Which configuration of gear do you dive 99% of the time?

[Eric Sedletzky]

I used to be into drysuits, doubles, long hose, etc.
I realized that the majority of my dives are in water 130 feet or less and I would say the average depth is in the 60 to 70 foot range. The only reason I ever need to go beyond 100 feet now is to check my anchor or to start the dive off at the base of a pinnacle. I rarely spend more than a few minutes deep because it tends to be barren and nothing to see.
I dive up on the Northern California coast where it is very cold and low vis.
My current configuration is a custom wetsuit, jet fins w/spring straps, a s/s freedom plate w/ oxycheq mach v wing, oxy harness and cam bands, scubapro MK20 with a glass and brass gauge, two 40" LP hoses with primary and bungeed second, both hoses run under my right arm. I gave up the long hose and went to two octopuss length hoses. I knoiw it's not DIR, but I'm not DIR so it doesn't matter. Low vol mask, snorkel on shore dives when it will involves a surface swim (more efficient for me to snokel over kelp on my belly. It keeps the tank valve out of the kelp and doesn't get caught up. Steel tanks - a 3442-120 and a 3442-100. I also have a gang of old steel 72's that I use as a backup or loaners.
Sometimes I leave the wing behind and practice BC-less diving. This is for hunting and generally on beach dives where there is a constant bottom and less than 50 feet. I think no BC diving is cool, but having a mach V 18 lb wing on actually is unnoticable to me. The no BC diving is training for Socal bug diving and vintage diving when I use a double hose regulator (which is also totally cool and a kick to use)

 

[it_mike]

Single OC until now...but that may change!

Just bought double 95s!

I'd love to dive CCR, but don't have the funds. Wife, kids...

 

[HowardE]

So far this year I have completed 128 dives.

I've done:

42 in Double 50's
15 in Double 85's
2 in Double 95's
1 in Double 72's
1 in Double 100's
1 in Double 120's
12 on Evolution CCR
26 on Single 120's
28 on Single 100's

22 of those dives were with Full Face Mask.

Needless to say... Diving for me is a "right tool for the job" situation. I'd have to say that in general, if I'm doing a fun dive, my first choice for an easy fun pretty reef dive would be a single 100. However, that's not always the case.

 

[drbill]

Didn't see an option for single tank with pony bottle... unless you consider that "double tank open circuit." I always dive with the same gear configuration unless I am traveling, but am looking forward to adding true doubles to my configuration options when I start doing some specific scientific research dives at deep sites in the next year.

 

[paddler3d]

I dive a HP130 or HP100 single tank config with SS back plate. On dives deeper than 50ish, or cold dives, or dives with someone I don't know, I dive a slung AL40. I dive a long hose for my primary and the secondary is bunged under my chin.

When money allows, I'm going to double up my 100's.

 

[ligersandtions]

100% of my dives thus far has been OC singles.

I suspect in the fairly near future, I will begin to dive doubles....but for the majority of my diving (shore diving socal), a single tank is more than enough gas - sometimes enough for two dives.

 

[mrsea718]

Current rig is an AL 80 with a bracket mount 40 pony. This is subject to change once I find a nice set of doubles and go the tech route.

 

[Rainer]

60% singles, 40% dubs.


All the best, James

About my exact breakdown as well. If I can do the dive safely (for me) in a single, I see no reason to do it in doubles, plus there are plenty of sites where doubles just aren't practical. Doubles are not complicated and I don't need to dive them all the time to keep skills fresh.

 

[Chugwhump]

Please share a bit about your current gear configuration and why it fits your diving style and needs, or are you in the 'process/ or /wish' of changing and to which differing configuration and why?

I dive single 130's, open circuit, a jacket style BC (I love pockets) with double tank bands (a must for beaching it), full foot fins with neoprene sockies/booties, a prescription mask, a long hose on my octo, and I WILL NOT dive without a snorkle.
I want to go to double 100's or something so I can stay down longer and go a little deeper(I have 5 regs) and a little farther, but am not sure how beach diving is going to work with that.
I really have no clue how to get started with doubles at this point, and I know that the dumbest thing to do is buy a set and go down to the beach and attempt to drown myself in 3'-4' of water on a calm day.
I guess it is time to start my research.
Chug
Addicted to smilies...for now...

 

[piikki]

I am interested in seeing where I am going. Last year I dove about 80-90% doubles, rest singles. Then I busted my back and now I dive three systems. Singles for regular dives while recouperating, sidemount to learn - but doubles on some dives where I am not yet comfy to dive SM but need the redundancy.

My buddy prefers the dives I do in SM - because I do not carry tanks yet I really like doubles but my back does not. I like SM but I am not fluent with that system yet, it makes some dives more of a hassle (boat/moving water).

Just last weekend I dove all 3 systems depending what dive I was doing, and I have to say I'd prefer cutting it down to two. Swapping on daily basis between different harness systems is probably the biggest nuisance - d-rings in slightly different places, clipclipclip, looking for something a little longer... little things like that when blasting down in the current reel happily unwinding