What do you do with your first deco hose?

[PfcAJ]

T

I didn't say anything about narcosis. I'm not a fan of the lightheaded spinning sensation I get when coming from a high helium blend to no helium. I liken it to whippets. It last a few breaths and I don't care for it.

There is no mechanism for that to happen unless deep. If you can think of one, I’d be interested to learn more.

You might be placeboing yourself.

 

[Tracy]

T

There is no mechanism for that to happen unless deep. If you can think of one, I’d be interested to learn more.

You might be placeboing yourself.

I have no idea the cause, I always assumed it was the gas switch. I do have a lot of ear issues, but I wouldn't expect that to be immediately exacerbated by a gas switch.
Anything is possible, but it seems rather consistent.

 

[boriss]

Just curious, those of you switching from deco to back-gas while stowing/preparing the next deco gas, are you switching your computer(s) back/forth as well? I didn't see that mentioned, so I don't know if it's assumed or if you're relying on a different method for tracking your deco obligation.

 

[Fires]

Interesting topic and I was always interested to see what others did in this case.

The way I was taught and also what makes sense to me is you go from deco to deco and only to BG for air breaks.

How I do this, is while on Deco 1 I run through Notox up until the Examine part tracing the route of the hose and showing my buddy that I am planning to move to the correct tank. After confirmation and correct depth I have the D2 reg in my right hand (coming from rich right side) and my left hand is on my D1 reg in my mouth. Breathe in, left hand pulls out reg, and hose away from my neck and drops usually. Right hand loops D2 around neck and into mouth. Change gas on computer. Then proceed with stowing D1 hose.

This whole process is actually quite smooth once you have done it a few times. To me it limits the complexity of switching to BG as an extra step, and your hose only dangles for a 1min or less. If you don't let go, then it doesn't dangle. But in open water this has been my preference.

 

[PfcAJ]

Just curious, those of you switching from deco to back-gas while stowing/preparing the next deco gas, are you switching your computer(s) back/forth as well? I didn't see that mentioned, so I don't know if it's assumed or if you're relying on a different method for tracking your deco obligation.

Nope.

 

[PfcAJ]

Interesting topic and I was always interested to see what others did in this case.

The way I was taught and also what makes sense to me is you go from deco to deco and only to BG for air breaks.

How I do this, is while on Deco 1 I run through Notox up until the Examine part tracing the route of the hose and showing my buddy that I am planning to move to the correct tank. After confirmation and correct depth I have the D2 reg in my right hand (coming from rich right side) and my left hand is on my D1 reg in my mouth. Breathe in, left hand pulls out reg, and hose away from my neck and drops usually. Right hand loops D2 around neck and into mouth. Change gas on computer. Then proceed with stowing D1 hose.

This whole process is actually quite smooth once you have done it a few times. To me it limits the complexity of switching to BG as an extra step, and your hose only dangles for a 1min or less. If you don't let go, then it doesn't dangle. But in open water this has been my preference.

What’s your strategy with 3 deco gases?

 

[Fires]

What’s your strategy with 3 deco gases?

I have not used 3 deco gases before, so can't really comment with proper knowledge. But I would assume the same switch process from 2-3. Only thing I can think of is that I would be storing 1 tank on my tail in between. So without having thought of this before, allow me to try think of it below

This obviously begs the question of two right side, or two left.......or one on tail and rest per usual.

Only example I can think of in my head would be a 5 cylinder dive e.g. 80-100m kind of area from what I know.

2 backgas/sidegas
1 travel
1 lean
1 rich

So you could do travel and lean left, which complicates switch 1 to 2 but eases 2 to 3 - Safer IMO.
Or you do travel and rich right (which I don't think I would do as there is more room for error with the rich gas) - Regardless of procedure, in my mind it seems more risky then option 1 even though in essence its similar to the other way round....Anwyays, so that would ease 1 - 2 and 2 - 3 as you could stash the travel behind after switching to lean deco on your left.

So... if you need your travel on the way down and on the way up, you could stash rich on your tail and travel on your right. Meaning you come back on to the travel on your right on the way up, then lean deco left, while on lean deco, you exchange position of rich from tail to right and travel to tail and then later switch from lean deco left to rich right.

Alternatively if you don't need travel on the way up, then I would stash lean and travel left as once your are done with lean you could move it to your tail on the bottom portion of the dive and then you are set up correctly again.

You could also stash travel left and lean deco (richer than travel) and rich right. But that would mean you may want to move lean deco to left after stashing travel to tail. On sidemount this just becomes complicated. Backmount would be easier.

Anyways, thats all I can think of on a whim (and without having done this before or being trained for it), will mull it over.

What do you do with 3 deco gases?

 

[Fires]

You’re in a pickle if you lose your only deco gas. It’s not always about deco efficiency. It’s about options. And you don’t have many if you only have one gas.

There is no narcosis difference at 20’. It’s 20’…

Completely agree here. See lots of people pushing to do it on 1 deco gas. If its so close, rather take a second and have the added redundancy.

 

[PfcAJ]

I have not used 3 deco gases before, so can't really comment with proper knowledge. But I would assume the same switch process from 2-3. Only thing I can think of is that I would be storing 1 tank on my tail in between. So without having thought of this before, allow me to try think of it below

This obviously begs the question of two right side, or two left.......or one on tail and rest per usual.

Only example I can think of in my head would be a 5 cylinder dive e.g. 80-100m kind of area from what I know.

2 backgas/sidegas
1 travel
1 lean
1 rich

So you could do travel and lean left, which complicates switch 1 to 2 but eases 2 to 3 - Safer IMO.
Or you do travel and rich right (which I don't think I would do as there is more room for error with the rich gas) - Regardless of procedure, in my mind it seems more risky then option 1 even though in essence its similar to the other way round....Anwyays, so that would ease 1 - 2 and 2 - 3 as you could stash the travel behind after switching to lean deco on your left.

So... if you need your travel on the way down and on the way up, you could stash rich on your tail and travel on your right. Meaning you come back on to the travel on your right on the way up, then lean deco left, while on lean deco, you exchange position of rich from tail to right and travel to tail and then later switch from lean deco left to rich right.

Alternatively if you don't need travel on the way up, then I would stash lean and travel left as once your are done with lean you could move it to your tail on the bottom portion of the dive and then you are set up correctly again.

You could also stash travel left and lean deco (richer than travel) and rich right. But that would mean you may want to move lean deco to left after stashing travel to tail. On sidemount this just becomes complicated. Backmount would be easier.

Anyways, thats all I can think of on a whim (and without having done this before or being trained for it), will mull it over.

What do you do with 3 deco gases?

Nothing changes. Two on the left chest, 3rd on a leash.

Switch as normal every time with backgas between deco or stage bottles. When I need the 3rd bottle, it comes up, unneeded chest bottle(s) goes on the leash.

Simplicity. Stage, deco, 2 gases, 4 deco gases, whatever. It’s all the same.

 

[Fires]

Nothing changes. Two on the left chest, 3rd on a leash.

Switch as normal every time with backgas between deco or stage bottles. When I need the 3rd bottle, it comes up, unneeded chest bottle(s) goes on the leash.

Simplicity. Stage, deco, 2 gases, 4 deco gases, whatever. It’s all the same.

Yeah I know a few people who also do it this way, always on one side. Do you dive backmount only? Do you do the same for sidemount? Backmount I can understand but sidemount is quite comfy having 2 each side (as in 1 deco on each side + sidegas as I like to call it ) and it wouldn't make sense to sling 3 one 1 side and one on the right.