New to Doubles

[Chris H]

What do you need to get out of it for?  1 piece of webbing, $12.  One disco harness, a lot more than that.  I'm pretty sure that is bad disco.  ;D

Don't smack me with your split fins...those are disco too! :-*

[matt t.]

What do you need to get out of it for?  1 piece of webbing, $12.  One disco harness, a lot more than that.  I'm pretty sure that is bad disco.  ;D

Don't smack me with your split fins...those are disco too! :-*
[/quote]
You will need that quick release harness when that waterbed matress he's using for a wing gets away from him and rockets him to the surface faster than a speeding bullet.

[jmohns]

LOL Well I guess I have kicked over the bee hive here...... Well I have been using the wing for the last year with really good results. I understand the concern, but IMHO you can not rocket to the surface if you only add the needed air to make you neutral, and use proper and prompt corrections to your boyency. I have always been more concerned about my drysuit doing this than my BC. OH almost forgot, Always maintain your inflators to lessen the chance of a stuck valve. I also belive that if you are very familiar with your gear setup, and as Matt stated, buy your gear with an informed mind, you will be ok, and if something does go wrong, you might be better equipped to handle it. I remember being taught about a runaway BC in my open water class. Soooo, please keep up the discusion and the ideas, I am taking it all in and letting it settle in my head.

[divbum]

Forget the discussion we need to go diving.... the natives are getting restless

[matt t.]

We're all just having some fun. Unfortunately (this time) it started at your expense > and then shifted to Mini-me. Don't worry, in the next few days the focus will shift to somebody else  . Maybe even Wiscuba's newest re-breather pilot  .

[sum-yung guy]

G-fresh has a point....lets just go diving....

[Vtach]

The biggest factor in diving with doubles is experience.  You need to dive the shit out of them.  Spend your first dives properly weighting them and getting them trimmed out.  When you can hold an extended static horizontal stop at 20 feet without a large amount of gas in your wing, you have them pretty well dialed in. Then dive them shallow ALOT before heading deeper.  Dive them from shore on easy dives before diving off a boat.  Start learning about valve drills and practice reaching and manipulating all your valves, WITH A BUDDY of course.  You are on the right track for regs and setup and if you have questions, listen to people who have been diving with this setup and why they arrange things the way they do.  GUE/DIR is an excellent reference for basic equipment setup and there is tons of info online.  Don't be afraid to adopt the setup but stay away from the lemming mentality.  Learn and understand why your setup is the way it is and why it works best for your diving and team.  There is nothing worse than someone who regurgitates someone elses thoughts or ideas without fully understanding what they are talking about.  There is a lot of that on both sides of the DIR/Non DIR crowd.

I don't particularly care for the bungee wings for a different reason.  If you have any form of leak from the bladder or an inflator, you may have a difficult time keeping gas in the wing due to the bungee squeeze.  With a non bungee wing you position yourself to help retain gas in the wing despite a leak or failed inflator.  It may be a remote possibility but still possible.  Regardless, make sure to understand the strength's AND weakness' of your gear.

So yeah....I agree...I would much rather be out diving and talking smack rather than sitting behind a damn computer....

[jmohns]

Thank you todd, I appreciate your input, and I do understand the lemming issue, lol. I have been doing alot of homework on the DIR and the other standard listed at the top of this post. I see good and bad points to both. I do not wish to become a strict diver that bash's others for thinking on the run and trying alternative gear arrangements. Hell isn't that how we got to where we are today with diving? I value and thank each and every one of you for your input, humor, and to a point, bashing..... Sorry Matt, lol. I do feel better informed and, I as well am ready to go dive!!!!

Damn shame all of my stuff is at the LDS getting annual service. >

[oldtimer]

Damn shame all of my stuff is at the LDS getting annual service.

Now's a good a time as any.  Diving the heck out of it shallow is good advice.  The biggest change in bouyancy characteristics is in the first 33 feet.  I really enjoy my twin 72's.  The disc's in my back shy away from anything heavier. LOL  I'm doing some core and upper body stuff over the winter to help that situation.  If your doing doubles, you might want to consider that.  Walk before you run and be sure you have fun!

[matt t.]

Like I said earlier there was no bashing intended, just a humorous disection of your choice. It's pretty much what you will get on ANY board regarding that wing. If that's what you like, then that's what you like. Try other peoples stuff to see what feels different, better or worse, and make your changes then. I wouldn't expect you to spend a bunch of $$$ on my or anyone else's recommendations with out trying the stuff out first. Starting out with a smaller set of doubles isn't a bad way to get into it either if you can borrow a set. If you already have some aluminum 80's you may want to buy a set of used bands and assemble them with the same manifold that you will have on the big steel tanks just to start out and get used to things. I started with 100's, then 130's, then 72's then more 130's, then a set of 45's. Currently I have 45's, 72's, 130's, and a broken down set of single 130's. The single 130's are my favorites at this point, and are more than sufficient for most of the diving we do.