Your BC fails now what??

[Adobo]

Is there some reason why aluminum is prefered above steel when you start deco diving that I am not aware of? Coz I don't know of any such reason for dives to 100', so I'm concluding that your assertion has to have something to do with going into deco. :huh:

In fact I'm having my trusty 15L steel shipped from South Africa to the US for the very purpose of diving 100 ft+.

What Jeff said.

Edited to add some detail: To exceed deco limits at 100ft, you would need to plan for at least 90 cubic feet of gas (4ATA * .75 cu ft/min * 30mins) assuming you are diving 32%. Then you have to have gas for your descent, ascent and deco stops. And lthen there is reserve gas you keep in case your buddy has an OOG emergency.

I suppose you could do all of that with something like a steel 120 but I'd think that most folks would rather do it in doubles.

 

[SeanQ]

Swim up. Air is good. Loose weights if needed but shouldn't be. Likely to have to ditch weights at surface unless you arrive at boat.

Of course, if the above didn't work, jetison bc and swim to surface. DCI more treatable than drowning.

And jettison your only source of breathing gas aside from the surface?

 

[Melicertes]

What Jeff said.

Okay, fair point

 

[KMD]

In fact I'm having my trusty 15L steel shipped from South Africa to the US for the very purpose of diving 100 ft+.

I'm afraid we dont allow metric tanks in the U.S. You will have to use one that allows fills in Cuft.

 

[drew52]

Not sure about this aluminum thing either. Where I'm from we use double steel tanks for tech diving. The aluminum tanks are for the stage bottles. So not so obvious to me either.

 

[Melicertes]

I'm afraid we dont allow metric tanks in the U.S. You will have to use one that allows fills in Cuft.

I have screw-in adapter for the valve. :mooner:

 

[Melicertes]

Not sure about this aluminum thing either. Where I'm from we use double steel tanks for tech diving. The aluminum tanks are for the stage bottles. So not so obvious to me either.

Drew I think in SA we're used to using steels because the aluminium tanks do not seem to be all that common as they seem to be here in the US. The reasoning behind a "balanced rig" as Jeff put it seems quite straight and I have to say I learnt something once more on the board here today

 

[ams511]

OK. Real life example.

Properly weighted = no issues getting back to the surface. Master the basics...it makes most of these issues become annoyances rather than problems.

If you are on deco dive, carrying deco cylinders would you not be overweighted for most of the dive and need to use your bc? I am not trying to troll, but when I see photos of technical divers with doubles and several deco cylinders I cannot help to think they are overweighted. From my understanding (if wrong correct me), cave divers drop their gas in the cave while wreck divers carry the gas throughout the dive.

 

[JeffG]

If you are on deco dive, carrying deco cylinders would you not be overweighted for most of the dive and need to use your bc? I am not trying to troll, but when I see photos of technical divers with doubles and several deco cylinders I cannot help to think they are overweighted. From my understanding (if wrong correct me), cave divers drop their gas in the cave while wreck divers carry the gas throughout the dive.

With the right choice of deco tanks, the additional tanks do not add that much negative buoyancy to the entire system.

 

[drew52]

whats the link. I'm not finding what I'm supposed to when searching for balanced rig