Sling tank or doubles.

[franny]

Not sure whether this should be here or technical.


Bit about me......

Just did my wreck course and are qualified to dive to 40m. At the moment I am using a standard BCD and tank, but am finding I am gas limited for the deeper dives. There is also the concern about not having redundant gas for entering a wreck. On the other hand I do a fair bit of shore diving, and in those cases I normally don't need the extra gas.

So I am trying to work out the best way to move forward. I want to eventually go to a full tech setup, but in the interim I am trying to work out the best way to go forward.

The first option would be to do a sling/stage tank. the advantage of this is that I could continue to use all of the existing equipment, with minimal changeover, but will meet the extra gas/redundant gas requirement. The disadvantage is that I would have to buy the doubles in the longer term, so it is only putting off costs.

the second option would be to go to the full doubles. The advantage is that this is needed in the long term (probably). The disadvantage is that some of my gear (yoke 1st stage) would be made redundant, and it would be harder to convert back to a normal set if I was doing a shallow dive....

Can anybody give me some pros/cons to help me work out the next step?

What would your suggestion be?

Basically, I am going to work on my efficiency anyway, but that won't necessarily fix all of the problems, so I am trying to make plans to efficiently transition, for if/ when I do end up doing more technical diving.

 

[boulderjohn]

Not sure whether this should be here or technical.

The first option would be to do a sling/stage tank. the advantage of this is that I could continue to use all of the existing equipment, with minimal changeover, but will meet the extra gas/redundant gas requirement. The disadvantage is that I would have to buy the doubles in the longer term, so it is only putting off costs.

the second option would be to go to the full doubles. The advantage is that this is needed in the long term (probably). The disadvantage is that some of my gear (yoke 1st stage) would be made redundant, and it would be harder to convert back to a normal set if I was doing a shallow dive....

I highlighted a couple of you points because they point toward one of the biggest problems with technical diving: cost. It really does cost a lot of money, and you should be fully aware of that. If it is the deciding factor now, then you will probably have more trouble in the future.

I really did not understand what you meant by the second part I highlighted, so pardon me if I screw this up. If you go with full doubles, you will need new regulators, and they should be DIN. If your current yoke regulator can be converted to DIN (some can't), that will help. You can get a converter to use it with regular diving with yoke tanks. All it will require on your end is changing the hoses, but that takes 5 minutes.

On the other hand, if you go tech, you will find that not only will you use doubles, but you will soon be slinging a stage as well. Although almost everyone I know uses DIN fittings for this, I know others use yokes. Thus your current yokes could serve double duty--a stage regulator when you are doing deco, and a recreational regulator when you are out for some shallow fun.

Only a few years ago I went tech, and asked a lot of the same questions. I was really looking at the most economical way to make use of my recreational equipment as I made the transition, just as you are. I currently own and use 7 regulator sets, including my old yoke recreational set that I use exclusively for recreational diving. Thus, my advice is this. If you really do intend to go tech in the near future, don't sweat regulator redundancy. It will soon be among the least of your economical worries. Get what makes most sense to you now and let the future take care of itself.

 

[Kevrumbo]

There's another configuration worth considering and that's the new & improved side-mount option, though your time, training, equipment & cost outlay could be just as expensive as using conventional doubles.

The sling/stage redundant tank option is okay provided you carefully gas plan and know about managing usage during the dive, but other than external surveys/tours at your rated certification depth & within NDL's --I would not recommend penetrating a wreck with such a configuration. A front-slung tank has a bad tendency of getting tangled or fouled up in your penetration guideline as you're laying or reeling up line. . .

 

[Sas]

Given you are a frequent shore diver, unless you can have a seperate single setup it's going to be a PITA to dive twins all the time because they are very shallow sites locally. But then I am one of those people who prefers to only dive twins when I have to so I guess if you are big and strong maybe you won't mind

If you can afford both setups, get twins and use that for the deeper diving. That's what I've done. Though before I had twins I used to borrow ponies off people to use when doing dives to about 40m. So far I haven't had to by my own pony/stage/deco bottle as have had them on long term loan. I prefer to dive with twins for extra gas rather than a pony, and I can also do two longer recreational dives on twins than two single tanks (as the 35bar reserve from first dive adds to dive 2's gas), and it's just less hassle for double dives.

