Jacket vs back inflate for new diver?

[waterone]

Many years ago I assisted our shop tech in servicing my regulator. When I saw how long it took him, an experienced tech, I decided the standard cost of servicing was very reasonable.

It can take a while but as I am learning it seems quite easy and I enjoy it, though I agree it isn't for everyone.

Then a tech on a ScubaBoard thread bragged that his average time for servicing a reg, start to finish, was 8 minutes. That's pretty fast, especially considering that most techs will put reused parts in a hydrosonic bath for a minimum of 10 minutes as one part of the process.

No need to hurry and a good bath helps the cleaning. Like slowly making my way out to the entry point on my back, I will enjoy the process as I go about it.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

With regards to surface swimming. Edmonds Underwater Park (Annie Crawley put together a nice website here: Edmonds Underwater Park. Just a warning, all pics are from the best viz, it isn't always that nice) is a long surface swim from shore. About 1000 feet to reach the buoys to where the items of interest are located (there's a nice map that can be purchased for $10 at the Edmonds Underwater Sports shop that goes fully to park improvements - I buy each version that comes out). Now if you are diving with buddies (as required by park regulations), and you swim face down and snorkel it out there, you have to stay fairly close to your buddy or it won't take long before you have to pop your head up to find them again.

Everyone without exception lies on their back and slowly fins out, including Bruce Higgins, the park caretaker and person responsible for park improvements since 1991. He's out there every Saturday and Sunday with few exceptions, year round.

But he's a NAUI guy, so yeah, maybe he's not experienced

 

[rx7diver]

With regards to surface swimming. Edmonds Underwater Park ... Now if you are diving with buddies (as required by park regulations), and you swim face down and snorkel it out there, you have to stay fairly close to your buddy or it won't take long before you have to pop your head up to find them again.

Take a compass heading. Snorkel in. Face down. Swim side-by-side with your buddy (so you continuously keep track of him/her), fully kitted, with minimal* air in your BC, pulling a dive flag. Periodically look up to reassess your heading.

This is precisely how I learned to do long surface swims in open water when recreational diving.

For the open water checkout I went through (NAUI/YMCA, in 1987), we had to swim this way for 1.5 miles one way, and then return. My college sophomore daughter, currently taking the same scuba course, will have to do this same skill in a couple of weeks when she goes through her open water checkout.

I've had to do this a couple of times, unplanned, IRL, most notably during my very first dive trip to the ocean (FL Keys) in 1987.

I don't see the issue. Am I missing something?

rx7diver

*Actually, we wore a full, two-piece, 1/4" wetsuit, a full old-school steel 72, and a Scubapro Stab Jacket that was completely empty, with our weight belt configured with solid Pb weights, and we were "correctly" weighted.

 

[waterone]

With regards to surface swimming. Edmonds Underwater Park (Annie Crawley put together a nice website here: Edmonds Underwater Park. Just a warning, all pics are from the best viz, it isn't always that nice) is a long surface swim from shore. About 1000 feet to reach the buoys to where the items of interest are located (there's a nice map that can be purchased for $10 at the Edmonds Underwater Sports shop that goes fully to park improvements - I buy each version that comes out). Now if you are diving with buddies (as required by park regulations), and you swim face down and snorkel it out there, you have to stay fairly close to your buddy or it won't take long before you have to pop your head up to find them again.

Everyone without exception lies on their back and slowly fins out, including Bruce Higgins, the park caretaker and person responsible for park improvements since 1991. He's out there every Saturday and Sunday with few exceptions, year round.

But he's a NAUI guy, so yeah, maybe he's not experienced

View attachment 716599

I have done that surface swim with both head in water and on my back. It really depends on the day and what I feel like doing and sometimes who I am with..

Take a compass heading. Snorkel in. Face down. Swim side-by-side with your buddy (so you continuously keep track of him/her), fully kitted, with minimal* air in your BC, pulling a dive flag.

I don't always carry a dive flag and is more site dependent and not based on a surface swim. As per the Edmonds post above it has buoys all around.

