AL40 for redundancy diving single tank on deeper dives.

[mainedvr]

In spite of what some are saying, I think adding some redundancy is a great idea. I agree that a buddy is a great option, but being able to sort out your own problems is the best solution by far.

There is no excuse to run out of air, and the odds of a serious regulator malfunction are minimal, but both still happen. The ONLY downside of slinging a 40 is cost, so if that isn't a factor, then go for it.

In terms of tips, the standard stage hit that you would get from Halcyon or Dive Rite is simple. Pay attention to the sizes of the bolt snaps and be sure that you can manage them with gloves. We mostly wear dry gloves here, so large bolt snaps are helpful.

I didn't notice if you wear a BP/w or a BCD, but obviously you will need a suitable attachment point on both your shoulder strap as well as your waist.

Yeah diving BP/W thanks for the feed back. And yes cost is alwasy a consideration but I am shopping around and have some extra first stages. I was supprised to see the cost of a complete AL40 set up with regs to be about 500 bucks which is actually not bad for regs stage kit, but I know that I can build them up for about half that .

 

[EricT78]

I will tell you a event that happened. My brother and I went diving off our boat when we got to the bottom the anchor was about ten feet from the bottom. I started swimming with the anchor in my hand toward the slopped bottom. I hit my brother in the face nocking his regulator out of his mouth and his mask filled with water We were 90 feet deep. We both had 13 cu.ft. Pony tanks he grabbed my bright yellow pony reg. Cleared his mask and we ascended to the surface with 500psi still in the pony. I think any open water no deco dive up to 100 feet a 13 cu.ft. Pony has plenty of air to make a safe ascent to the surface.

 

[The Chairman]

Dude, I'm glad I'm not your brother. I've never been hit in the face with an anchor, but it sounds gruesome.

 

[rx7diver]

I will tell you a event that happened. My brother and I went diving off our boat when we got to the bottom the anchor was about ten feet from the bottom. I started swimming with the anchor in my hand toward the slopped bottom. I hit my brother in the face nocking his regulator out of his mouth and his mask filled with water We were 90 feet deep. We both had 13 cu.ft. Pony tanks he grabbed my bright yellow pony reg. Cleared his mask and we ascended to the surface with 500psi still in the pony. I think any open water no deco dive up to 100 feet a 13 cu.ft. Pony has plenty of air to make a safe ascent to the surface.

EricT78,

You've posted in the "Advanced Diver" forum, but since you appear to be new to SB and a new diver, I'll risk belaboring: A second stage being knocked out of a diver's mouth should be a nonissue. The diver should instantaneously reach over his/her right shoulder with his right hand back to his first stage, locate his regulator hose, form an "O" with his fingers encircling this regulator hose, extend his arm to "find" his 2nd stage at the end of this hose, put this 2nd stage back into his mouth, purge, and continue diving.

This is basic. No octopus solution, no pony bottle solution, no buddy involvement/intervention required. This should be an automatic response—especially before undertaking "advanced" dives.

FWIW.

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

 

[The Chairman]

This is basic. No octopus solution, no pony bottle solution, no buddy involvement/intervention required.

Let me hit you in the face with an anchor and see how your training applies. Think about it. Training goes out the window when you have the crap knocked out of you... or you panic.

 

[rx7diver]

Let me hit you in the face with an anchor and see how your training applies. Think about it. Training goes out the window when you have the crap knocked out of you... or you panic.

NetDoc,

I didn't read that the diver used the anchor to knock his brother's regulator out of his brother's mouth. I think that is *your* interpretation of what EricT78 wrote.

However, I stand by what I wrote. I described a basic, fundamental, first response. Believe me, my basic underwater training involved a lot more than having my regulator knocked out of my mouth as I was swimming along.

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

 

[The Chairman]

I didn't read that the diver used the anchor to knock his brother's regulator out of his brother's mouth. I think that is *your* interpretation of what EricT78 wrote.

It doesn't matter if it was an anchor, a fist or a fin. Training can only take you so far. Once you introduce trauma your training often goes out the window. I guess it's easy to pass judgement on someone who's just been stunned by an impact, but that doesn't guarantee you won't do the very same thing if you happen to get popped in the mouth. It's what stunning does to a person.

Moreover, training is done in a safe environment. We're not allowed to blindside students by stealing their mask, fin or other such shenanigans. Not that I think that this makes a better diver. No one knows how they will react when hit with the unexpected. Unfortunately, training can give you a false sense of bravado, especially if you never have run into an out of the box problem. Training can only take you so far. Experience will take you a bit further. Dumb luck often runs out when you need it most. Know your limits. Dive within them. Take any precaution you can, including redundant air if you can. The more resources you have the more likely you'll be able to improvise, adapt and overcome.

 

[Stoo]

I don't entirely disagree with anchor-face-buddy in that 13 cf tank would likely be helpful in resolving most situations. I dove with one for years and apparently I'm still here.

Having said that, most of the time I was using that tank, microbubbles and safety stops hadn't been invented. The standard ascent rate was "don't pass your smallest bubbles".

The anchor-face episode apparently occurred right at the beginning of the dive and as a result, a direct ascent to the surface could be done and nasty repercussions were unlikely. But, let's say the excrement hit the oscillator after 20 minutes or so. And say that dive had been to 100' or 110'. Now hit that same buddy in the face with an anchor/fin/tuna, and follow the same exit plan. Now you likely have a severely bent diver and 50 psi left in that pony. It's still a better day than it might have been but it could have been even better with a 30 cf or 40 cf tank. The cost isn't much different, and it's not much more work to carry it. Nobody has ever come away from a dicey situation wishing that they had had LESS air.

As an aside, you really should get in the habit of making sure your anchor is stuck well. ;-)

None the less, a pony of any size is great, but a bit bigger is somethings better than a bit smaller IMHO.

 

[The Chairman]

The anchor-face episode apparently occurred right at the beginning of the dive and as a result, a direct ascent to the surface could be done

You're missing the point. With a pony/stage, he had more options to keep on breathing. If you take a hard hit to the face or noggin, you're going to have a hard time making sense of anything. There's simply no way to prepare for the resulting disorientation. The more second stages that are available means that the probability of finding one before you really start to panic is a lot higher. Think of it as a type of narcosis. You simply can't prepare for it.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

With a pony/stage, he had more options to keep on breathing. - The more second stages that are available means that the probability of finding one before you really start to panic is a lot higher.

And with more gear and more danglies come more chances of getting hung up on something... With safety comes a certain price as well... Nothing is free...
Train as if your life depends on it - because it does...