Recreational divers, post your rig here, let's share good and bad ideas

[Pavao]

So when I am at 45m depth I am exhaling into the atmosphere. OK.

So now you also think the gas you exhale gets absorbed by the reef or something?

Btw, you did not answer, still think not exhaling through your nose, but exhaling the same breath through your mouth is a gas savings technique?

 

[Blackcrusader]

So now you also think the gas you exhale gets absorbed by the reef or something?

Btw, you did not answer, still think not exhaling through your nose, but exhaling the same breath through your mouth is a gas savings technique?

I can't say really about my nose.
My sac rate averages around 9l/min so I must be doing something right on gas savings.
Must be all from that training I had from my "dumb" instructor you claim I had.

You want to comment on my having a snorkle on my mask while diving as well.
@LI Diver did ask if it ever bothered me over my diving since 1986. It's always been normal for me to dive with one. Actually I don't like diving without having one attached to my mask.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

We use seven foot hoses on our primary regs. It makes it so much easier if you ever have to share air. I had a buddy who dived like the OP. He would suck down his tank, then use his pony to extend dives. He ran out of air on multiple dives. He no longer dives with us.

 

[LI-er]

I had a buddy who dived like the OP. He would suck down his tank, then use his pony to extend dives. He ran out of air on multiple dives. He no longer dives with us.

Can you read? Or are you so busy saying how great you are and better than everyone else that you don't pay attention to anything other people write?

Serious question. I'm guessing it's a bit of both but I'm going to take a moment to properly educate you, no need to thank me.

My air consumption was not mentioned anywhere in this thread, but I'll provide it now. SAC rate is about .45 on most dives (AI computer provides the data). I occasionally choose to extend an interesting dive using the stony bottle, not because I "sucked the tank down" as you incorrectly surmised, but simple bd suds I ...wait for it... want to stay down longer.

At no time during the dive do I have less gas then typically recommended minimums. I alternate between the tanks always leaving a sufficient reserve brteeen the two.

After having to explain myself and clear up your bizarre misconceptions and incorrect assumptions I understand why that other diver no longer cares to dive off your boat.

 

[Blackcrusader]

We use seven foot hoses on our primary regs. It makes it so much easier if you ever have to share air. I had a buddy who dived like the OP. He would suck down his tank, then use his pony to extend dives. He ran out of air on multiple dives. He no longer dives with us.

I always thought a pony was never to be used for calculating gas requirements on a dive.
An emergency backup only. Anyway is a solo diver wants to use both tanks their choice isn't it?

If I want to extend my dive time I can always use an AL100

 

[LI-er]

I always thought a pony was never to be used for calculating gas requirements on a dive.
An emergency backup only. Anyway is a solo diver wants to use both tanks their choice isn't it?

That's what I've read as well although the topic is somewhat debatable and controversial.

What I have found is that when a debate does ensue over using a second bottle to extend a dive, it cannot be referred to as a pony bottle, hence the name "stony" bottle which is a combination of stage + pony. Yes I know it's not really a stage bottle when used in that fashion either but the pneumonic indicates that the bottle has some sort of mixed use purpose.

Either way, my argument has always been "so what it's not supposed to be used that way". I plan my gas management in such a way that I always have at least as much reserve between both tanks as a single tank AL80 diver at all times during the dive, and I also have the extra safety of the redundancy throughout the dive.

 

[kinoons]

Yup let them bleed out before they get to shore is the advice of some.
Death and glory didn't you know?

It’s easy to criticize without reading the evidence and then make a straw man arguement to shoot down any posts that do not support your chosen actions.

No one is advocating to let someone bleed out. If you bothered to read the research I posted you would have read that often times when trying to improvise a tourniquet the rescuer is unable to stop the bleeding in spite of their efforts. As it turns out it takes a damn lot of pressure to overcome a large arterial bleed.

Additionally if you want to avoid injury to tissue and nerves that pressure is better spread over a few inches rather than a narrow area. Sure someone may live if you are able to stop the bleeding (which again is debatable) but they’ll live with potentially permanent damage to the extremity that they would not have had with the proper tool.

So again, if you are truly concerned with stopping someone from bleeding to death it is far better to have the proper tool for the job.

And finally - have you ever actually used a tourniquet? Have you ever rescued someone from the water? I began my medical career as a lifeguard so I do have some experience in water rescue. I have spent 20 plus years in emergency medicine and have some wilderness medicine training as well. Even with all this experience I am not sure I would feel confident I could successfully place a premade tourniquet on a (likely panicked) victim at depth or on the surface with any chop what so ever. Now you want to improvise one on top of that? Good luck.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Can you read? Or are you so busy saying how great you are and better than everyone else that you don't pay attention to anything other people write?

Serious question. I'm guessing it's a bit of both but I'm going to take a moment to properly educate you, no need to thank me.

Calm down. I was't saying you suck down your tank, I said my ex-buddy dived like you. He used a pony bottle to extend his dives.
Not being on my boat any longer was not his choice. He became too much of a liability.

 

[BoltSnap]

I was't saying you suck down your tank, I said my ex-buddy dived like you. He used a pony bottle to extend his dives.
Not being on my boat any longer was not his choice. He became too much of a liability.

@LI-er

He didn't mean it in a nice way, you shouldn't have to put up with this. Don't hold back man, don't let him get away with it.

 

[LI-er]

Calm down. I was't saying you suck down your tank, I said my ex-buddy dived like you. He used a pony bottle to extend his dives.
Not being on my boat any longer was not his choice. He became too much of a liability.

Yes you've posted on this topic many times, it sounds like he routinely drained his tank and didn't engage in safe diving practices. Saying that he and I dive the same way seemed to suggest that I also drain my tank, thank you for clarifying.