If you would have to switch your single stuff as part of the twinset, maybe just buy a pony. I have heard people argue that ponies aren't that much cheaper but for comparison I can get:

AL40+reg+spg = $700 (new, midrange stuff)
my 12L twinset = $3000 (new, midrange stuff)

Also you need to factor in the ongoing costs such as hydros ($80/yr for twins, $40/yr for pony).

I suggest asking around and getting loans of different types of twins to try out, and different ponies and see what you like best. If you are heading towards tech diving, you'll eventually end up with it all anyway

 

[franny]

I highlighted a couple of you points because they point toward one of the biggest problems with technical diving: cost. It really does cost a lot of money, and you should be fully aware of that. If it is the deciding factor now, then you will probably have more trouble in the future.

I really did not understand what you meant by the second part I highlighted, so pardon me if I screw this up. If you go with full doubles, you will need new regulators, and they should be DIN. If your current yoke regulator can be converted to DIN (some can't), that will help. You can get a converter to use it with regular diving with yoke tanks. All it will require on your end is changing the hoses, but that takes 5 minutes.

On the other hand, if you go tech, you will find that not only will you use doubles, but you will soon be slinging a stage as well. Although almost everyone I know uses DIN fittings for this, I know others use yokes. Thus your current yokes could serve double duty--a stage regulator when you are doing deco, and a recreational regulator when you are out for some shallow fun.

Only a few years ago I went tech, and asked a lot of the same questions. I was really looking at the most economical way to make use of my recreational equipment as I made the transition, just as you are. I currently own and use 7 regulator sets, including my old yoke recreational set that I use exclusively for recreational diving. Thus, my advice is this. If you really do intend to go tech in the near future, don't sweat regulator redundancy. It will soon be among the least of your economical worries. Get what makes most sense to you now and let the future take care of itself.

I can afford it over a period of time, especially if certain things happen as I expect. I just don't want to over invest in SCUBA gear at this time.

A little more background. I haven't bought any tanks yet, for a couple of reasons, so I am trying to work out what to buy. Basically because I am starting from scratch with tanks, so I am looking at the long term and trying to plan the transition from having everything but a tank, but in Rec layout to a full tech setup, to minimise the buying extra gear, or having gear sitting around not being used. Basically I am trying to map out the most efficient path to do this

I can check but i got the initial impression that the current 1st stage may not be convertible. In which case, in the long term I would plan to use it for the stage tank, and then eventually maybe make it a spare/rec only. the concern would be that normally I have seen DIN only on a set of doubles, so going direct to doubles would put that 1st stage into storage for the time being.

Sorry if it isn't clear.

 

[Sas]

DiveImports.com (Powered by CubeCart) < cheapest tanks in Australia (for when you decide to buy)

 

[franny]

DiveImports.com (Powered by CubeCart) < cheapest tanks in Australia (for when you decide to buy)

Yep sounds good. did you get one of the "EA06NC - R1A - 40 cu/ft Alternative Air Source" as your Pony?

It is not 100% guaranteed that I will go tech, but being able to upgrade will make it easier in the long term.

 

[Sas]

Yep sounds good. did you get one of the "EA06NC - R1A - 40 cu/ft Alternative Air Source" as your Pony?

It is not 100% guaranteed that I will go tech, but being able to upgrade will make it easier in the long term.

Catalina AL40 is usually what I dive with or an AL80. Luxfer is the other brand I have seen people dive with, which is fine also.

For the steel tanks (for your main tanks) you have to call them for price, they don't publish it (some political guff) and they sell Faber.

 

[rjack321]

Is your profile accurate? How many dives do you have?

 

[aquaregia]

I put a 200bar manifold on my doubles so I could spend some time getting used to it with my yoke regs. There's still advantages of doubles over a slung bottle with yokes on both of them. Consider whether you want to be diving independent gas supplies and go from there.