Question re: doubles

[doctormike]

Awesome, thanks so much everybody... I feel better going forward with your comments.

The 119s are really short and squat, but very heavy. However, I do like the way that they trim out as singles, and they seemed pretty good using the travel bands (although there was a good bit of slippage during the dive!). I guess being taller, if I was starting from scratch I might go with the 120s just so I don't need to squat down as much when gearing up, but I don't want to start replacing these tanks - they are less than a year old.

I think that I will try to have a separate travel regulator so that I don't need to be always switching hoses... So the next question is which regs? Right now, I have two Atomic first stages and three Atomic second stages, a B2 and two Z2s (B2 primary, one Z2 backup, one Z2 on my pony bottle).

My mentor told me that she preferred to have two different brands of second stages, for two reasons - (1) so that if one failed due to environmental reasons, both would be less likely to fail for the same reason (admittedly a pretty rare occurrence, especially if I'm not ice diving or anything), and (2) so that it's easy to tell which one you are using by the weight, etc... Again, a relatively minor concern, but I guess I could buy another first and second stage, use that with my doubles set, and then use the Atomic first stage / Z2 for travel...

 

[txapacheguy]

I would recommend that you get the doubles set up and start using them. I did this early last year, and will not be going back to singles.

Don't forget when you get ready to buy your manifold that the valves on some manifolds have plugs available to split the tanks without having to replace the tank valves. This would give you one lefty and one righty tank valve, which might not be optimal for single tank, but would probably be good for sidemount. You will want the tanks to be empty though when you remove the manifold...

 

[lowviz]

....//....The 119s are really short and squat, but very heavy. However, I do like the way that they trim out as singles, ...//.......

Same as my 120 thin necks.

Never doubled my 120's, went to doubled HP 100's instead. -the 100's got me anywhere I wanted to go inshore diving. I also ended up getting a set of 119's, lots of gas but they are a beast. Why not keep what works?

Stop by Ocean Wreck Divers with cash in pocket and look for a doubles deal just to get something to play around with. (and with cash in pocket, I do mean deal) Check hydro dates.

 

[Bombay High]

I have tried the double 119's using travel bands, and was able to handle the weight walking to the quarry without much difficulty. I also know an instructor who will work with me this spring to make sure that I am OK with this setup before going into the ocean, and then work with me in the ocean as well in the beginning. Obviously, I'll be watching my bottom time to make sure that I don't inadvertently get into deco before I have that training....

Does this sound like a good idea? Or better to just dive single for another season and then do the tech training and the doubles at the same time? Anything that I haven't thought of?

Thanks!

Mike

As Tobin says, get real SS bands. Or dive independant doubles. The SS bands will protect the manifold, since that is tho most likely point of failure. Travel bands will allow some movement (at least in all the ones I have seen) and this is likely to cause manifold failure.

 

[doctormike]

As Tobin says, get real SS bands. Or dive independant doubles. The SS bands will protect the manifold, since that is tho most likely point of failure. Travel bands will allow some movement (at least in all the ones I have seen) and this is likely to cause manifold failure.

Oh, yes... of course! I didn't mean to imply that I was going to use the travel bands in setting up my own gear.

My instructor just let me try them out so that I could get a feel for the weight last season, and only as independent doubles. I didn't think that you even could use travel bands with a manifold, there is no way that they would hold the tanks tightly enough to keep it from breaking. They barely held those heavy tanks on my back for the dive without slipping!

 

[parzdiver]

Mike - definitely get started with the doubles. They take some getting used to (can you say TURTLE), but once you figure out the balance, everything gets easy. There are plenty of DNY people that dive doubles (me included) and would be happy to dive with you and talk about things. Getting the tanks situated for the proper trim is key. Otherwise you are constantly fighting for trim.

One thing I definitely recommend is starting to stretch for better ability to reach those valves. Your dry suit will also affect that greatly. I have no problems in my wet suit reaching valves, but in my dry suit I have major problems.

Good luck!

 

[doctormike]

Mike - definitely get started with the doubles. They take some getting used to (can you say TURTLE), but once you figure out the balance, everything gets easy. There are plenty of DNY people that dive doubles (me included) and would be happy to dive with you and talk about things. Getting the tanks situated for the proper trim is key. Otherwise you are constantly fighting for trim.

One thing I definitely recommend is starting to stretch for better ability to reach those valves. Your dry suit will also affect that greatly. I have no problems in my wet suit reaching valves, but in my dry suit I have major problems.

Good luck!

Thanks! I think that I'm going to get started with this today... the stretching thing is a good idea as well. I bought this book a while ago, but never read it. Maybe it's time!

 

[parzdiver]

Mike - this is a great book excerpt focusing specifically on shoulder mobility. http://www.divefitness.com/html/articles/article_pdfs/should_stretch.pdf The rest of the web page is pretty good as well.

 

[doctormike]

Mike - this is a great book excerpt focusing specifically on shoulder mobility. http://www.divefitness.com/html/articles/article_pdfs/should_stretch.pdf The rest of the web page is pretty good as well.

That's terrific, thanks!

 

[smellzlikefish]

Doubles are actually easier to dive than singles because the added mass slows every thing down.​

Wait, what? I dive double occasionally, but only when I have to. The added weight, the added drag underwater, and the extra PITA of setting up an extra reg, etc. are all a real drag for me. I have a friend who dives double 120's and we are always waiting for him to lug his gear around, check this, clip that. Even he dreads lugging his doubles from the car to the boat or shoreline.

Of course, I'm the guy who never got into tech diving because to me, less is more, but as Devon Diver said, the task dictates the tools and sometimes my tasks dictate doubles. If it were me, I'd leave your tanks as singles and get yourself a couple of used 80's or 72's to band together just for the weight consideration.