Transitioning to tech-I'm going for it

[scubamickey]

Lift with your legs not your back

Of course. Always do. But you still need strength in your arms and shoulder to lift doubles

 

[scubamickey]

I'm pea-green with envy that diving with doubles came so naturally to you - my first few dives with my HP100s were nothing short of comical!

You're not alone when it comes to the hassles of hefting doubles. My solution is to carry them on my back as much as I can. I dress the tanks in the car's trunk and lift them to a standing position by pushing on the bottom of the tanks while pulling at the top (if that makes any sense). Then I wiggle into them and walk to the water. (I have not yet tried gearing up on a bucking, rearing boat in bad conditions, nor am I looking forward to!). I try not to let the tanks go below shin level, as picking them up off the floor is hard, even though my quadriceps are pretty strong. It's easier picking them up off a higher surface (like a car's trunk) - I find I can 'bear hug' them and lug them around, if need be. Don't be afraid to ask for help, though. Do invest in a handtruck - I'm sure it will make life much easier.

I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only girl out there that struggles. I won't need a hand truck. My doubles diving will be done away from home in warm water and on dive boats . Thus the need to be able to move them.

I think the reason that doubles were easy is that my trim and buoyancy are spot on. The minute I dropped in to the water it was like I still had a single 80 on my back. With the exception that it took more effort to propel me in the water. But no problem with helicopter turns and such. I was anxious and fully expected to look like a fool. Believe me, no one was more surprised than me--well, maybe my husband who was pleasantly shocked as well.

FYI, I was in 75 degree water in a 5mm wetsuit. Diving AL80s with my Halcyon BP/W and Scubapro Jet fins. Kept the trim weights on the top tank bands same as with the singles. Kept the same weight--8lbs. Aluminum backplate with a 60 pound wing (borrowed the doubles wing from hubby and he dives steels). I will be using my 40lb wing from now on.
Hubby thinks that I will probably need to throw on another 2 pounds for those longer dives with emptier tanks.

 

[W8less]

Toting twins to the shop for fills with the BP/W removed. Who wants the shop pinching your bladder.

Take a 2" web shoulder strap with pad off of any duffle type bag. Get two carabiners, insert in ends of straps. Clip one CB to the bottom of lower tank band, clip other CB on opposite side to bottom of upper tank band. Stoop down, put strap over shoulder and voila! lift with your legs. Keeps your paws off of the manifold

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only girl out there that struggles. I won't need a hand truck. My doubles diving will be done away from home in warm water and on dive boats . Thus the need to be able to move them.

I think the reason that doubles were easy is that my trim and buoyancy are spot on. The minute I dropped in to the water it was like I still had a single 80 on my back. With the exception that it took more effort to propel me in the water. But no problem with helicopter turns and such. I was anxious and fully expected to look like a fool. Believe me, no one was more surprised than me--well, maybe my husband who was pleasantly shocked as well.

FYI, I was in 75 degree water in a 5mm wetsuit. Diving AL80s with my Halcyon BP/W and Scubapro Jet fins. Kept the trim weights on the top tank bands same as with the singles. Kept the same weight--8lbs. Aluminum backplate with a 60 pound wing (borrowed the doubles wing from hubby and he dives steels). I will be using my 40lb wing from now on.
Hubby thinks that I will probably need to throw on another 2 pounds for those longer dives with emptier tanks.

I think a reason my first doubles dive was tough was that it also represented my first experience with a BP/W system. The tanks were mine, but the BP/W were borrowed from a friend who was quite a bit bigger than me, and I failed to adjust the webbing properly. Consequently, the tanks were too loose and it was like carrying around a barn built on quicksand on my back! NOT fun, let me tell you. I didn't need to add any lead at all, since my steel 100s provided all the weight I needed and then some. The comfort improved when I bought my own Transplate and adjusted the webbing to fit me, but then I threw in another 'first': cavern/cave training. So although I was relatively cool with my doubles rig, I had to get used to a brand-new diving environment, which was pretty intense.

I've seen big, hairy North Atlantic wreck divers using hand-carts to move doubles the size of submarines (well, that's what my first glimpse of HP120s looked like to me!) from their car to the boat, especially when they're taking two or more sets of doubles on the boat (overnight trips or very deep dives or both of the above). But you're right - if you're going to use doubles on trips away from home, then packing even a folding hand-cart would be problematic from a weight and space standpoint (damn airlines). At least your tanks are AL80s and on the 'light' end of the doubles spectrum, so that's a big plus!

 

[Jayde323]

I just tried doubles fo the first time the other weekend. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to handle them too well. Surprisingly it went well, both in and out of the water. I was able to descend and climb the stairs at Ginnie with little problems. Lifting is another matter, but luckily I have a husband that does not mind doing the heavy lifting.

