O2 cleaning?

[seeker242]

Before you make a significant investment in new gear...

Are you committed to deco diving or is this course more exploratory for you? The answer to this might determine how much money you want to spend on gear for the course vs making do/borrowing/renting gear.

Totally committed, no doubts about it. And after that I plan on doing cave training. My next big investment will be a nice drysuit.

I would use your new doubles instead of a pony and dedicate the al40 as a 50% deco bottle (o2 cleaned)
If for some reason you are doing the course in an H valve...
I would get a set of proper doubles and still keep the al40 as a deco bottle.

I dive double AL80s on deeper dives but I don't like lugging them around for 60' dives. But I still want to keep a regular pony because I sometimes dive instabuddy and I don't trust instabuddies when it comes to reserve air. Some of the people I've been paired up with will make you go ha!

 

[uncfnp]

Ok then.

Doubles for simple recreational dives is just nonsense. Convert your 40 to O2 clean and dedicate it plus an O2 reg of choice for this. You can clean the MK25 or buy a new deco read set or buy a used reg and have it O2 cleaned. What regs are you using for your doubles?

Then get a 19 bottle for simple recreational dives.

 

[KeithG]

Ok then.

Doubles for simple recreational dives is just nonsense. Convert your 40 to O2 clean and dedicate it plus an O2 reg of choice for this. You can clean the MK25 or buy a new deco read set or buy a used reg and have it O2 cleaned. What regs are you using for your doubles?

Then get a 19 bottle for simple recreational dives.

And then seriously consider servicing your own regs...

 

[seeker242]

What regs are you using for your doubles?

The same. MK25, but EVO version because they are newer. I was also considering just buying another used MK25 and having it serviced with the O2 conversion kit. That would work also.

 

[uncfnp]

If you do decide to purchase another set consider an MK2. It is a very simple work horse reg and works well for deco. The Hp seat is O2 compatible out of the box. Just make sure its clean, has vitron orings and compatable lube and its good to go. Good entry level DIY too as a warm up to your MK25’s. The only down side is it does not have a swivel turret.

 

[chrisch]

......
I dive double AL80s on deeper dives but I don't like lugging them around for 60' dives. But I still want to keep a regular pony because I sometimes dive instabuddy and I don't trust instabuddies when it comes to reserve air. Some of the people I've been paired up with will make you go ha!

60 foot is not going to kill you if you bail to EAN50. You said the TDI course - I did the IANTD one but I think they are very similar? It was based on 50.

If you are committed to doing more advanced diving then you should be looking to find better team members to go diving with. It just seems rather silly to me to have a full pony setup for the 2% of dives where you are diving with an unreliable buddy so are effectively solo and really should call the dive rather than continue. But hey this opens the great Internet pony debate for the 2.1millionth time.

1 item of kit, 2 uses. Has to be a winner?

 

[seeker242]

If you are committed to doing more advanced diving then you should be looking to find better team members to go diving with

My regular buddies are fine.

It just seems rather silly to me to have a full pony setup for the 2% of dives where you are diving with an unreliable buddy so are effectively solo and really should call the dive rather than continue.

I don't think it's silly when you are actually solo diving, which I am certified for. I'm not looking to save a buck, I'm looking to do it right.

 

[chrisch]

....
I don't think it's silly when you are actually solo diving, which I am certified for. I'm not looking to save a buck, I'm looking to do it right.

You can have as much gear as you want. If you solo dive then you must carry whatever gear is appropriate to the dive. Your earlier post was about instabuddy diving not solo so my comments were based on your previous position. Solo diving is a whole different ballgame. You need to do a risk assessment based on the dive in question and so there are no clear cut "rules" as such. The bailout you choose and the gas content of the bailout will be influenced by the depth of the dive and any possible hazards you might encounter.

Personally if I were choosing an AL40 as bailout I would limit the depth of the dive to 60-70 feet, 100 max as a small bailout tank has only reserves for that ascent with a reasonable safety stop. So once again, for me personally if the tank I pick up is full of 50 it would do the job. If solo diving beyond that depth then I want less O2 and more gas in total. But in solo diving you make a personal choice. There is no "doing it right" or doing it wrong. That's why the GUE people don't do solo. I have no problem with that.

Your question was whether you need to O2 clean the 40 and reg for the TDI course. My answer was (and still is) what gas are you planning to use? If you clean both the tank and regulator (as you are not looking to save a buck) they will be suitable for whatever gas the school chooses for you or you and your instructor decide to use. So go get them cleaned. Not sure why you asked really.

Enjoy the course.

 

[seeker242]

If you clean both the tank and regulator (as you are not looking to save a buck) they will be suitable for whatever gas the school chooses for you or you and your instructor decide to use. So go get them cleaned. Not sure why you asked really.

The reason why I asked is clearly stated in the OP...

 

[rjack321]

The reason why I asked is clearly stated in the OP...

Get all your stuff o2 cleaned, use only known o2 quality fill stations - even if its an air fill, not have to wonder or doubt again. The reality is that you'll end up with a bunch of regulators and cylinders in short order. Just keep them all clean (which isn't hard).