Newbie questions about tech diver opinions

[b1gcountry]

Interesting that many of the people who will tell you about bolt snaps facing the wrong way,quick releases etc etc cannot tell you of real first hand examples of emegencies or problems.

The point of best practices in whatever school of thought you have in scuba diving is that you can learn from others mistakes, and everyone doesn't have to have an emergency or problem in order to figure out that a certain practice or gear config is wrong.

If you attach a double-ender onto an side-handled reel the wrong way, it will eventually unlatch itself, and you will loose it. The person who told me this the first time never lost a reel this way, but it logically makes sense, and can be demonstrated on dry land.

I give a lot of credit to people who have learned things the hard way, but some people have experienced the first hand emergencies and problems, and taken the wrong lesson away from them. It's like the people who get a bunch of stings and cuts from touching and running into reefs, and advocate the use of reef gloves, and jumpsuits instead of actually controlling themselves in the water, and not running into things in the first place. First hand experience is great, but you still need to apply the same common sense to any advice you get.

Tom

BTW, Karst Diver, I know you weren't advocating doing stupid stuff just because people told you to, I was just taking your idea and running with it.

 

[ianr33]

So I don't carry a long hose. I also use a conventional jacket style BCD rather than a BP/W configuration, despite that being heresy in the tec diving community. Just not lest ye be judged, I say.

And I'm sure your BC matches your pink split fins perfectly.

 

[ivobj]

Well, I think that as someone posted in the begining of this thread, as you progress and start to develop your own ideas of what works for you, the noise will go down, in the begining maybe everyone wants to bring you to their side, but once you choose one side they tend just to let go.

Take a look at diferent configurations ideas, some good sources would be internet sites of GUE, IANTD, TDI, etc, etc. Think if you see advantages in standardized systems or not, as you dive more you should develop a feel for what is best for you.

I also was given so many ideas in the begining with everybody defending them as absolute true, until I found MY absolute true, the ones that works for me interms of gear configuration, procedures and so own, relax and try, you will find YOUR absolute true as well...

 

[bell47]

thanks for all the responses, Lee

 

[rjack321]

This reminds me of when I first met my tec instructor. He picked me up from the airport and we had a 3 hours drive to chat, and I was brimming with questions. At one point I ask him about long hoses. He starts by asking me why I think I would need a long hose, and eventually when I come to "easier to share in a cave or wreck", he says: "Exactly! If you are in a cave or wreck, long hose is good [sorry, I can't fake a German accent in the post] because you have tight spaces. In open water it is a pain in the ass. You don't need it. All these people think you need long hose to be a technical diver. You find what works for you. If that is a long hose, then great. But don't put a long hose on if you are diving in open water just because someone tells you that you have to have long hose to be a technical diver."

So I don't carry a long hose. I also use a conventional jacket style BCD rather than a BP/W configuration, despite that being heresy in the tec diving community. Just not lest ye be judged, I say.

Funny. We take people recreational diving and typically practice an air share. Afterwards they almost universally hate their 40" octo setup and switch to a 5 to 7ft long hose. These aren't even technical divers, they are typically in a single tank, drysuit, 50% have backplates and wings (for the ballast in the drysuit), 45% have backinflate BCs, and 5% have jacket BCs. Most have canister lights or want one (its dark here). The divers with Air2 type devices generally don't like them all that much afterwards either. People consistently like the longer hose and generally find figuring out a place to stow it takes 2 dives, and that its well worth using for OW dives.

 

[Rhone Man]

And I'm sure your BC matches your pink split fins perfectly.

Now you have offended me - I hate split fins.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Just establish a consistent set of practices with your own exclusive team for the type of technical/overhead diving that you're interested and are comfortable with.

The other choices are go it alone (solo tech diving), or more prudently don't go tech at all. . .

 

[FIREFIGHTER@91]

Now you have offended me - I hate split fins.

HAHA, Man Im late on this , but damn that was good.

 

[TSandM]

Actually, off the internet, the majority of technical divers are rational. The issues we face are the same, after all; most of the solutions are pretty much agreed upon, and some are not. In fact, there are some people who really can't dive well together -- the group which primarily does tech dives solo is not compatible with the group that drills and dives as a team. People doing pure Buhlmann deco aren't going to be happy diving with people who are intent on deep stops. This is the reason why it's good to gravitate to an instructor who teaches in a way that makes sense to you, and find buddies after your class who are similarly trained.

Some agencies seriously standardize their teachings across instructors and sites; there, you can be pretty sure that anyone similarly trained will be someone you can tech dive with compatibly. But if the dives involve significant risk, or approach your experience or confidence limits, you still ought to be doing simpler dives with your buddies, until you are confident with one another.

 

[DevonDiver]

The majority of the tech community (and tech organizations) agree on a basic,generalized, configuration of equipment. The reasons for this are that tech divers will have core global compatibility and that the basic configuration has been proven in the water.

However, the general consensus on equipment configuration breaks down when the smaller details are discussed. Different tech organizations...and even different tech diving 'teams' have evolved their own specific configurations that they feel are most suitable and safe for their requirements.

The nature of tech diving is that individuals seek to perfect their configurations to achieve the utmost practicality and safety. Over the years, this has meant that detailed analysis and consideration has been applied to every tiny detail of the tech divers equipment, techniques and dive planning. Every aspect of configuration has been considered and debated in great detail...and every lesson learned is incorporated into that consideration.

Obviously, with different divers, in different locations, different water conditions and different diving activities it is impossible to form a global consensus on a 'perfect' generic configuration. However, what does exist is a huge 'databank' of experience and recommendations - all of which is valid and deserving.

It is the job of the diver concerned to educate themselves (by courses and research) and make their own informed opinions about how they wish to configure themselves.

Having established your own optimal configuration (which you should never stop seeking to refine), you then have to establish your own consensus with your diving partners, so that a level of conformity can be reached between you.