Solo diving and back up gear.

[msandler]

Hey Chris, suit yourself. That's fine with me buddy - sincerely.
But...
Let me say; an E8 eh? Thats a lot of air for a rec dive. If your dive merits that much air (say deco or deep), I wonder why you chose to back it up with such a puny pony. An E8 IS a cumbersome tank (I dive them too and prefer the smaller ones).

So, how did your E8 fail? Exactly, if you had a H-valve I'll bet you would not have needed the pony.

I don't know what kind of diving you are doing but it sounds like you could do a better job at selecting your equipment. Why you chose what you did and not doubles is beyond me. In water, a small pair of doubles will dive better, provide better redundancy, and carry the same air as what you just described. For most rec. dives, why on earth would someone want to "over-gear" themselves? For all your pony is worth, who needs it "dragging" along. Try a SPARE AIR which by the way would provide satisfactory bail-out from a recreational dive and be much more pleasant to tote along.

 

[CRDiver]

"Why you chose what you did and not doubles is beyond me"

Doesn't suprise me, since you never asked what kind of diving I do, and hence most of your comments are based on ignorance. I am primarily a shore diver, diving in lakes and quarries in the Midwest, in poor viz and cold temps. I use to dive doubles. I have to crawl up and down rocky banks which vary from 30-45 degrees. My buddy and I often swim out 2000-3000 feet from the shore to explore some sites. I decided having 130 cu.ft., which will get me anywhere I need to go, is better than having the doubles I use to dive. And I still have extra air. Half the weight too. And half the cost of doubles. And I only bring a 19 because that's all I need. Most of time I'm under 120 feet, and 19 is plenty for most people (I won't speak for you). I'm 32yo, 6'4, 250 pounds, in decent shape for a juvenile corrections officer, and I find the entire rig quite comfortable, *much* more comfortable than my doubles.

I've never had one of my E8's fail, only my AL80's which I've sold off.

 

[msandler]

Half the weight -nope. Look at the specs and factor in your pony. Depending on the doubles, the weight (for similar volume) is the same. With your Al 80's, your E8/pony config is only 5 lbs less. Also, consider your E8 is almost 15lbs neg when full (the doubles, only a few). Now, why would you swim a half mile, so overweighted at the surface that your BC is fully inflated causing excessive drag not to mention the drag produced by pulling a pony below the surface, when some nice, light doubles will do the job better.

By the way 19 cuft will last about 8 min at depth for a light breather, not someone (large someone) stressed from over-exertion and equipment failure. Better not let that E8 get you into a deco situation. You also might think of putting an inflator on that pony, with that much weight and such a far swim, you better be able to stay afloat in the event of a failure. And make sure you test the pony underwater, imagine if it decided not to work. Another thing though this was about solo diving, please stick with a buddy for your scenario.

Chris, after these last couple of posts I can't believe you criticised that nice, redundant H-valve set-up. You really haven't demonstrated a very appealing alternative. Not to mention, your pony redundancy is a far cry from appropriate (I guess you can switch your pony reg to your E8 underwater).

My point was, nothing is as nice "flying" as a single in a minimalist rig. And, yes it can be done safely for a solo diver.

You may want to check into picking up a nice used scoot - seriously!


Oh, thanks for the Bio, tempting but I am straight.

 

[teknitroxdiver]

if the doubles begin at 130?

Acutally I said from 60 feet down. The reason for the 30-40cf pony is that for the exact same money you could set up a 19, you have more air, and not any more drag if you stage-mount it.

I guess it would depend on the person, but yes, a 40 would probably be good to 130 or so depending on the situation.

 

[CRDiver]

There's so many things wrong about your post, I don't know where to begin.

1st, I never said *surface* swim. Our 2000-3000ft swim in underwater, at about 60ffw. Buoys aren't allowed, but submerged lines and markers have been layed without DNR knowledge. You seem to have a problem with critical reading...

2nd, my 19cu.ft. tank has worked fine for me in direct ascents from 110' in 33 degree water. Had half the tank left. It's no big deal. Maybe it is for you. If i'm going to do deco, I'll sling a larger bottle.

3rd, my doubles were AL80's. I carry less weight now, and my rig weighs less, including pony. Maybe you need a calculator. It pretty simple to figure.

I'm at work right now, so I can't type much more. In any event, if you truly think an H-valve is better for solo divers than a pony, then thank God you're in the minority. If more people forgo true redundancy and choose an h-valve, more people will die.

 

[HawaiiDiver]

Mike sounds like a GUE swallower to me... A know-it-all drone.

 

[CRDiver]

"Oh, thanks for the Bio, tempting but I am straight."

Good to know, except I included my size because, judging from your comments regarding a 130 as "cumbersome" and your recommendation to get a scooter, that you're either small, weak or both. Some of us are in shape and don't mind long swims, and don't need a machine to drag our butt through the water.

 

[HawaiiDiver]

I just check the specs... Anyone who thinks carrying a E8130 is cumbersome needs to start working out and maybe take some swimming lessons at the Y. If you need a scooter for this, you have no business in the water - you probably need a motorized wheelchair.

Weight: 42.2lbs. Height: 25.56" Diameter: 8.0"

Compare to the AL80 -

Weight: 31.4lbs. Height: 26.1" Diameter: 7.25"

Christ, it's virtually the same size as an 80! Yeah it's 10 pounds heaver but you get 68% more gas.

Someone who thinks this is too big shouldn't be giving advice to anyone.

 

[msandler]

Hawaii, first, the comparo was against doubles so you don't get 68% more air, and second, I did not recommend using double 80's, I just kept my argument in line with Chris' double 80's - I would have chose differently.

So, (thanks for the specs by the way. I was speaking from experience not a data sheet)

2 * 31 = 62lbs (160cuft , absolute best redundancy)
42lbs + 10 lbs (pony) = 52lbs

so, can I quote you? "Yeah it's 10 pounds heaver" but you get useful redundancy and are not so negative that you need to keep the BC unnecessarily inflated. Now if you used small doubles like i said, they would actually weigh less! and still provide more benefit and move through the water cleaner!

If Chris uses his E8 and carried a Spare Air in his pocket; it would make "more" sense and provide more freedom for non deco dives.

since you both are obssessing over physiques, I'm 5'11, 205lbs, I've played football for ten years and have no fat.

Hawaii, Chris is better off without your assistance. Its clear you have not donned a full E8 in your life. I also doubt you have dove doubles or even a pony let alone a stage. Chris' pony is not optimally rigged for redundancy - as he explained. If you really want to help why don't you lend him some money so he can buy that scooter (this is exactly what they are for - he's talking a mile plus round trip with heavy gear!)

Ok girls, I'm done. If you want some honest advice or opinion, shoot me a PM.

 

[HawaiiDiver]

The point is Mikey a 130 is not much bigger than an 80, which anyone can handle. I've done 130's - they're about 50 pounds full, while 80's run about 38. And when you add in the weight you get to drop off your hips because of their negative buoyancy, the weight difference between the two becomes insignificant. And there would be an even greater advantage to dumping 2 AL80's for a 130. By the time you add two full cylinders, manifold and band weight, plus the extra lead to compensate for positive 8 pounds in positive buoyancy when empty, the difference becomes significant. You'd think a superstud "trimix" and "tec wreck" diver would know that. Cost would be a no-brainer too - $150 for each AL80, $175-200 for manifold, $100 for bands, versus $320 for one 130. Duh.