Air hog etiquette.

[2airishuman]

My independent doubles setup uses cambands. I have an early DSS backplate and wing which allows cambands to be used for each of two cylinders, and have used it occasionally this way.

I haven't found this configuration to be especially useful, though. If I'm around home, I use manifolded doubles. On a tropical dive, it is my perception that most operators won't allow independent doubles, but that's a question for the other thread.

 

[jgttrey]

I'm not a sidemount diver, but the point is that sidemounted AL80s are no different from regular AL80s in terms of stowing and handling them on most resort-type dive boats that are set up for single tank divers with benches lined with tank slots, etc..

On the other hand, the crew may have a problem with stowing a set of banded doubles, regardless of whether they are independent or manifolded. It's a physical space thing...

As far as the operator not allowing you to dive two tanks, I guess all they really care about is keeping the group together and not having someone off doing deco while everyone else on the boat is waiting to go to the second dive site. But of course, every captain may have different preferences and protocols, so hard to make any universal statements.

Exactly.

I don't do it that often, but sometimes when I have to flip flop between recreational dives with the family and technical dives, it's more convenient not to change configurations so I end up diving sidemount on the recreational boat.

I've had no issues & if I did, I'd find another operator. Some boats are leery of a twinset for the reasons noted above, but sidemount doesn't present those problems. Mostly, all they care about is that you dive the same profile as the rest of the group -- which is exactly what this enables you to do if you would otherwise have to end the dive earlier if you were on a single.

 

[Hoag]

I am not normally too bad on air. When diving with a group (such as on a LOB) in most cases, I will be one of the last to get back on the boat.

Having said that, I don't get to dive as often as I would like and I might go a year or more between trips, so for my first couple dives on a trip I am a horrible air hog. On my last trip (the Aquacat), after the first dive, the deck crew said "here, let me set you up wit a 100cf HP tank". I told them "Let's wait for a few dives and see how things go first. By the second dive of the afternoon, things were back to normal and I was coming up at the middle to the last of the group.

I guess what I am trying to say is that being an air hog can also be situational.

 

[Scratch_Monkey]

When. I was first starting I went through air pretty quickly. I would always let the DM know before the dive that I was not going to last 55 or so minutes and they generally arranged the dive so that we were in the vicinity of the boat where I was sent up early (and alone) for the safety stop.

One dive outfit in Belize gave me a bigger tank but I don't really think it helped that much..

I remember diving in Bocas del Toro and, at some point, realized that it was just me and the DM (only two drivers on the dive with two people from the shop so the DM was effectively my buddy). Turns out the other guy had to go up early due to low air. I was so proud of myself for not being the first guy out of air! I was getting better

On my most recent trip (Roatan in May) my insta-buddy was low before every one else so the DM told me to buddy up with him and sent my original buddy up early. I would have been happy to stick with my buddy having been "that guy" in the past but felt that it was better to follow the DMs direction rather than try to argue with him underwater.

So my suggestion is to let the DM know the situation early (on the dock or at the shop) and they will figure something out even if that. Evans sending a second guy from the shop to babysit the hog.