Monterey/North Coast Equipment Dream List

[Vegan Shark]

Yeah, if you have a working BC no need to spend money on a BPW just because it's what the cool kids use. I personally wouldn't use a BPW with my single-tank wetsuit diving because I need the pockets on my BC for car keys (electronic keys inside GoPro camera housing).

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

The key thing about the long hose in Monterey is that when you have to donate, it's a lot easier to work side-by-side. I've had to donate three times. The first time was on a standard octo, the second two times on long hose. Long hose was much easier. BTW, all three recipients had an instructor's ticket. None was actually OUT of gas, but all three were marginal at best to make it to the surface and I had plenty of gas.

 

[UWPhotoKeith]

After many years with a ScubaPro jacket BC set up I switched to the BP Wing and prefer it to my old setup.

1. More streamlined. I spent some time researching what wing I needed for single tank diving and ended up with the smallest wind DR makes. I recommend which ever route you go, do some calcs and buoyancy tests to get your rig dialed in without being over weighted.
2. Increase Freedom of movement - as a photographer, my front side is less bulky = more room for my grande camera housing.
3. More balanced rig - The combo of a steel tank and backplate, lets me carry less weight on my hips.
4. I'm torn about the necklace reg and long hose set up. I know it works and makes sense and I am heading that way but I still like keeping the number of hoses to a minimum and have always used the integrated BC inflator/reg set up. I currently have an Attomic SS1. I recognize that when I practice with this as my safe second, it is not as comfortable and is not as easy to deploy as a necklace reg set up. I have never had to share air but then again I have a fraction the number of dives Chuck has but clearly the more you dive, the odds go up that sooner or later you will need to share gas.
5. Did I mention streamlined? Yes this is a big reason I switched to BP Wing setup.
6. Downside that I have noticed to all this is on the surface I don't float as high and not as upright as I did with the jacket BC. But I hate surface swimming anyway so I avoid doing that at all costs.


Good luck with your quest! This is just what works for me and the type of diving I do....you millage may very...

 

[blewgrass]

Thanks for entertaining the discussion. I'm learning a lot just by reading all the experience here.

Keith... you're my neighbor... you are WAY more experienced than me but maybe you would entertain being a dive mentor/buddy for me sometime. I will sponsor the boat ride/gas/lunch in exchange for diving with experienced divers... and that offer is good for anyone here. I learned about low tides and boat launching at Lobos with the 13 whaler where me and a buddy had to almost "lift" the boat on the trailer during a very low tide! Good news is the boat is light and it ended up pretty easy...!

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

The key thing about the long hose in Monterey is that when you have to donate, it's a lot easier to work side-by-side. I've had to donate three times. The first time was on a standard octo, the second two times on long hose. Long hose was much easier. BTW, all three recipients had an instructor's ticket. None was actually OUT of gas, but all three were marginal at best to make it to the surface and I had plenty of gas.

Wow! an air share three times, you need to pick your dive buddies better. As far as I'm concerned anybody who dives sloppy enough to either not take care of their equipment to the point it fails or not monitor air supply needs to go back to diving school.
My thinking is that the configuration needs to work for me not somebody who doesn't pay attention and runs out of air, and long hoses don't work for me.

 

[UWPhotoKeith]

Thanks for entertaining the discussion. I'm learning a lot just by reading all the experience here.

Keith... you're my neighbor... you are WAY more experienced than me but maybe you would entertain being a dive mentor/buddy for me sometime. I will sponsor the boat ride/gas/lunch in exchange for diving with experienced divers... and that offer is good for anyone here. I learned about low tides and boat launching at Lobos with the 13 whaler where me and a buddy had to almost "lift" the boat on the trailer during a very low tide! Good news is the boat is light and it ended up pretty easy...!

Very nice! I mostly dive during the week but can occasionally get out on weekends. I'll PM you and can chat....

 

[blewgrass]

Boat (most expensive piece of gear is a Boston Whaler, but you already have two. ;-)

Chuck

Very true! The 13 footer was spur of the moment impulse that I couldn't pass up it was so cheap...practically a giveaway - the engine was twice the cost of the boat and trailer!

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Wow! an air share three times, you need to pick your dive buddies better. As far as I'm concerned anybody who dives sloppy enough to either not take care of their equipment to the point it fails or not monitor air supply needs to go back to diving school.
My thinking is that the configuration needs to work for me not somebody who doesn't pay attention and runs out of air, and long hoses don't work for me.

That was over 2300 dives, and as I said, all three had an instructor's ticket, so should have been OK.

The long hose works for the donor in at least a couple of ways. 1) the air share is easier and much less likely to to turn into a Charlie Foxtrot. 2) you can take your tank off when you surface and keep the reg in your mouth.

Chuck

 

[UWPhotoKeith]

Wow! an air share three times, you need to pick your dive buddies better. As far as I'm concerned anybody who dives sloppy enough to either not take care of their equipment to the point it fails or not monitor air supply needs to go back to diving school.
My thinking is that the configuration needs to work for me not somebody who doesn't pay attention and runs out of air, and long hoses don't work for me.

I have been on charter trips where I don't have the opportunity to vet each person I dive with, I'd rather be prepared to share air than just say "too bad you have bad air management skills or lack of equipment maintenance skills....you drown...your loss." I'm not willing to be judge and jury underwater, if I can help, I will. This just works for me....

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I have been on charter trips where I don't have the opportunity to vet each person I dive with, I'd rather be prepared to share air than just say "too bad you have bad air management skills or lack of equipment maintenance skills....you drown...your loss." I'm not willing to be judge and jury underwater, if I can help, I will. This just works for me....

Well of course so will I, I'm not a monster.
However, I personally don't see the value of using a 5'or 7' long hose in Norcal waters, especially in kelp and on shore dives. I don't think the long hose configuration is the end all in hose configurations.
I use a regular octo length alternate, and if I'm in a situation like you describe (on a boat with an insta buddy I don't know) I'm sure as hell not going to trust them with a long hose, they could do all sorts of goofy stuff with that much leeway like try to bolt to the surface. In that situation I personally would be hanging on to them face to face making full eye contact the whole time and controlling the ascent. A 40" hose is the proper solution for this - a shorter leash.

So to answer your comment, I do have an alternate but it's an alternate that works for me, and if I'm going to share with an OOA diver they are going to share my air ON MY TERMS. They don't just get to do what they want, they came to me with a problem, and it's MY training that's going to get them to the surface.
And if someone doesn't like my 40" octo length hose then they need to find another buddy.

On the other hand, if you are diving with a known buddy that uses a long hose or another long hose trained insta buddy like a DIR type then knock your self out.