Technical Diving Equipment

[corvettejoe]

So what are the advantages of double tanks versus a 133cf or 140cf single HP steel tank?

Redundancy... and more gas.

when cave diving, we use the rule of thirds... meaning we only penetrate with 1/3 of our gas in all tanks.
Because of this, we have a lot less gas to actually use before we have to turn around and exit.

Redundancy aside... you go in with a single tank... you only get to use 1/3 of that gas, then turn around and exit. Now, having two... you've doubled your gas, start carrying a stage or two and you've tripled and so forth your amount of gas.

Also, the preferred tanks are LP steels, that is if you use a shop that does overfills

 

[CamG]

BM - DR SSBP standard harness, DR Classic wing, Apex DS4"s XTX 50's, Al 40's / Al 80's deco bottles, Faber 108's / 95's BG.
SM - DR Nomad modular with DR Rec wing bunged, Hollis SMS 100, Apex DS4 / XTX 50, Atomic Z2, Faber 85's, Al 40's / Al 80's deco bottles / Stage.

Shearwater Preditor primary comp. with Nitek Duo in guage mode back up
DUI / BARE dry suits, DR fins , Jets, Atomic frameless masks.
Under Water Light Dude 26W can light / LM 21W HID can light.
DRIS Shortys back up lights
Light Monkey primary reels

CamG

 

[Diver0001]

Hi Everyone

I have heard recently alot of questions and statements about tech gear selection and would be interested to know what people are using. If you could post what gear you are using including the brands and models of the gear that would be great. also your qualifications
I am mainly interested in backplates, wings, regs, masks, fins and suits.

E.g
B plate - halcyon
regs - back gas apeks ds4 with xtx 50 second stage.

The idea of this thread is only for fun and i think it would be intresting to know what equipment choices people are making. Obviously fit and comfort are the most important factors.

Thanks for your posts.

Craig Chamberlain

Tanks, 2x Faber 12 Liter steel. Deco gas in an AL 7 liter (40cf). I also own a 15 liter Faber and until recently some 5 liter 300bar fire-fighter's bottles that I used in the pool.

Backplate... some no-name brand stainless steel thing

Wing... Diverite.

Regulators, Aqualung. I've been using aqualung since I was given a 1972 (IIRC) Aquarius after I was initially certified in 1984. Of the 10 or so regulators I've ever owned, 9 of them were Auqalungs and the other one was a Sherwood, which I sold because the quality was under par (in my opinion) as compared to the aqualungs.

Suit: Bare. I've been in Bare suits since I was a prototype tester in the 1980's.

Lights: Greenforce and Metalsub. Both European brands that are *outstanding* best-of-breed examples

Flippers: Posiedon Unifins (look like jetfins). These fins are probably older than I am and my great-great grandchildren will still be diving with them.....

Mask: Mares liquidskin with perscription lenses. A mask is a mask is a mask to me but this one fits my face like a glove and I could bifocals put in them.

Computer: Suunto
Bottom timer: Uwatec
Compass: Suunto

Most of the rest of my gear is generic or I decided to buy because it was handy as opposed to some kind of well thought out decision.

 

[GrimSleeper]

Oh, I'll play...

BM doubles: OMS SS plate, Halcyon harness, Hollis 45lb wing, either Apeks or Mares regs, depending on what I can be bothered to reconfigure, manifolded Al80s, Al80 slings, Aqualung Calypso deco regs.

SM: Hollis SMS 100, Apeks regs, Catalina C95 alloy cylinders - horrendous tanks under any other circumstances, but nice for SM because they don't go tail-floaty until they're very nearly empty. Al 80s if I'm carrying stages or decos.

Whatever wetsuit I happen to have (don't usually get more than 12-18 months out of a suit)
Halcyon pocket shorts (because I'm too lazy to keep attaching pockets to all the new suits I keep buying)
Whatever mask hasn't fallen to bits recently (either a really tatty Hollis M1 or some kind of Tusa thing at the moment)
Dive Rite XT fins (used to wear Mares Avanti Quattros, but they died after a mere 3,000-odd dives)
LM 21W can light, LM backups
LM primary reel (what can I say, I like the logo)
Halcyon (or generic version) titanium knives
Halcyon OC lift bag
Generic 6-foot DSMB
Dive Rite wet notes
Suunto Vyper computers (in gauge mode if I'm deco diving)

Brain (usually)

There's a lot of stuff I DON'T use any more, like VR3 trimix computers, two different Metalsub lights (sorry, Diver0001, my experience was very different from yours - probably easier if you live in the country where they're made!), the comedy OMS 100lb dual-bladder lifeboat/wing, OMS 'Comfort' harness - it can be an expensive journey to find out what works for you and what will survive where you dive. Actually, 'what technical diving equipment do you not use any more' would probably make for an entertaining thread...

 

[egovenatus]

Not a tec diver, but been diving this equipment for a few years....

Wing= Zeagle Little Bertha 55LB, Zeagle Ranger for single tank
Plate= Zeagle Aluminum+ Zeagle harness
Regs = Zeagle Flathead VIs and VIIs, Dive Rite RG 3000s with Ice kits, Mares Proton Metals (all din)
Lights = Dive Rite and Princeton
Reels = Dive Rite Deco and Safety reel with high vis dacron line and some sort of finger spool from somewhere... plus a Dive Rite Jon line...
Fins = Mares and Tusa
SMB's =HOG 5ft yellow, Dive Rite 5ft yellow, XS 50lb lift bag
Tanks = Twin PST HP 100s w/Dive Rite manifold and two Luxfer 40CF stage/deco bottles....not that I deco ever by plan, plus a single PST HP 100 for single tank diving
Wet Suit= Hollis Neotek Semidry 8mm/7mm/6mm and Pinnacle Merino 5mm plus Pinnacle 3mm Shorty+ Pinnacle gloves and hood, tusa boots
Mask= Scuba Pro, US Divers, Tusa
Other tools= Dive Rite Cold Water Z-knife, shears, titanium knife of some sort that I have had for 23 years and it still looks new..., Dive Rite wet notes, Luminox Deep Dive watch, Mares ICON HD Comp, Shearwater Petral Comp, other random stuff