Steel Stage Bottle for Sidemount?

[rjack321]

There is no reason to dive stages at the intro level. Want to go modestly further on your 1/6ths? Go up a size in backgas from the 85s to 95s or 108s. Even if you did have an AL80 to use as a stage bottle, bringing along stuff you haven't been trained to actually use (especially in a cave) is either going to damage the cave or get yourself killed (which gets caves closed and/or damages them trying to get your body out)

This is a huge no.

 

[PfcAJ]

Keep your intro dives simple.

you are a new cave diver. Do not complicate your situation by getting cute with math and extra tanks.

Learn your skills, get good, take full cave, get gooder, then (and only then) add complexity when needed to go see stuff you can’t see with a simpler plan.

 

[AhoyFed]

Related but also not related, I’ve heard steel 72s make excellent tanks for sidemount? Because they are neutrally buoyant when empty and about 5lbs negative when full. Just what I’ve heard not my experience correct me if I’m wrong.

I’m not a tech diver so I should keep my mouth shut, but perhaps you could reach out to another techie and practice stage bottle dives in OW before progressing to cave?

AhoyFed

 

[tbone1004]

Related but also not related, I’ve heard steel 72s make excellent tanks for sidemount? Because they are neutrally buoyant when empty and about 5lbs negative when full. Just what I’ve heard not my experience correct me if I’m wrong.

I’m not a tech diver so I should keep my mouth shut, but perhaps you could reach out to another techie and practice stage bottle dives in OW before progressing to cave?

AhoyFed

we don't use 72's as stage bottles either. Floaty is good for stages, neutral and negative is bad

 

[kensuf]

Stages are beyond intro certification, period. If you need some assistance and guidance on why this is the case, feel free to PM me.

 

[kensuf]

Keep your intro dives simple.

you are a new cave diver. Do not complicate your situation by getting cute with math and extra tanks.

Learn your skills, get good, take full cave, get gooder, then (and only then) add complexity when needed to go see stuff you can’t see with a simpler plan.

"Get Gooder" -- lots of wisdom here, seriously. Last Wednesday night I had a 70 minute bottom time at Ginnie on just a set of double 104s and I got out of the water with 2200 PSI in them (started with 3600).

As an intro diver you need to be learning and mastering the basics of running a reel, becoming an expert in your buoyancy and trim, developing your awareness which will help you be efficient with your gas by reading the cave and working smarter not harder.

Cave diving is 75% between your ears.

 

[PfcAJ]

"Get Gooder" -- lots of wisdom here, seriously. Last Wednesday night I had a 70 minute bottom time at Ginnie on just a set of double 104s and I got out of the water with 2200 PSI in them (started with 3600).

As an intro diver you need to be learning and mastering the basics of running a reel, becoming an expert in your buoyancy and trim, developing your awareness which will help you be efficient with your gas by reading the cave and working smarter not harder.

Cave diving is 75% between your ears.

plot twist: you sat at 20’ for an hour.

 

[kensuf]

plot twist: you sat at 20’ for an hour.

Hah, that was two weeks ago and only because I didn't think the dive would be that long and left the oxygen at home.

 

[halocline]

Seems you didn't read or understand what I posted. I wouldn't be getting further with the stage, simply would be saving myself tank refills. But the point is moot, not gonna push limits.

You understand that on 6ths you can get two dives out of a set of tanks, right? The 6ths limit is there not for gas planning, but to limit the amount of penetration. So as an example, with 2 AL80s the first dive you penetrate to 2500, exit with 2000. 2nd dive penetrate to 1500, exit with 1000. We did this routinely in my intro class.

You seem to be trying to solve a very minor issue (trying to save a little money on fills) by adding a significant amount of complexity (another tank) to your intro dives. This is not a good idea IMO.

 

[Dominick Gheesling]

Not to drag this out but oh well...

I just don't understand how this equates to any savings on fills.

If you're diving 1/6 either way the volume of gas remains the same.

And just to be clear, I completely can identify with, understand, and have both generated and embraced several incredibly complex methods in attempts to improve upon simple, proven methods.