Tek Gear Checklist

[TigerDiver8]

Hey everyone,
I was wondering if some one can give me a tek gear check list. I am a rec diver who wants to eventually get into tek diving, prob not for some time, but i would like to start getting gear that i can use in rec diving and can also transition easily. I am not looking for brand names of equipment, just types of gear tek divers need. ie. hose lengths, # of regulators, accessories commonly worn or used.......... Hope this makes sense. I currently dive a HOG back plate with a 23 lb wing, Jet Fins, 7mm wetsuit, 5mm gloves, 5mm boots, Hollis M-1 Mask, Sea Sports back-up mask. And am almost done saving up for the HOG Single Tank Regulator. I am looking for anything i can just get now that will also work for rec diving.

Thank you and safe diving

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Wristmount CCR/trimix capable computer with a gage mode and no AI; look at Shearwater and Liquivision, Xdeep is apparently churning out something in that space now, too.

Sidehandle reel with #36 line or heavier, 400' size. Halcyon, Light Monkey, old Salvo flavors are good examples. 200' is too short, 800' or 1200' is stupidly oversized.

Couple of closed circuit SMBs with enough lift to back up your wing, probably one yellow and one orange.

Look at a hogarthian rig discussion for singles/doubles/stages hose configurations and lengths.

Drysuit: 7mm wetsuit may not cut it when you spend 30 minutes at on the bottom and another 60 minutes doing more or less motionless deco stops.

I'm up to 6 first stages and 7 second stages now (yoke ST1 with two M1 2ds for single tank; two DIN M1s with M1 2ds for doubles; three DIN M1s with M1 2ds rigged for deco/stages). You could get most of the same flexibility and run one deco bottle with just 1 yoke adaptor, 3 DIN first stages, 3 second stages, and the willingness to move stuff around if you have to go between single and double tanks.

Some kind of wetnotes. Some seem to require them to go on the arm, I like mine in a pocket leaving the arms clean for computers and compass.

Redundancy in gas supply: you could start by slinging a 40 as a pony with single tank, then later use it for a deco mix when you move to doubles.

Doubles wing, doubles, maybe a lighter BP depending on weighting needs and tank selection.

Backup lights in the style of the Halcyon Scout, LM 3W LED, or Gulftex Photon Torpedo: 3C cells, boltsnap on the tail, modern LED bulb, twist on/off head with 2 o-rings (aside from the Scout, which has 1).

Can light: take your pick between LED or HID, but my advice is to spend the extra grand or two up front and go big: 35W or 50W. Light is like gas, you can't have too much.

 

[TigerDiver8]

Hey thanks for all that. I figured I might give you guys some more information about me and the diving I do and want to get into. I am a Advanced Diver with 35 dives. I currently dive the Northern Channel Islands off Southern California, depths never exceeding 120ft (There is a TBM Avenger I want to dive) but normally average around 40-50 ft of diving. Temp ranges from 50-60. I am an aviation enthusist and would like to get into deep wreck diving, I haven't really researched the path it would take to get to that level, and am not sure how long it will take, but I want to be as ready as I can be even while rec diving and gaining experience. I also thought having the extra amount of gear, possibly unneeded for rec diving, but might just help me get used to diving with extra amounts of gear. In addition I will be moving to Hawaii June 2014 to work for a humpback whale research organization, so dive conditions will change to Hawaiian waters. Anything to help myself progress, safely.

 

[boulderjohn]

I am going to disagree with Dr. Lecter on a couple of points, and maybe more. I will tell you what I would tell you if you said you were planning to take the classes from me somewhere down the road.

Computer: I suggest anything that is wrist mounted and can be put into gauge mode--cheapie-weapie is fine. Almost all early tech classes, including mine, will have you working without a computer, using either a bottom timer or a computer in gauge mode. After that, a lot depends upon the instructor and the agency you go with. Some agencies will NEVER want you using a computer for your diving, so spending money on an expensive trimix computer will be a big waste of money. Others will be happy to have you use a computer once you have gotten past the initial training and will recommend one for you. You won't be diving trimix for a long time. By the time you are ready to do so (and if you are doing it with an agency that allows computers), you will find new and wonderful versions that are not now on the market--and they will be cheaper.

Canister Light: canister lights are expensive, and I don't think you should get one now unless you can use one now. Their prices are dropping rapidly. I got a new and very powerful light this winter that is all I need in caves. It retails for about $1,200. A couple of years ago, a light of that power and battery burn time would have cost well over $2,000. If you want a basic can light for now, get one you can afford now and wait for the big one until you need it.

General Comments: Make sure you are using a long hose and bungeed alternate setup and practice, practice, practice. You can take a course that teaches you good buoyancy and propulsion techniques and then work on those as much as you can. You can even take an Introduction to Tech class in the gear you have, depending upon the agency and the instructor. Then you can practice those skills until you are serious. I do think you need a dry suit where you live, and the sooner you get used to one, the better. Other than that, I suggest you research technical diving instruction in your area and decide on the agency and the instructor. Then ask for that person's advice. If you came to me for instruction, I would walk you through purchases as you could afford them, letting you use some of my extra gear until you had gotten your own. That's how I started.

 

[Imla]

This link might be of help
Standards - Appendix A | Global Underwater Explorers

 

[TSandM]

You have most of what you need to begin building the skills platform you will need for technical diving, and that's actually far more important than the equipment at this stage of your diving career. I would second the recommendation for a wrist gauge, and an inexpensive one will do find if cost is an object (as it is for most of us). And you should get a good, strong, focused light. John has a good point that there are inexpensive ones now that are reasonably good, and you can also find good buys on HID lights when people upgrade to LEDs.

Most of all, get some good training. It won't surprise anyone that I am going to recommend GUE Primer or Fundamentals for you. You are in the Los Angeles area, where you have two GUE instructors, Karim Hamza at Hollywood Divers, and Steve Millington. Both offer both of those classes, and there is a strong and supportive community of GUE divers in the LA area with whom you can dive and practice. Just because you take the introductory classes does NOT mean you have to stay with GUE for all your training, although you may elect to do so. But these classes are available to the recreational diver, to introduce him to the standards of performance expected of technical divers, and that makes them very useful.

Spend the money on training and diving, and buy more equipment when you are closer to making a transition to technical diving. You've got a bit of experience to gather first, and the great thing is that you are in a FANTASTIC part of the world to do it.

 

[Teller]

Alot of people recommend GUE fundies and im not saying their wrong but a intro to tech course from any agency with a GOOD instructor will have the same outcome. Unless you want to take additional GUE courses in which you would have to take fundies.

 

[Centrals]

Appropriate training is far more important than equipment. Take one step at a time.
Tec computer? I always want to buy one that is superior than those in the market!! So I got stuck with bottom timer which seems timeless until the battery pack-up.

 

[TigerDiver8]

As for training, Should I continue down the normal path of Rescue, Master Diver, Dive Master then get into the tech training, or get into tech classes first?

 

[Centrals]

As for training, Should I continue down the normal path of Rescue, Master Diver, Dive Master then get into the tech training, or get into tech classes first?

Rescue is highly recommended.

As for Master Diver and Dive Master? YES or NO! There are enough posts on scubaboard for you to digest on the topic.

Good luck and happy diving