Independent Doubles

[Nemrod]

For me, it's important to be able to reach a valve knob(s) to turn on a valve (if it's inadvertently left off or turned off), and to turn off the valve (in the case of a blown hose or a reg free-flow, even during a rec dive, even when using a Y-valve). This was something that was stressed in my open water course, and something that I still consider important (for me) all these years later.

NOTE: An old-school pillar valve helps me with this when I am diving my double-hose reg on a single cylinder (since I wear my cylinder farther down my back when I dive my DH reg, which makes reaching a K-valve challenging).

rx7diver

Like I said, on IDs, not sure why I would turn the valve off, just let it bleed off and breathe as long as possible. I would not waste my time or breath trying to turn it off. As to turning the valve on I find it best to do that on the surface on my IDs but I can certainly breath on the alternate until I can. For long or deco ID dives I usually also carry a deco/or slung bottle.

 

[tmassey]

For long or deco ID dives I usually also carry a deco/or slung bottle.

I think this is the general consensus.

Independent doubles really seems like an artifact of history. I’m not killing OP for the path he’s taking: I think independent doubles can be done safely. I just think that it adds a great deal of complexity and difficulty: the ‘do we or don’t we’ conversation about closing valves (or reversing a tank valve, or reversing all the hoses, or how to stow all those octos or….) demonstrates that.

I think the concept of slinging a stage so much simplifies the process. And I think that’s why independent doubles have been consigned to the dustbin of history.

But heck: there are people (like @rx7diver ) still diving double hose regs. To each their own. If you can do it safely, via con Dios. Or as @The Chairman says, dive and let dive.

But boy, this gets so much simpler with a slung stage…

 

[Nemrod]

I think this is the general consensus.

Independent doubles really seems like an artifact of history.

Unless they are side slung? I do not understand the bias against what is very similar in functionality.

You mean DH like this, Argonaut Kraken:

 

[rx7diver]

... But heck: there are people (like @rx7diver ) still diving double hose regs.

Lots of folks here on SB dive DH regs. I'm among the newest, I think, having purchased mine in 2015 from another SB-er (although my open water course in 1986 had a few required pool skills that used them). @Nemrod is one of our resident DH reg experts, in fact.

rx7diver

 

[rx7diver]

... As to turning the valve on I find it best to do that on the surface ...

I've never splashed with my cylinder valve(s) off, but I have splashed having forgotten to don my weight belt, so it's probably just a matter of time ...

rx7diver

 

[tursiops]

6 years ago I sold my newly refurbished Aqua-Lung DA Aqua-Master. I originally learned on a DH reg, before the single hose had been invented. I got the bug, someone gave me an old one, and I had it completely rebuilt and upgraded. It was beautiful. Then I dived it a few times and remembered what it was like with the weird trim and hard breathing. I sold it and the VDH plate I'd gotten. Sometimes nostalgia is not what it used to be.

 

[rx7diver]

And here is mine. Pic was taken in 2022. I use a J-valve pillar valve now (ever since last year). Love this rig for shallow, solo, rec dives. (Reg is US Divers AM with 1st gen VDH Phoenix upgrade and Scubapro BA) Of course, reg doesn't compare to my Mk10 + D400/G250/BA.

The second rig (also mine except for rental Luxfer Alum 80) is what my daughter would take on her open water checkout and on her subsequent dive trip to Roatan. I was giving her a gear checkout session at a local univ pool prior to her leaving for her open water checkout.

rx7diver

 

[Nemrod]

Lots of folks here on SB dive DH regs. I'm among the newest, I think, having purchased mine in 2015 from another SB-er (although my open water course in 1986 had a few required pool skills that used them). @Nemrod is one of our resident DH reg experts, in fact.

rx7diver

Please do not give me too much credit for being expert at anything. I am just a survivor by luck and accident more than skill. I did learn in 1966 on a DH Mistral and dived DH regs mostly for my first twenty years of diving until the hoses rotted off and were NLA. But, alas, with advancing age, now and for the last five or so years, I only play with DH for fun. It is just this, when I need air, I need copious and unrestricted amounts of clean, dry air and what gives me that in spades is the Scubapro G250/Mark 11. But, at least for now, my ID set relies upon my only two remaining Conshelf firsts with 1085 seconds. I dive such so little nowadays it is kinda stuck in an evolutionary limbo.

 

[noprowiththebow]

I am looking into this, myself, so this thread is a good read!

 

[SelfDiver]

Dude,

My first experience with doubles was with independent doubles

Independent doubles is how I did doubles before manifolds. The reasoning was to have you comfortable with a setup that is adaptable to any situation.
We used bands, long tank straps, aluminum square tubing, welded chain links and all kind of contraptions.
I personally would take my Chinese cheap donut and backplate in a standard single AL80 configuration and sling another AL80 in sidemount/pony/stage/deco configuration.
One very easy way is to take a regular tank strap with a couple of bungees and bolt snaps. Easy to swap on the boat and hand over at the end of the dive.

Chris you are actually "The guy on Youtube" I have been referencing.

Chris has a few gems. But yeah, nothing wrong with independent doubles. I think he shows several configurations in his videos.

Chris @divezonescuba has had a few controversial opinions and methods shown here...the way I see it is that by the time you're doing the big dives, you can judge if his weird wheel reinventing is compatible with your sucess. The funniest bit is that he is 100% sincere and totally not trolling.