I don't see the issue. Am I missing something?

No issue, if that's how you like to roll, but nothing is set in stone on how someone has to swim nor does the method someone chooses necessarily relate to their skill level.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Take a compass heading. Snorkel in. Face down. Swim side-by-side with your buddy (so you continuously keep track of him/her), fully kitted, with minimal* air in your BC, pulling a dive flag. Periodically look up to reassess your heading.

This is precisely how I learned to do long surface swims in open water when recreational diving.

For the open water checkout I went through (NAUI/YMCA, in 1987), we had to swim this way for 1.5 miles one way, and then return. My college sophomore daughter, currently taking the same scuba course, will have to do this same skill in a couple of weeks when she goes through her open water checkout.

I've had to do this a couple of times, unplanned, IRL, most notably during my very first dive trip to the ocean (FL Keys) in 1987.

I don't see the issue. Am I missing something?

rx7diver

*Actually, we wore a full, two-piece, 1/4" wetsuit, a full old-school steel 72, and a Scubapro Stab Jacket that was completely empty, with our weight belt configured with solid Pb weights, and we were "correctly" weighted.

I'm not saying it isn't possible, but rarely practiced. Remember, it is a leisurely finning out there to conserve energy. Face down, people will swim at different rates if left to their own devices face down. One of my students was an extremely strong swimmer and when he did the surface navigation skill, he just took off (but this was the one and only such person). There are tradeoffs to both methods. Everyone has their preference. I like an easy, relaxed finning while chatting with my buddies as we head out and back. I don't think I'm alone.

{Mod edit}

 

[thomasj1107]

So back on track…. I feel like I found a pretty great package for the price range I’m looking for from divers supply with HOG regs. Is there anyone who has anything very bad to say about hog regs? Also, are there any sites that have much better deals than divers supply?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

So back on track…. I feel like I found a pretty great package for the price range I’m looking for from divers supply with HOG regs. Is there anyone who has anything very bad to say about hog regs? Also, are there any sites that have much better deals than divers supply?

Take @rsingler 's reg servicing class as he covers those regs. I have no experience with these regs, so I won't comment on any pros or cons. Diver's Supply I believe is owned by the same people who own HOG (if that is incorrect, someone please correct me).

 

[Eric802]

Take @rsingler 's reg servicing class as he covers those regs. I have no experience with these regs, so I won't comment on any pros or cons. Diver's Supply I believe is owned by the same people who own HOG (if that is incorrect, someone please correct me).

HOG is a subsidiary/subset of Edge, isn't it?

 

[RobPNW]

For people who are against BP/W vs regular back inflate bcd, what exactly are the complaints?

While I am pro BP/W here are some of the most common that I have heard.

• Surface position: a BP/W can push your head forward a little bit instead of just bobbing on the surface in a full upright position. Personally I don't really notice.

Seems like a BP/W would actually be less likely to push you forward than a "regular back inflate BCD", considering the plate is behind you.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

So back on track…. I feel like I found a pretty great package for the price range I’m looking for from divers supply with HOG regs. Is there anyone who has anything very bad to say about hog regs? Also, are there any sites that have much better deals than divers supply?

Divers Supply has good deals on the HOG regs. Note however that the prices are MAP prices. Meaning they are the lowest any dealer can advertise them for. That does not mean you can't call or contact any other dealer in some way to see if they will cut you a better deal.
Some brands have what are known as MSP's (minimum selling price). That means that their dealers can lose their dealership if they cut you a deal under those prices and another dealer finds out and reports them.
I've been diving HOG regs since 2008. Selling, servicing, and training divers to service their own since 2012.
I've not had any problems with mine that regular care and service hasn't been able to deal with.
With customer regs I've seen more problems related to care, lack of care, and abuse, as well as some getting serviced by shops not authorized to service them and screwing them up, than actual problems related to the regs themselves. There were a couple times when the OEM made a change that was not requested and a problem cropped up early on, but that has not happened for a long time. Did not affect the safety of the reg but made it a pain for the tech.