Proper Stage Usage

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voidware

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Scuba Instructor
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Chapel Hill, NC
What is the proper procedure for using stages? Should one breathe off the stage first so that ample back gas remains in the event of an emergency (makes the most sense to me)? or Should stage bottles be, uh, "staged" for the end of the dive so that additional bouancy is available in the the event of an emergency (empty back tanks)?

What about caves or wrecks? Should bottles be used on penetration and exit, just exit, or just penitration? All three seem to have their own advantages and disadvantages, so I am sure they have their specific purpose.

brandon
 
from your question you obviously know the difference between stages and deco bottles (the terms are usually used interchangably).

Using the term correctly, the answer is that you breath your stages first, saving your back gas. In an emergency you can ditch the stage(s), can't easily ditch back gas even if used up.

In caves stages are "staged", on wrecks everything is carried except in specific situations where one might dump stages and/or decos at a penetration point (you MUST come out at this point).

Tom
 
here is a suggestion.

when calculating your gas requirements use your back gas as the 1/3 for emergencies.

and use your satged bottles as 50% in and 50% out.

so if you are carring dble 80's then you would have 160 cu/ft of reserve gas. this would then allow for four staged bottles of 80 cu/ft each. or 320 cu/ft of gas.

on the way in you breath 40 cu/ft from each tank [your are carring on your back enough gas to get out nwithout using any of the stage bottles.

you then breath the other half of each bottle on the way out, as you consume each bottle and get closer to the entrance your reserve % is acualy increased. because you have not used any of the gas on your back.

so your penetration would be based on how far you can travel in one direction on 160 cu/ft of gas.

keeping in mind we are not discussing any decompression here, and this is just my aproach to your question. I am sure those who do this type of diving a lot have a procedure for this type of diving.
 
It is highly recommended that you take some form of class regarding staging, as opinions vary.
 
Divesherpa once bubbled...
It is highly recommended that you take some form of class regarding staging, as opinions vary.


this is the only accurate statement in this thread
 
Not that I would be attempting staged dives any time soon, for one I am a student and must scrape together cash to fill my tanks (not to mention tech charters, training, and gear). I just wanted to hear some specific opinions. Tanks for the info guys.

brandon
 
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