Why use aluminum doubles for ocean diving???

[WreckWriter]

WYDT once bubbled...
One way to get stages on/off without having to carry them above water is to hand them off once in the water or clip them to a line attached to the side of the boat. This would depend on seas and current but that's the way I'd do it! Especially coming out of the water you don't want to be working too hard.

I thought of that too but was trying to be situational in that we're talking specifically about the Doria and it seems that the exit point on the boats that run there (based on pics I've seen) is at the side and is a fair drop down to the water. I was thinking that the hand me my stuff arrangement might not work well.

Tom

 

[O-ring]

Knowing what we know about deep ocean diving, I can't imagine myself leaving my deco gas outside the Doria. If I get lost and come out another entrance and the clock is up, I gotta get going. Are people still leaving gas outside the wreck?

 

[WreckWriter]

O-ring once bubbled...
Are people still leaving gas outside the wreck?

I'm sure that they are.

WW

 

[WYDT]

O-ring once bubbled...
Knowing what we know about deep ocean diving, I can't imagine myself leaving my deco gas outside the Doria. If I get lost and come out another entrance and the clock is up, I gotta get going. Are people still leaving gas outside the wreck?

How do you "get lost"??

If you're running a line inside the ship and coming out on that line then I see no problem with it. The stages would be clipped to the line you run and you come back out on that line. Unless the passage collapses no problem. It's the same as a cave dive in that case. I certainly wouldn't leave my line and look for another way out deep inside the doria.

If you're doing it the way a lot of those guys up there do it and clipping it to the upline then NO that would be bad.

 

[WYDT]

WreckWriter once bubbled...


I thought of that too but was trying to be situational in that we're talking specifically about the Doria and it seems that the exit point on the boats that run there (based on pics I've seen) is at the side and is a fair drop down to the water. I was thinking that the hand me my stuff arrangement might not work well.

Tom

It works quite well in NC where I've dove. They have a line to lower down tanks, cameras, etc. Clip tank to loop in line and lower away.

The drop in that case was 6-8ft.

 

[MHK]

WreckWriter once bubbled...


So you're wearing 3 aluminum 80s and double 104s on your back throughout each dive? That seems an awful lot of bottles for a 200' dive.

I'm not a very big guy, I seriously doubt that I could stand up with that load. Could probably swim it but I don't know how effectively. I simply don't have training or experience carrying multiple stage rigged 80s.

How do you rig the bottles for this? Surely not a standard stage rig? Doesn't seem there would be room on one's left side for 3 80s. I've seen one 80 and 2 40s slung and that appeared a major PITA.

Personally for this dive I would try to bring 2 sets of 104s mixed rich (topping off to get 2, possibly 3 dives off each with 30 min BT), and 2 each of 50% and 100% in 40s along with an 80 of 100% for deco bottle top-offs. This would, of course, depend on the boat letting me bring all that but I don't think it would take up any more space than what you had (at least not much).

Do you feel that my method would not be adaquate and/or safe?

Thanks for your time, I really hope you'll answer.

WW

We do in fact have 3 bottles clipped off us as we descend. The entrance to Gimbels Hole is at 180' where we drop our bottles. We then tie off, using a continuos guideline, as we penetrate, Upon exiting we pick up our bottles and ascend. I haven't scootered the Doria so it's all swim diving. A couple of my friends are going again this year so I'm considering doing it again, but for me it's kinda played out but if I go this year I'll probably scooter.

I have no problem with how you are proposing the dive, it's somehwat based upon how much space you have on the deck, how many passengers, what limitations the skipper has and so on. Part of the reason we approached the dive differently last time was because it was more efficient above, and below water, to just use AL 80's rather then dealing with 3 sets of doubles. But a set of doubles and 40's for deco is also fine. In fact the first couple of times I dove the Doria that is how I did it..

Hope that helps

 

[MHK]

O-ring once bubbled...
Knowing what we know about deep ocean diving, I can't imagine myself leaving my deco gas outside the Doria. If I get lost and come out another entrance and the clock is up, I gotta get going. Are people still leaving gas outside the wreck?

The only realy entrance and exit point is Gimbels hole so it's pretty hard to get lost from your bottles because if you make it out of the wreck, your bottles are right there. Now getting lost inside the wreck, well that's a hole seperate story ;-)

I did hear that over the last winter that the Promenade deck collapsed so there may now be different exit points, but for the most part the penetration starts at Gimbels hole, and given the amount of entanglement hazards and the potential for silt outs, bringing in your deco bottles isn't such a great idea..

Later

 

[O-ring]

MHK once bubbled...


The only realy entrance and exit point is Gimbels hole so it's pretty hard to get lost from your bottles because if you make it out of the wreck, your bottles are right there. Now getting lost inside the wreck, well that's a hole seperate story ;-)

I did hear that over the last winter that the Promenade deck collapsed so there may now be different exit points, but for the most part the penetration starts at Gimbels hole, and given the amount of entanglement hazards and the potential for silt outs, bringing in your deco bottles isn't such a great idea..

Later

Thanks, MHK...now it makes a lot more sense. Are you dropping all your bottles at Gimbel's Hole or carrying one stage you are breathing (plus your backgas of course) into the wreck and just leaving deco gas outside?

 

[WYDT]

MHK once bubbled...


The only realy entrance and exit point is Gimbels hole so it's pretty hard to get lost from your bottles because if you make it out of the wreck, your bottles are right there. Now getting lost inside the wreck, well that's a hole seperate story ;-)

I did hear that over the last winter that the Promenade deck collapsed so there may now be different exit points, but for the most part the penetration starts at Gimbels hole, and given the amount of entanglement hazards and the potential for silt outs, bringing in your deco bottles isn't such a great idea..

Later

Hi Mike,

How did you get those stages in the water? Were they lowered down to you or...

Thanks!

 

[MHK]

Munin once bubbled...
MHK,

What is your preference for an ordinary, single dive with no logistical problems (eg remote location) where you could choose between 104s and an 80 stage? Which one is DIR? Why?

Logistical issues aside I would just use a set of 104's in the open ocean.

Generally speaking the volume of 104's is sufficient for any dive.. Normally I like to limit total run time to no more then 90 minutes in the open ocean so the volume of 104's meets the needs.. It's unlikely that I would need to stage a dive and not exceed 90 minutes so why add teh extra drag of a stage bottle??

Especially on the Doria no more then 90 minutes. The conditions change from dive to dive and then even on the dive. I remember about 4 years ago as we descended it was a picture perfect dive, no swells, no currents and about 60' vis. By the end of teh dive we were in 6' swells, a 2 knot current and no vis, if you get blown off the line in those conditions you're in big trouble.. So for that reason no more then 90 minutes..

Hope that helps.