 

[tstormdiver]

I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only girl out there that struggles.

By far you are not. It took me a year & a half to complete my Adv. Nitrox & Deco course & it looks like it will take me as long, if not longer to complete my full cave course. For me, my struggles, as much as I hate it,.... has been a boon to me. When I struggle with something, I harden my resolve, practice, complete my goal & because of that, I never forgetthe lessons learned from it.

I think a reason my first doubles dive was tough was that it also represented my first experience with a BP/W system. The tanks were mine, but the BP/W were borrowed from a friend who was quite a bit bigger than me, and I failed to adjust the webbing properly. Consequently, the tanks were too loose and it was like carrying around a barn built on quicksand on my back! NOT fun, let me tell you. I didn't need to add any lead at all, since my steel 100s provided all the weight I needed and then some.

My first dive in doubles was also not good, I had no clue to the negative buoyancy of the LP 85's I had. Since I didn't know better, I was thinking as a Rec. diver & when it came time to descend I dumped ALL the air out of my wing. Long story short, it took me to the bottom at 95 ft in less than a minute, leaving a huge mushroom cloud of silt rolling up around me. Scared the Beejeebers out of me. I had bruises from drysuit squeeze & was lucky I didn't blow my ear out. Needless to say I aborted the dive in a barely controlled manner. It took me several months of shallow diving in them, before I would go deep in them. It was only at the urging of another instructor at our shop, doing a deep class that I took them deep again. He knew of my experience & said he needed a Dive Master for his class. He then sprang it on me that it was to be a deep dive & I needed to use my doubles for redunancy. I reluctantly agreed. That was one of the best dives I've ever done! All that practice in the shallows paid off. A real boost to my confidence.:cool2:

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

By far you are not. It took me a year & a half to complete my Adv. Nitrox & Deco course & it looks like it will take me as long, if not longer to complete my full cave course. For me, my struggles, as much as I hate it,.... has been a boon to me. When I struggle with something, I harden my resolve, practice, complete my goal & because of that, I never forgetthe lessons learned from it.



My first dive in doubles was also not good, I had no clue to the negative buoyancy of the LP 85's I had. Since I didn't know better, I was thinking as a Rec. diver & when it came time to descend I dumped ALL the air out of my wing. Long story short, it took me to the bottom at 95 ft in less than a minute, leaving a huge mushroom cloud of silt rolling up around me. Scared the Beejeebers out of me. I had bruises from drysuit squeeze & was lucky I didn't blow my ear out. Needless to say I aborted the dive in a barely controlled manner. It took me several months of shallow diving in them, before I would go deep in them. It was only at the urging of another instructor at our shop, doing a deep class that I took them deep again. He knew of my experience & said he needed a Dive Master for his class. He then sprang it on me that it was to be a deep dive & I needed to use my doubles for redunancy. I reluctantly agreed. That was one of the best dives I've ever done! All that practice in the shallows paid off. A real boost to my confidence.:cool2:

I would have done exactly the same as you if I hadn't been cautioned appropriately, so don't feel too bad! My first doubles dive was in delightful Millbrook Quarry, in Virginia, and as I was scrambling over rocks and doing my best impersonation of a leatherback turtle on its back, my buddy (between wiping tears of laughter out from his eyes at my antics) said, "Be sure to fill your wing before you step off the rocks and prepare to descend - it drops to 35 feet and those tanks will send you straight to the bottom like an egg dropping from a tall chicken". Then he laughed and slapped his thigh like he'd said something really, really funny.

 

[Sas]

If you are worried about not having enough time to get in shape before June for your classes, delay your classes a bit, no need to hurry training at all, though maybe I'm confused at the timeline

I'm new to doubles myself (12L/100cf) and have found that they get easy to transport very quickly though that could be because I am forced to carry them up three stories to my apartment so strength builds up quick When they are at ground level, it is the most difficult, but I have my backplate on and sit down and put them on, then roll like a turtle onto my knees and hands, then stand up (looks real graceful-like). If there is an easier way, I'm all ears! But if there is anybody around, I will *always* get them to help me, no need to be a martyr. And also even though I can walk a fair distance in them, I have bought a handcart (and lock for when I am diving) so I will wheel them to either the boat or the shore dive spot. The best thing for your back and so on, is to minimise how much time they are on you on land and how many times you have to lift them on your own.

 

[scubamickey]

Sas--that will be me. Rolling like a turtle. I have high self esteem and can handle looking less than graceful as long as I can get up
Which I can do as long as I can use the strength my legs as opposed to my arms/shoulder.

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions and encouragement. I'm very excited and will certainly post afterwards regardless of the outcome.

 

[StreetDoctor]

hand carts are awesome. Sears has a collapsable one for like $25 that supports 150lb, it's what I use for my double 130's