Thinking of doubling up my HP80s

[al248005]

I started with that DiR setup posted above but switched it after using a few times due to the severe bends on some of the hoses. Left post has the inflator hose out front, spg in the back and the secondary in the middle. On the right post I got the drysuut and first stage.

 

[RyanT]

Is there anything special I need to do my first time in the pool?

Nope, just swim around. Check your trim and weighting and see how they'll perform for you. You have the added advantage of no buoyancy surprises of moving from fresh to salt water. Enjoy!

 

[RyanT]

On second thought, the pool is also a good place to practice valve drills!

 

[divad]

Does anyone have pics of hose routing WITHOUT the fifth port? My regs are XTX50 with the first stage having the rotating turret (can’t remember name right now).

As you're not getting any pertinent answers....if you do get the fifth ports, hose routing (with doubles) is great.

 

[DavidFL]

OK, another question:

Is there anything special I need to do my first time in the pool?

I recently (six months or so) started diving with back mounted HP100s; many people report feeling significantly head down the first time in the water, so be ready for that and understand all the possible adjustment points: move the bands; choose different holes in the rig; I tried ankle weights for the first time using doubles and a drysuit in Puget Sound last week. If you look at lots of photos of lots of doubles rigs you will see the bands pretty close to the top of the cylinder in most of the photos. I was considering just taking them in the ocean before trimming out in the pool....really glad I didn't do that. Heard several horror stories, some of them apocryphal no doubt, about new doubles divers jumping off the boat and going directly to the hard bottom. First time I actually did jump from a boat with them I had the wing pretty much full...and was glad for that. Like all other moves of this sort, you may end up with more gear than you originally thought; I ended up picking up a dual bladder wing to use when I'm not in a drysuit; lots of threads on SB about heavy doubles rigs and wet suits compressed at depth.

 

[Marie13]

I recently (six months or so) started diving with back mounted HP100s; many people report feeling significantly head down the first time in the water, so be ready for that and understand all the possible adjustment points: move the bands; choose different holes in the rig; I tried ankle weights for the first time using doubles and a drysuit in Puget Sound last week. If you look at lots of photos of lots of doubles rigs you will see the bands pretty close to the top of the cylinder in most of the photos. I was considering just taking them in the ocean before trimming out in the pool....really glad I didn't do that. Heard several horror stories, some of them apocryphal no doubt, about new doubles divers jumping off the boat and going directly to the hard bottom. First time I actually did jump from a boat with them I had the wing pretty much full...and was glad for that. Like all other moves of this sort, you may end up with more gear than you originally thought; I ended up picking up a dual bladder wing to use when I'm not in a drysuit; lots of threads on SB about heavy doubles rigs and wet suits compressed at depth.

I tend to be foot heavy, so if my doubles force my head down some, it is a good thing! I'll have 2 x 2lb clip on weights (soft ones) in case they're needed to clip on the bottom of my plate.

As for jumping in with the manifold shut off - I'm a huge fan of the Vindicator valve knobs (green when on, red when off). They came with the valves when I originally bought my HP80s last year, and I've got them on all my tanks. DGX even recommends them for the manifold knob. I'll be having one installed on my manifold.

Vindicator Valve Knobs (see bottom of page)

The oversized Vindicator will be attractive to many technical divers who must manipulate valves in water, particularly with cold water gloves. There are also two very specific technical diving applications where accident analysis has demonstrated a closed valve can be overlooked: Doubles manifold isolator valves and rebreather cylinder valves. Thus we recommend the Vindicator for those two technical applications.

 

[Marie13]

On second thought, the pool is also a good place to practice valve drills!

Heck, yes! An experienced doubles diving friend suggested: go chest down on the pool bottom, bend head backwards until it hits manifold, put hand on manifold knob, and then move hand to valve knob. Said until I had muscle memory and more flexibility, easiest to start with my hand on the manifold knob. I'll be diving dry - and this will be a good opportunity to see if the neck seal ring on my Fusion interferes at all with reaching valves.

 

[Marie13]

I started with that DiR setup posted above but switched it after using a few times due to the severe bends on some of the hoses. Left post has the inflator hose out front, spg in the back and the secondary in the middle. On the right post I got the drysuut and first stage.

Thank you! Just what I was looking for. I don't want to spend the $$ for the fifth port upgrades right now if I don't have to. Saving for my trips and boat pass for next year.

I'll just add a transmitter on the right right post. I've gotten used to having AI with my Perdix for both single tank and sidemount, and I see no reason to forgo it just because I'm going to be trying doubles. And, yes, I'll still have a SPG. I use one single tank and both tanks have them for SM (SPGs bungeed back to first stages).

 

[divad]

.........

 

[Marie13]

I know a couple of local divers who regularly dive doubles themselves who have agreed to dive with me at the quarry in April for first doubles dives. My regular buddy is lovely, but he doesn’t know a thing about doubles.