Where to go to learn how to dive doubles?

[kidsdream]

Based on your questions and comments (and dive profile), I am not sure that a 130 single is a great option. With a single 130 you will most likely be running out of Deco time time before you run out of gas even on the deeper recreational dives in the Keys (<130). A single HP 100 would be nice option and it offers the great potential to double up later if you decided to go that way.

A single 130 (or any any single for that matter) only gives you some level redundancy if you go with an H-valve and second reg set-up. For most of my Keys diving I use a 100 and pony/bail-out. I dive doubles mainly in the cold waters of the Great Lakes. The 130 is one of the tanks of choice for my spearfishing buddies who burn air trying to get the big ones.

Also before you take the Fundies or equivalent class, I would suggest you get in a minimum of 10 dives with what ever rig you are going to use to gain at least some level of familiarity and get you basic trim/weighting set. You will be wasting a lot of your time (and your buddies if you go in without some prior practice - IMHO.

still looking into the intro and GUE.... since I would normally for now use the 130 for the warm waters of the to keys I don't have a wetsuit, however looking into a possible purchase of a new wet suit maby 5mm for the cavern/intro to cave course at ginnie/devils I am looking into takeing with my dad.

 

[Doc Harry]

Hate to break it to you, but part of the class is doing exactly that. Along with manually inflating your BC at the surface, then inflating a lift bag at the surface.

I must have missed that part in my training. Exactly how do you manually inflate your BC when it has failed?????

 

[Mike Edmonston]

I must have missed that part in my training. Exactly how do you manually inflate your BC when it has failed?????

It's not necssarely the bladder that fails. You can get a freeflowing inflator that forces you to remove the LP hose. Maybe that post was isolated due to an extruded tank O-ring, and you are diving wet. Now you have no inflator other than manually inflating your wing. There are more, but you get the point.

Yes, you missed that part of your training.

Safe Diving

 

[ucfdiver]

It's not necssarely the bladder that fails. You can get a freeflowing inflator that forces you to remove the LP hose. Maybe that post was isolated due to an extruded tank O-ring, and you are diving wet. Now you have no inflator other than manually inflating your wing. There are more, but you get the point.

Yes, you missed that part of your training.

Safe Diving

Mike, I'm new to this as you know, but from what I've been taught in my training, this is a problem best fixed on the surface (by using a drysuit, redundant bladder, lighter tanks, or just not diving), as other than a complete loss of gas (which if this happens, it's just my day to go), or two non fixable post failures, I would never be without a source of bouyancy. Did I miss something somewhere along the line?

 

[Mike Edmonston]

Mike, I'm new to this as you know, but from my training, this is a problem best fixed on the surface, as other than a complete loss of gas (which if this happens, it's just my day to go), or two non fixable post failures, I would never be without a source of bouyancy. Am I missing something?

I don't think you're missing anything. I may have not phrased it well enough.

1. Not all problems occur on the surface. A runaway inflator can happen at depth, and especially in colder waters (freezup). Removing the inflator hose, and manually contolling your buyoyancy is something you should practice and be familiar with as overheads (Wreck / Cave / Deco) may prevent you from making an immediate ascent to the surface. Once on the surface, you need to be able to manually inflate your wing.

2. If you're diving wet, and your right post has a freeflow issue, you lose the ability to inflate your wing, therefore we are back at the manual inflation method.

I would hope that most problems would occur at the surface so that they could be dealt with there, but Murphy's law always screws that up...

Hope that clears it up.

Safe Diving

 

[TSandM]

I did a long exit from a cave (including towing an "unconscious" diver) using oral inflation, because Danny had failed my right post. I think he wanted to make a point about cave diving in a wetsuit

 

[rjack321]

I did a long exit from a cave (including towing an "unconscious" diver) using oral inflation, because Danny had failed my right post. I think he wanted to make a point about cave diving in a wetsuit

At least you didn't have to drag an OOA and NOT orally inflating Danny out.

 

[Gombessa]

At least you didn't have to drag an OOA and NOT orally inflating Danny out.

I am SO not sure how that's meant to be read!

 

[rjack321]

I am SO not sure how that's meant to be read!

Lol, for a little twerp Danny can be surprisingly difficult to move.

 

[String]

Even with a bladder failure in most cases its possible to orientate your body so it keeps air. Absolutely catastrophic failures that leave the wing totally empty are exceedingly rare. I've never heard of it.