Need advice about doubles equipment

[Hoosier]

I can say at least $5 from rec to tech.

 

[*Floater*]

You're worried about buying tanks because you don't want to fly with them. What do you plan on practicing with at home?

I plan to do most of my diving during vacations, though I've also started to look into diving possibilities at home - initially I would rent the gear (in part so that I can try different equipment out), but I also want to incrementally buy my own and do more diving as I accumulate the gear.

Do you plan on building a doubles set when you get on-site each time you fly? Or renting a set?

Renting if available, building otherwise or just diving singles.

Very few places I've seen outside of cave country rent doubles. Building a set each time you want to dive would be a major PITA.

Perhaps it's not a good idea. Since I don't fully know what's involved I may have underestimated the complexity of the proposition. However, my DSS plate can also be used with independent doubles, which is another possibility I'm looking into - to be used in ideal conditions of course (with bddy and DM with me), though I don't have the approapriate wing yet.

My humble suggestion would be to wait until you have the money to throw at this and THEN start looking at gear. Buying it incrementally has some merit (I'm doing it) but it's still expensive.

I'm in no hurry, but it's easier to find good deals when you are not in a hurry and also to learn what to eventually look for which is why I posted this thread; I need a better understanding of what's involved. Cost aside, diving doubles seems like a great idea to me simply because of the extra bottom time. Also, if available, the rental costs won't be too bad in the Philippines so I figured I might at least get started learning to dive doubles.

I bought a doubles set (AL80s, Sea Elite manifold, Highland bands) for $450. New this would be $700 or so.
I need a wing that will be $300-$400 depending on model
Regs will cost me about $600 total and one of those is used.
Add in your class to learn to use them properly $400-$500
Factor in that your fill prices will now be 4-5 times as much. (2x for 2 tanks, 2x for nitrox over air, add a bit if you buy tanks larger than 80s). So that $5 fill just went to $20-$25 per dive.

All this is ON TOP OF your singles setup. How is your exposure protection? Now that you can stay underwater twice as long, will you be getting cold? 1.5 to 2 hours under the water is a long dive.

Again, I don't want to dampen any spirits here. I am in nearly the same boat as you. Only difference is thanks to this site, and some good friends, I went into this with my eyes wide open. I just want you to do the same.

Well, I've mainly been diving in the Philippines where I can usually get a dive for $17. That includes all rec gear, DM, boat, etc. but the gear part is about $2, so renting doesn't seem like a bad option price-wise - availability is another matter. The technically oriented dive ops probably charge more though.

I'm not looking to be a hardcore tech diver, I just want to go down to some of the deeper recreational dive sites, and maybe a little beyond when there's something interesting down there, and stay for more than just the 5 min I would get from a single tank and the NDL limits. I just need to get started on this since I'm pretty sure it's what I will eventually pursue anyway.

 

[PerroneFord]

Ok,

I think I see where you are headed. My friend, you are plying some tough waters. Moving outside of NDL *IS HARDCORE TECH DIVING*. As soon as you begin to enter the realm of mandatory decompression, you have crossed a major line. Had you said you wanted to do 60ft diving but stay more than an hour, things would have been different.

I am not a technical diver. There are MANY on this site, and several have responded on this thread. I am sure they are going to tell you the same thing I am. Mandatory decompression diving (going beyond NDL) is nothing to be triflied with. Especially if you plan on diving below recreational limits.

Those rental charges will be changing as well. You're now asking to rent specialty equipment, you're going to be looking at a DM with a different set of credentials, a boat that hopefully has capacity to service divers who dive deeper and can accomodate divers who will be spending significant time under the water.

Perhaps one of the more experiened divers here will shed more light on the mechanics of building a set of doubles while on vacation, and explain more about the mandatory decompression side of things.

I wish you all the best.

 

[brianstclair]

Brings up an interesting point - and I don't want to hijack this thread - which is, how does everyone travel with doubles? All of you DIR guys (and gals) from the NW, if you come down here to cave country on a vacation, do you rent doubles down here or make arrangements with people that you know to borrow gear? What do you do? I'm guessing NE folks might be more inclined to make the long drive since you can bring all of your gear down. True? False?

Brian

 

[*Floater*]

Ok,

I think I see where you are headed. My friend, you are plying some tough waters. Moving outside of NDL *IS HARDCORE TECH DIVING*. As soon as you begin to enter the realm of mandatory decompression, you have crossed a major line. Had you said you wanted to do 60ft diving but stay more than an hour, things would have been different.

I am not a technical diver. There are MANY on this site, and several have responded on this thread. I am sure they are going to tell you the same thing I am. Mandatory decompression diving (going beyond NDL) is nothing to be triflied with. Especially if you plan on diving below recreational limits.

Those rental charges will be changing as well. You're now asking to rent specialty equipment, you're going to be looking at a DM with a different set of credentials, a boat that hopefully has capacity to service divers who dive deeper and can accomodate divers who will be spending significant time under the water.

Perhaps one of the more experiened divers here will shed more light on the mechanics of building a set of doubles while on vacation, and explain more about the mandatory decompression side of things.

I wish you all the best.

I dunno, my girlfriend is doing her AOW/nitrox combo course there and one of the dives listed by the instructor was a "decompression dive". I'm not sure what type of deco dive that'll be, but if the instructor feels it appropriate to teach to someone who's even less experienced than I, then it cannot be hardcore. I'm going to follow the course too and do the dives with her, so that'll be at least one deco dive I'll end up doing.

More generally I'm just looking to have some fun and to gain some experience diving doubles on the side because I was told that that's a good way to start for people who intend to go beyond rec at some point.

 

[PerroneFord]

Decompression diving, at least in my mind, is different than mandatory decompression diving. Learning the skills to utilize decompression is a great thing. I plan on doing that myself in the next few weeks. But mandatory deco means you need redundant equipment (like doubles).

I did my nitrox course in doubles partly because I wanted to learn to use them in the presence of an instructor, but also partly because I hope to move on to technical diving and wanted to get started as soon as possible on understanding and getting familiar with equipment. This is why I have purchased my own set to practice in the pool with, and do some shallow dives with.

I'll be interested to see how you progress since we appear to be on similar paths. I hope you have as much fun with it as I have been.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

I know that you won't like this answer, but...

... you should stick to diving with a single cylinder for now.

As far as the class your GF is going to take... I would be a little surprised if it turns out to be a "deco" dive. Standards for AOW and Nitrox do not allow the instructor to exceed rec limits.

 

[PerroneFord]

Stephen,

I was thinking they might have them deploy a bag, and do a "pretend deco" at recreational depths. It would simulate everything but the gas switch (which of course is the big issue). In my class we did the gas switch but with a "bottom safe" mix. So we got the idea and the procedure, but without the danger of a toxic mix. And the switch was done at 40ft.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Stephen,

I was thinking they might have them deploy a bag, and do a "pretend deco" at recreational depths. It would simulate everything but the gas switch (which of course is the big issue). In my class we did the gas switch but with a "bottom safe" mix. So we got the idea and the procedure, but without the danger of a toxic mix. And the switch was done at 40ft.

Possibly.

It's just that in most AOW classes the emphasis is on recreational diving and its inherent limits. Though some of us teach that all dives are deco dives, we stress narcotic limits, gas planning, and proper ascents rather than stops and switches.

I don't know what their instructor has in mind, but I can't believe that it would include exceeding rec limits.

 

[PerroneFord]

I don't know what their instructor has in mind, but I can't believe that it would include exceeding rec limits.

Yea, I agree with you there. At least let's hope not!