Why Steel Doubles?

[ScubaInChicago]

You know: he's right! :homealone: I have often been seen diving Florida caves with double steel 95s in only my bathing suit and a t-shirt! Exposure protection is for wimps!!!

FWIW, the reports of a Manatee more than 100 ft back in a cave are cases of mistaken identity.

Adding fuel to fire...I like it....

 

[ScubaInChicago]

All right -- come on, now.

Those of us who are in possession of this information really ought to be tactful and pleasant in disseminating it, because people are far less likely to listen to what we have to say if we are sarcastic, dismissive or insulting in passing it along.

Some of us are very sincere and want to be helpful about the information we attempt to disseminate amongst the crowd. Inevitably people take it as a personal attack.

"Religion would be an easier subject to sell then common sense when it comes to most of these threads."

 

[ScubaInChicago]

Isn't sarcasm so much more fun though? It is only the internet afterall? I would think the goofy pictures, capitalization of the word DIE, multiple exclamation points, etc would give it away? I guess not...

If you can't beat em, join em...I just thought people making silly comments wanted to hear more of the same....

 

[HowardE]

All right -- come on, now.

Big steel doubles in a thin wetsuit open one to the risk of not being able to swim the rig up in the event of a complete wing failure (which is, thank goodness, an uncommon event, but not unheard of). Deep diving in a bunch of thick neoprene opens one to the same risk, since the wetsuit will lose most of its buoyancy at depth. Diving steel doubles with thick neoprene is a particularly bad combination. But all of these setups can be and are dived by people who are willing to take the risk of a complete buoyancy failure at depth. Whether they are taking that risk knowingly, or out of ignorance, is the question. But once they are encouraged to consider the possibilities, it's their choice.

Those of us who are in possession of this information really ought to be tactful and pleasant in disseminating it, because people are far less likely to listen to what we have to say if we are sarcastic, dismissive or insulting in passing it along.

This is one of the reasons why decompression (aka Technical) training includes carrying a lift bag with at least 50 Lbs of lift. This would be a redundant buoyancy device.

Me personally... I carry a #60 lift bag, and a #35 Carter SMB/Lift Bag on any deep/tech dive.

IMO - The rhetoric that you must dive Aluminum Tanks in a wetsuit is just that... Some agency rhetoric.

 

[The Chairman]

I'm going to become a mortician so I can profit on all these dead divers that should be hitting the market soon.

Dude,

soon? People have been diving steels, even doubles with only wetsuits for YEARS. I am only familiar with ONE death due to catastrophic wing failure, and that guy repaired his split wing with aquaseal. This is a solution in search of a problem.

As Howie pointed out, there are alternative redundancies, such as lift bags and sausages. I almost always carry two in the ocean, and one in the caves. You have to think outside of the BC from time to time.

However, I would suggest that we all dive within our comfort zone. If you suffer from steeltankaphobia, by all means DON'T dive 'em.

 

[ianr33]

As Howie pointed out, there are alternative redundancies, such as lift bags and sausages. I almost always carry two in the ocean, and one in the caves.

You carry a lift bag in a cave?

Those of us who are in possession of this information really ought to be tactful and pleasant in disseminating it, because people are far less likely to listen to what we have to say if we are sarcastic, dismissive or insulting in passing it along.

Totally agree. Lots more tactful advice to be found here
http://www.aquanaut.com/bin/mlist/aquanaut/techdiver/from?irvine

 

[The Chairman]

You carry a lift bag in a cave?

I do. Especially if I am not wearing a dry suit.

 

[scubafanatic]

You should not be diving steel doubles with a wetsuit. If you want to dive a wetsuit you should stick to double AL80's.

....what if one uses one of those dual-bladder wing thingies with a wetsuit?

 

[ianr33]

I do. Especially if I am not wearing a dry suit.

How does it work in low silty bedding planes?

 

[StreetDoctor]

....what if one uses one of those dual-bladder wing thingies with a wetsuit?

I'm not a fan but I'm sure some people here will tell you they're the best thing since sliced bread.