How early is too early to progress your diving?

[helodriver87]

I switched to doubles at 35 dives. Never looked back. I knew I wanted to get into cave diving, so I switched to the configuration early to build good habits. Took fundies a little while after that, got my ass kicked, and kept diving.

It's all about where you want to end up. If cave and/or tech is the goal, there's nothing preventing you from diving that configuration now to get comfortable and you'll be better off for it. It's not a difficult adjustment, though you'll probably want a mentor if not an instructor to cover the important bits.

 

[EireDiver606]

Tech is my aspiration

 

[Jay]

Avoid the Apeks wing like the Plague, the kidney dump is pretty much useless and the wing is the wing its self is the wrong shape. Its worth holding out and getting the Halcyon. Speak to JK, he'll tell you exactly whats up when it comes to wings.

I was starting to consider 18lb wings and this Apeks comment caught my eye. Any other views (either way) out there about it?

 

[Ryan Mcshane]

I was starting to consider 18lb wings and this Apeks comment caught my eye. Any other views (either way) out there about it?

Haven’t tried the 18lb version. Both me and my girlfriend had the 45lb doubles wing and had issue with the kidney dump.

After speaking to a few other people, instructors included, we found out it’s a known issue but apeks won’t spend the money to fix it... it’s divable, don’t get me wrong. You just have to work a lot harder than you would with a better designed wing. If it’s a price issue, then I’ve heard good things about the scubapro xtek.

 

[ajduplessis]

Avoid the Apeks wing like the Plague, the kidney dump is pretty much useless and the wing is the wing its self is the wrong shape. Its worth holding out and getting the Halcyon. Speak to JK, he'll tell you exactly whats up when it comes to wings.

What is wrong with this wing shape?
http://www.apeksdiving.com/us/products/bcds/product/wtx-d45-twin-cylinder-wing.html

 

[Ryan Mcshane]

What is wrong with this wing shape?
WTX-D45 Twin Cylinder Wing

If you look at it the lift isnt exactly well distributed... All they've done is taken the old horseshoe and connected the bottom up.

 

[ajduplessis]

You dont want the lift evenly distributed....

 

[Dive Sitnalta]

GUE teaches Single Tank, Doubles, and Sidemount for OC. All with training that includes stage bottles and proper rigging. Keep your single wing and STA. It will come in handy.

Basically, have fun with nailing buoyancy in all of the standard equipment configurations. Dive them all to develop your skills baseline. Tweak your setup. Keep practicing.

What I loved about the GUE training... one could fail. Other agencies and instructors often scratch at the minimum with a struggling student. Not GUE. If you pass, you earned it and your diving performance reflects that standard with all your diving.

 

[KevinNM]

Sidemount is a pretty advanced course in the GUE approach to it. It’s a course to allow you to dive small and tight caves, so you have to be a pretty competent cave diver already. If you can easily do a valve drill with doubles then I’d hold off on sidemount until you find yourself not being able to go somewhere small because of the tank on you back. Which might well be never.

 

[Dive Sitnalta]

But "feel safer" overall? With all that extra weight? No thanks, I'd rather use one larger (100cf) or higher pressure tank, than use twins. More safety margin but a lot less to carry.

Rred... I see your point about the extra weight... but... Twinsets definitely beat the singles in safety. Speaking more than just air volume of course, the manifold immediately adds a margin of safety for the redundant air source. Ability to isolate a failed reg and safely ascend on you're own gas supply. You could solve that with a pony bottle, stage bottle, or double side mount configuration... but as a standard set up, twins are great and safe. Sure takes some extra training and practice, but that's par for the course if one is serious about diving safely.

Then, as far as logistics... I carry one set of kit to the boat. Yes that one set is a little heavier... but, no hauling that second tank down by hand... No tank changes between dives on the recreational 2-tank dive. Plus... you always lose that left over gas after the first dive. So, frustrating... Say you finish dive 1 on a single tank, after 45min to an hour, and you still have 1000psi. Well during dive 2, that 1000psi is sitting on the boat while you take your fresh tank down... with twinsets, you get to take that volume with you on dive 2... just sayin...

But, then there's side mount... seems to be the new hotness... I can't wait to get started. seems so functional.

Every dive is a chance to learn new things and sharpen what you know.

The most honest and true statement I've seen in a while. Can't agree more. Every dive I rehearse something. Not only does it keep safety skills fresh, but when one nails a drill with confidence, one feels confident, and dives comfortably without anxieties... not worried about the what-ifs.