Tec Courses in Dry Suit (or not?)

[lostsheep]

Yeah, that is an option. It is a trilam suit and I could definitely do it, just wear only a base layer underneath. I think this will mean checking in a second bag which is why I am a bit worried.


Interesting, I clearly sampled the wrong crowd then. I talked to a lot of rec divers and the consensus was that they preferred HP100s. But, I haven't brought this up with Beto yet, so good point, I will see what he has to say about the matter!

Definitely consult with Beto. I believe he is a fan of longer tanks, heavy fins, and large tail weights for most body types.

FWIW, I love my PST hp100s for singles or sidemount around here, I need the weight and they are nice and compact.

 

[Boarderguy]

Thinking about this, I think the conversation with the other rec divers was in the context of HP100s for singles (so buying two singles for a 2 tank boat ride setup). I made the leap to thinking about buying the same for doubles because it made the decision process easier. But that is just my inexperience showing!

You don't know what you don't know. 100 doubles would make for a nice long tech / deco dive. I'm not in the tech path yet but may end up going that way. Once I do then I'll manifold my 100s and keep the 119s and 80s for single tank dives

 

[suricatasuricata]

Definitely consult with Beto. I believe he is a fan of longer tanks, heavy fins, and large tail weights for most body types.

FWIW, I love my PST hp100s for singles or sidemount around here, I need the weight and they are nice and compact.

Yeah, I went through all of the rest of my gear config with him! And fully committed to getting through the process of working with jet fins, it is interested how they naturally push you (at least me) away from doing a flutter kick.

Still getting used to the idea of buying my own tanks (and doing the research on that), in my mind they were always hulks of metal that I rented from the tropical dive shop .

 

[lostsheep]

You’re going to end up with multiple tanks if you go down the tech path so just accept that and buy them all. I think I am down below 30…haven't counted in a while

 

[suricatasuricata]

I am going to have to move from a tiny apartment to something proper with a garage/workshop!

 

[OrcasC205]

There are short hp100s and longer ones that are more like lp85s. Long ones are better.

A lot of that depends on your height. I'm 6'4" and greatly prefer Faber HP100s to Worthington X7-100s as doubles since the Fabers are a couple of inches longer -- they just seem to balance better. Others swear by the Worthingtons, but in general they are shorter divers. I do really like the Worthingtons as single tank HP100s -- so light and not very cumbersome.

The Worthington LP85s are closer in size to the Faber HP100s than the Worthington X7-100s.

 

[tursiops]

Where did you end up doing your doubles courses in Bonaire?

Buddy Dive. My instructor was on the trip, and we did all the training right in front, off the dock. Classes included TDI's Extended Range (otherwise known as too deep on air), so the "graduation dive" was to the Windjammer. I was sufficiently narced to remember very little of the dive.

 

[suricatasuricata]

A lot of that depends on your height. I'm 6'4" and greatly prefer Faber HP100s to Worthington X7-100s as doubles since the Fabers are a couple of inches longer -- they just seem to balance better. Others swear by the Worthingtons, but in general they are shorter divers. I do really like the Worthingtons as single tank HP100s -- so light and not very cumbersome.

The Worthington LP85s are closer in size to the Faber HP100s than the Worthington X7-100s.

I am like 5'10" and I was planning on getting the Faber HP100s, mainly because the Worthingtons seem like harder to source unless I time it correctly.

 

[suricatasuricata]

Buddy Dive. My instructor was on the trip, and we did all the training right in front, off the dock. Classes included TDI's Extended Range (otherwise known as too deep on air), so the "graduation dive" was to the Windjammer. I was sufficiently narced to remember very little of the dive.

Nice! Looks like Mr. G., the GUE instructor, at Buddy Dive won't be working there anymore from next year. So I decided to work with TDS Bonaire to do a Solo Diver + Intro to Tec course, where we focus on using doubles as my redundant air supply. I figure that should get me both more training on buoyancy, trim etc and also act similar to a GUE doubles primer in that I learn how to dive doubles.

 

[tursiops]

Nice! Looks like Mr. G., the GUE instructor, at Buddy Dive won't be working there anymore from next year. So I decided to work with TDS Bonaire to do a Solo Diver + Intro to Tec course, where we focus on using doubles as my redundant air supply. I figure that should get me both more training on buoyancy, trim etc and also act similar to a GUE doubles primer in that I learn how to dive doubles.

Mr G and his compatriot Jimmy are already gone. Area9 Mastery Diving Research Center
Buddy Dive Tech is now under the leadership of two other folks.

Solo with doubles will be challenging, since part of the course is a 600 ft surface swim.
If you can try and work in Advanced Nitrox and preferably Deco Procedures as well; that will really move you into new capabilities and give you some extra depth and deco credentials.