Reactions to Tech Gear

[ermaclob]

So i tend to find my self diving doubles pretty much off every boat dive i do and on some occasions sidemount just for fun or to keep practice. I live in Miami FL where there is a high level of vacation divers and i very frequently get funny/odd comments or looks from people about the gear i use. The "You must really eat up alot of air" comment always puts a smirk on my face. As well as when i get paired with a buddy that gets confused about my set up. I tend to find my self answering alot of questions some times.


So i was wondering, to all you guys that dive with twins or other tech set up frequently around OW divers. What are some things that have happened to you that you think is funny or interesting, comments etc.

Also would love to know what some OW divers here on the board think when some random guy is jumping in to a 30 ft reef dive with tech equipment.

 

[shoredivr]

Up here in the Great Lakes doubles are common, and sidemount increasingly so. Not much gets said.

---------- Post added April 7th, 2015 at 08:24 PM ----------

Some people here dive doubles or SM for redundancy, and are OW divers making OW dives.

 

[Doc Harry]

So i was wondering, to all you guys that dive with twins or other tech set up frequently around OW divers. What are some things that have happened to you that you think is funny or interesting, comments etc.

Um.... Who cares what they think?

 

[boulderjohn]

The only issues I have ever had were when I was doing recreational dives while wearing doubles and carrying decompression bottles. I was doing it for the skills practice while getting certified for trimx diving. I had to explain to my instabuddies on deep dives that they did not have to be alarmed if they saw me turning my valves on and off or switching back and forth between regulators. I was just practicing. Once they understood that, they were fine with it. On the occasions that I have just plain dived doubles, I haven't gotten much of a reaction at all.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

I have had some people say I look like a ninja astronaut. I take it as a compliment.

 

[ermaclob]

Um.... Who cares what they think?

no one really, though i love stories. like that one time that..... guy.....um... with the hamster... and uh.. the scuba tanks..... err...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Had a guy chase me across the parking lot once while I was walking to the water in my sidemount rig. When he caught up with me he asked me "Aren't you going to bring your tanks?" I explained to him that they were already in the water, and that I'd be putting them on when I got down there. Appparently he'd never heard of sidemount before.

The most common reaction I get is when I come out. I usually just pull off my fins and walk back to the car with my tanks still clipped in place. Inevitably I get curious onlookers wanting to stop and ask me questions about the gear. I have to tell them I'd be happy to talk to them, but I'm carrying 150 pounds of gear ... let me go drop it at the car and I'll answer all your questions.

Then there are those who just HAVE to "help" by reaching over and unclipping things ... unasked. Usually a simple,"thanks, but I'd really rather do it myself" will suffice. Every once in a while I practically have to slap their hands away to get them to stop being "helpful".

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[rhwestfall]

Once I got my buddy used to it (he actually transitioned to it), all went well. As long as there are two of us, the others seem to not be in fear..... Though they usually won't make sustained eye contact..

 

[bumcikaz]

I always dive with my doubles here in MD and its not uncommon, when i travel to fl i bring my gear also, i get a curious looks every now and then..
When i dove vandenburg in key west, dm that was in the water following me around kept asking me how much air i got left, on the 6th time i had to point in to my doubles to explain that i got way more air than she did in her al80
I guess some people do think that you're an air hog if you dive doubles

 

[Mustard Dave]

Over here, twinsets are quite common, and nobody bats an eyelid. Before I got my rebreather, I would use them for most dives. Even if you are not going into deco, they are a fantastic tool. Over here, vis can be poor and water can be cold, so the increased risk of freeflows and buddy separation means a redundant gas supply is wise.

On a boat, they are great. Most UK dive boats have a diver lift, so getting out of the water isn't a big deal. Once you are on the boat, they are easy to handle. In a typical day-boat scenario, a single cylinder diver will carry his kit on and begin setting it up. The second cylinder will go in a pile somewhere. After the first dive, there follows a period of faffing about, where divers fall over each other as they try to swap cylinders.

With twins, the cylinders are already mounted on the harness, so you simply walk on the boat with then in your back. You use half the gas on your first dive, and then enjoy a steaming hot cup of tea as you watch your mates falling over each other. When the time comes to do the second dive, you just slip them back on and use the rest of your gas. There are times though, such as RHIB diving, or shore diving when they can be a pain though.

If I'm diving open circuit (usually only when shore diving these days), I use the same backplate and one piece harness I used with my twins. I just use a smaller wing and a single tank adapter. I still route the hoses the same (with a hog-looped long hose), albeit coming off a single first stage.

I know some people who have two sets of kit for technical and recreational diving, which I find puzzling. Technical divers do not deliberately use complex equipment; they use equipment that is no-nonsense, comfortable, uncluttered and lends itself well to the job in hand. This is beneficial in all diving scenarios, so I choose the equipment that works best.