What equipment do i need for doubles

[Narced Out]

My instructor is going to teach me how to dive doubles next weekend. Im interested in buying all of my own gear to assemble the doubles. I have 2 aluminum 80 tanks. What manifolds do i need, which cylinder band and what kind of regulator, thanks.

 

[Gerbs]

Assembling doubles isn't rocket surgery.

Diving doubles... is not massively different from diving single tanks, but you have a few more options.

Usually, you have two independent regulators (usual for cold water diving - if you have an Octopus rig, get another 1st stage and move your main reg to that. Put inflator, SPG and Octo on your left tank, the other reg on your right tank. Google 'DIR Equipment configuration' for a common sensible set-up). The most common valve set-up is an isolator manifold, giving you a valve between tank 1 and regulator 1, a valve between regulator 2 and tank 2, as well as a valve between tank 1 and 2. The doubles course will probably cover why this arrangement is useful.

You will need to attach the doubles to your BCD somehow. Most common is steel bands bolted to a backplate and wing. Also possible is using soft cam-bands, but the bolted steel assembly is much more sturdy.

Your best bet is to wait until after the course (where your instructor will hopefully answer questions), and then check the usual suspects (LDS, web-shops, LeisurePro) for the parts that you have identified you need.

Hope this helps.

Gerbs - Doubles + BP/W pending, pre-buy research already done

 

[FireInMyBones]

You will need: a backplate, harness (how to set up a BP and harness), doubles wing, manifold, two bands, and two regulators (one with a long hose and inflator hose and the other with your short hose/ bungeed necklace and SPG). You may also need a V weight with your Al 80s.
There are many brands to choose from. For manifold, I like Halcyon; for bands: Highland; for regulators I use two Scubapro Mk25 G250v combos.
For how to set up check out this website.

 

[Ben_ca]

What's the hurry? Do you know how much a set of doubles cost?

 

[Narced Out]

yup ive done some reasearch, can be from 500-1000. No hurry but i enjoy spending more than a few minutes on a wreck at 95 feet when i paid 90 bucks for a 5 minute boat ride...

 

[Sas]

yup ive done some reasearch, can be from 500-1000. No hurry but i enjoy spending more than a few minutes on a wreck at 95 feet when i paid 90 bucks for a 5 minute boat ride...

My doubles setup cost ~$2700 new.
-100cf steel tanks x 2 $760
-regs x 2 $900
-bands + manifold $400
-BP/W + harness $314
-new hoses (primary, secondary, inflator, HP) $200
-SPG $90

You remove tanks, it's still $2000.

You should try a bunch of different doubles before you buy them. At 0-24 dives you won't have much idea about what is suitable for you. Borrow gear off friends, I did that for a while before I bought my twins.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

First question you gotta ask yourself is "why"?

Forget about cost for a moment ... diving doubles with little to no experience is a really nice way to bend the crap outta yourself out of sheer ignorance. Is your instructor going to teach you anything about how to stay out of decompression besides "monitor your computer"? You want to stay on the wreck for more than a few minutes ... OK, that's a nice goal. How deep are you going? How much time to you plan to stay there? What gas will you be breathing? And would you know what to do if you overstayed your welcome? It's easy to do when you double the gas you carry down there with you.

It ain't rocket surgery ... but I'm always a bit wary when someone with 0-24 dives starts talking about diving doubles. I'd counsel you to get a bit of experience on a singles rig first ... so you don't hurt yourself out of a false sense of security. Solidify the basics before you jump to the next level ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Ben_ca]

+ 1 What Bob said...

 

[vshearer]

PSI HP100's, Bands and Dive Rite Manifold $350 (used)
Dive Rite BP, Dive Rite Doubles Wing w/Harness plus Golem single wing and Salvo SR1 reg $275 (used)
Apeks TX50 $275 (new)
SPG $65 (new)

$965 Total

 

[boulderjohn]

yup ive done some reasearch, can be from 500-1000. No hurry but i enjoy spending more than a few minutes on a wreck at 95 feet when i paid 90 bucks for a 5 minute boat ride...

If that is really all you want, then all you need is a larger single tank. That will be a heck of a lot cheaper and will require no additional equipment.