total loss of back gas would not be one failure.

 

[TheBigPhillyFish]

1. Two spgs on the left post? I know one's a computer but either one trusts their gear or they don't. If you have two on the left, why not two on the right etc... If you like the computer I would consider losing the one on the shoulder.

Ok this will be corrected as soon as I pick up my VR3 dive computer, in fact there is one I am bidding on right now. But for now I am stuck with the Sherwood Wisdom II. But the small one that is on the shoulder is from when I was solo diving with a single tank, and pony. I trust my DC to a point, its electronics in water, its the water I don't trust, lol. But I see your point. The other solo divers I do dive with, all have a small SPG along with there DC's just in case the computer fails. But when I finally pick up my VR3, then the Wisdom DC can come off.

2. The reg hoses. As predicted, putting the backup on the right post leaves a big loop when it is bungied around the neck. Try looking in the mirror with the hose on each post and see the difference. The coiled up longhose may not deploy that easily (I don't know as I have never tried it that way?) but it would certainly be impossible to restow in that position. One side effect is that you will be unable to do regular donation drills that way and thus be rusty with an important skill. Also, if you lose your primary it could fall behind you and become trapped behind the wing somewhere. With the traditional longhose routing, if you drop the reg, it is easily recovered. And, as noted before, you need a tear away on the reg clip or it could be dangerously trapped in an unplanned OOA.

I honestly got the left and right thing mixed up, didn't know it was supposed to be right and left as you wore it. So I simply need to switch the regs, well re run the ports a little too, but ok, got that part down now. I want that part to be the same as guys diving MD's, and others diving ID's as to avoid and confusion with other divers. What did you think of the bicycle inner tube holding the coil of hose? I even tried pulling the hose and it came out nice and smoothly, each and every time. So, I have to switch the sides and I should be good there.

3. Wing inflator on left post. The problem here is that traditionally the left post in more prone to failure so the primary bouyancy device is put on the right post. In the pic above it wouldn't matter as your valves are backwards anyways but everybody is going to assume it's on the right.

Well switching the regs around will resolve this issue.

4. Don't like that left post valve (but you already know that). If you are going to dive it long term splurge for the lefty.

Yeah just using this set-up to get me to Bonaire for now, then I was gonna research some new regs, something that would streamline the hose routing, and make it easier to gain access to both valves. Any recommendations on regs to look at? And what should I take into account when choosing regs for ID's?

5. Overall, too many modifications. That might sound funny from me but I do believe that a rig with too many mods will confuse everbody around you. I had to look for a long time to figure it out myself. If you recall the description about my rig I say it looks and acts exactly like a manifolded doubles rig except for the removal of the isolator (and an extra spg).

I agree, and I am sure after Bonaire and diving 30 - 40 dives there, I will have it figured out on what I like and dislike about the set-up.

Anyways it's your rig. Rather than criticise outright I'd rather try to help you fine tune it (as it seems your set on diving it). If you want some more thoughts on the little dangly bits let me know but I didn't want to overwhelm you so that you wouldn't think about the bigger issues.

I would like a pic of how the mounting system works though, if you don't mind.

Good luck,
Dale.

I think once I switch the regulator sides, most of the stuff should be taking care of. Yeah would like to hear about the other thoughts on the little dangly bits. And by the way the reg and the two dial SPG's are on o-ring break away set-ups.

Dale, I really appreciate all the help with this.

 

[Atomic_Diver]

Why don't you ask a sidemount diver how he plans, and uses a set of doubles since sidemounted doubles are not Manifolded together, I do belive they would have most knowlage on the subject....

 

[DaleC]

Hi Philly.
I'll offer you what I can in the way of insights but rememnber that I'm just a guy who happens to dive ID's. Don't take what I say as golden and certainly do your own research etc... Also, bear in mind that I do subscribe to the Hogarthian philosophy that aims to streamline and eliminate unneccisary equipment and to position the neccisary equipment in the best possible location.

Looking at the pics again; Try putting the back up reg hose where the longhose reg hose is on the left first stage. Remove the inflator LP hose and the spg HP hose. Now rotate the first stage a bit so that the HP hose (currently holding the wisdom II) points down more. I think you will find that the HP hose doesn't stick out horizontally so much and the back up reg LP hose will route more horizontally to the left.

I can't tell what's happening on the right first stage.

I also can't tell you much about regs but a quick search of the regulator forum in the equipment section should yeild good results. I don't think ID's have any bearing on which regs one chooses other than how the hose routing looks.

You know I don't like the looped longhose for reasons stated but that's up to you. Here is a thought about things as they appear in the pic. If the valve dust cap swings around during the dive it could get caught up in the loop of the longhose as you have it. Then, when you go to pull it out the cap will jam the hose. I don't know if you dive with the dust caps attached (I don't) but it's little thigs like that you have to consider.

Do you need those hose wraps I don't think they serve any useful purpose.

Strobes. Do you need two and do they need to be attached like that? If they are for signalling on the surface for a boat or something could they be stowed in a pocket somewhere. As they are they may foul a line or hose and or get broken easily. Also, is that clip on the left wing part of the strobe or on the wing? If it's on the wing it serves no purpose (you can't really reach anything there) and only serves as a fouling point.

Light. Is it just sitting there or is it clipped off somehow. If it's not clipped off could a bump dislodge it. I have a simular small back up but it sits along the shoulder webbing under the right chest D ring and is clipped off.

Try doing some of those hose switches, removals unloopings etc... as a start and see what you think. Take a pic. I think you may see a more steamlined functional rig begin to emerge. I would also suggest an excellent purchase for you: Dress for success by Dan MacKay. It is a DIR oriented book about gear configuration that has tons of good advice about the hows and whys of it all, even if you are not DIR.

 

[DaleC]

Why don't you ask a sidemount diver how he plans, and uses a set of doubles since sidemounted doubles are not Manifolded together, I do belive they would have most knowlage on the subject....

For gas planning I think it would be better to ask a diver (BM or SM) who does OW dives as compared to a diver (BM or SM) who does deep cave or wreck penetrations. I think ID gas planning is more relevant to the profile than to the configuration itself.