Tec Equipment

[stoiclown]

I am a newer scuba diver with 24 Dives under my belt, with my ultimate goal down the road of becoming a tech diver, Maybr even someday an instructor. I've taken the advanced course (I realize this doesn't mean I'm an expert), & the EFR class, & I am currently working on my Rescue Diver, Nitrox, & Dry Suit Courses. Just to give a little background.

My question being this as I slowly build up my Equipment, what Regs, Maniflods, Computers, Tanks, Etc. should I start investing in. I don't want to buy equipment & have to dump it later because it doesn't meet my needs for the future.

Here is a list of equipment I currently own;

Sea Quest Pro Unlimited BC
Aqua Lung Legend LX Supreme Reg
Sunto Vytec Computer
Inclimate water Gear (wetsuit, hood, etc.)

I also recently purchased a Sea Quest Raider BC in anticipation of someday becoming a tech diver. This was the original BCD I wanted, but they don't make it anymore. I just happened to walk into an out of town shop one day & their it was, also got great deal on it.

 

[JS1scuba]

So far you have some good stuff.

The AquaLung Legend LX regs are top notch. I went to them last year and have pretty much moved over entirely to them on all my gear. I think i have 6 or 8 of them now. The Suunto Vytec is an excellent choice for up to 3 mix nitrox dives and is an excellent recorder of information.

The BCs you have are not tech bcs and will not work well for true tech diving. The Pro Unlimited is a regular single tank bc and the Raider while it was intended for the possible-tech had no means for mounting double tanks that are set up with proper bands today. For a single tank it has way too much lift.

So what do you need ?

Any brand stainless steel back plate with harness and rings
a quality 55 lbs wing for twin tanks
dual outlet manifold (Thermo or OMS, or Dive Rite)
Highland Bands (they are the best)
dual tanks (probably Faber 85s, 95s or 108s) depending on your physical size
another Legend LX supreme -- (both converted to DIN) one with long hose one with short hose ---
40 cuft stage bottle with rigging and regulator (i'm using AL/ Titan LXs now)
brass, glass gauges on both the main set and the stage bottle

some good training from a quality tech instructor after you have accumulated 100 dives in practical conditions

That should help you out without a lot of fluff.

Regards,

 

[stoiclown]

With the Raider BC I am able to mount Dual metal Tank bands, is this not the latest Tech.? It also allows me to mount a crotch strap, & anothe 50 lbs. redundant bladder. The weights are adjustable for trim independantly of the belt.

I bought the Pro Unlimited w/ the intention that it would become my travel BCD.

 

[Quarrior]

I pulled up a link to the Seaquest Raider so that I could see what it looks like and read up on it before I comment. Here's the link for others to look at http://www.roho.co.uk/divegear/seaquestraider.html

First thing I see is the plastic buckles which will not suffice for tech diving. They are a failure point that is just not necessary.

Second, if you're diving steel doubles, chances are those weight pockets are a complete waste of time.

Third, there are far to many D-rings on the shoulder harness. You only need one per shoulder side.

Lumbar support is not needed since you will be diving horizontal almost 100% of the time. You'll barely feel the tanks and back plate in a standard BP/W setup.

Sculpted shoulder pads are redundant when using a drysuit which most people diving in moderately cool to cold water do.

Tank mounted weight pockets, see my comment above about weight pockets.

Reinforced plastic harness. Failure point. Not a good idea to have your gear come apart inside a wreck or cave.

Carrying handle is not needed. You'll use the BP/W as a backpack with the tanks already installed.

Now, realitically, you have a long way to go before you are ready for tech training. So, dive the gear you have and slowly accumulate the gear you need for tech diving.

Your best recourse is to find a tech diver that is willing to be your buddy/mentor and dive dive dive and ask a lot of questions.

My first suggestion for gear to get would be a standard BP/W with a single tank wing. That is basic piece of tech diving gear. Remember, a single tank wing cannot be used for double tanks and a double wing will not work for a single tank.

My .02 worth.

 

[Atticus]

I'm sorry to say it, but neither of the BCD's you mentioned are appropriate for tech diving. You'll want a basic backplate/wing setup.

I typically dive in the 200' + depth range on trimix (as do many other divers here). My equipment is a backplate/wing, double 108's, apeks ds4 regulators, dui drysuit, hid light, etc.

JS1Scuba would be one of the many good resources available here for additional information. I'll answer what questions I can as well, but I am not a technical instructor.

Best Regards,
Merlin

 

[chrisch]

You need to get the rescue diver qual done before progressing. You need PADI (ie Rec) gear to do that. After then a move to long hose and wing would be my next itteration.

Take your time build your experience.

Everyone has that first flush of enthusiasm. In some people this becomes overconfidence. Some of those people are the ones that you read about in the statistics...

You really need to work on bouyancy and skills if you move to tech diving.

If you are keen to collect quals (as many people seem to be for some reason) think about the PADI peak performance bouyancy.

Hope it all goes well for you

Chris

 

[IslandHopper]

You need to get the rescue diver qual done before progressing. You need PADI (ie Rec) gear to do that. After then a move to long hose and wing would be my next itteration.
Chris

odd ... I did a PADI Rescue Diver (and later DM) course using a BP/Wing ... and a long hose. It complicated things for the instructor, but the course was for MY benefit, not his
In fact, he's been a mentor for a lot of my diving, and looked at the experience as a learning event for himself as well, as he hadn't taught those classes with any students who used such gear. (It's pretty rare around here.)

 

[cornfed]

I am a newer scuba diver with 24 Dives under my belt, with my ultimate goal down the road of becoming a tech diver

Alright, I'll bite... why is your ultimate goal to become a tech diver?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Nothing wrong with being goal oriented, but just be careful not to push too far, too fast and get in over your head. In my opinion too many "tech" divers get a 100 dives in a hurry and rush off to fairly advanced tech training before they develop their basic in water skills, experience, and judgement to the neccesary level.

Basic skills need to be second nature and that is a far more important pre requisite than having the right equipment.

That said it is a very equipment intensive sport and unless you have a lot of discretionary income, picking up the gear one piece at a time over the course of a couple of years is often the only way to go. And if you have it you just as well use it and there is nothing wrong with getting experience with doubles and a suitable gear configuration before you start showing up for tech classes, particularly if you have a mentor available to get you started.

 

[MikeFerrara]

You need to get the rescue diver qual done before progressing. You need PADI (ie Rec) gear to do that. After then a move to long hose and wing would be my next itteration.

Chris

Hi Chris,

I disagree. I've taught many rescue classes to divers using bp/wing. Some used double tanks and in fact the instructor of that taught the rescue class I took way back wore doubles. I myself dive in pretty much one rig (bp/wing and almost always doubles) even when teaching. I even taught a rescue class for a cave diver who was thinking about becomming an instructor and so needed a rescue class. He wore a sidemount configuration for his class because that and an Inspiration rebreather is all he has.

IMO, a diver who really wants to wor toward technical diving should get with an instructor who is a technical diver as early as possible. You'll find that if he/she is good you'll learn almost everything differently than you would in the tourist tailored classes right from the start. Thinngs will go a lot easier if you learn good skills and how to evaluate an equipment configuration from the start. You also won't end up buying a bunch of tourist dive gear that you need to ebay later though it sounds like it's a little late for stoiclown

If technical diving is what you're after there's no sense in taking a bunch of rec classes and buying a bunch of rec "typical" equipment.