Killer question ?

[roakey]

You don't want to buy cylinders that fit you now and outgrow them and you don't want to buy cylinders that you'll grow into and have them be too big for you now.

If you want to eventually get into deep diving you can practice all the hangs, gas switches and shooting bags at a shallow depth with a single cylinder and gain experience.

I still practice many of my skills shallow.

Spend your money on diving, not on gear until your body's size has stabilized. There's medical as well as financial reasons for this.

Roak

 

[madmole]

Wouldn't worry too much./ I was doing long 30M dives with 20 mins of deco at 14 regularly (I learnt at 11 in the Thames in London).

Well I'm 38 now and still dive actively (trimix and rebreather, 60-100 dives a year) and my legs still work fine. (all 3 of them! )

My biggest problem in them days was that I couldn't physically wear the cylinder out of the water and that the twin hose wrapped around my head about 3 times. But being small did save cost on making your own wetsuit

 

[diver30]

I have no trouble lifting me tank etc.. as im about 5'9 so im quite tall taller than most men its just trying to tell them i can do it me self as they like to help me with me gear and stuff somtimes its nice but i like to be independent thanks for the advice.



diver30

 

[madmole]

Know how you feel, I was an SAA instructor by 12. Had lots of problems trying to teach adults. They'd get upset by you trying to help them with kit

The other big problem with learning so young and staying active for a long time, is my brain is convinced it can breath underwater, which has led to some fun moments when snorkelling and swimming

 

[sheck33]

madmole once bubbled...
Wouldn't worry too much./ I was doing long 30M dives with 20 mins of deco at 14 regularly (I learnt at 11 in the Thames in London).

Well I'm 38 now and still dive actively (trimix and rebreather, 60-100 dives a year) and my legs still work fine. (all 3 of them! )

My biggest problem in them days was that I couldn't physically wear the cylinder out of the water and that the twin hose wrapped around my head about 3 times. But being small did save cost on making your own wetsuit

Did you do these dives solo?? If not then you made your buddy do these dives solo because how are you going to help someone.
'The cylinder'? You did them on a single tank?




You must be a very lucky person to be alive today....

 

[madmole]

Dives on Single tanks was "accepted" practice in the late 70's, your buddy was your spare air. Most people didn't start to carry alternative air sources themselves until the early 80's. Funny thing was we had less incidents then. We didn't even wear buoyancy compensators until the very early 80's, so rescue was a case of dumping the weightbelt and pure fin power. But I was confident I could have recued my partner as that was a training drill and test assesment that I had done many times in the pool and open water (in fact rescue was taught at all stages of training in those days. Its only recently that its been made a later skill at the advanced level (by PADI). In this case a step backwards if you ask me)

People didn't fit seatbelts in cars or wear them until recently. Its normal for things to change as we gain more knowledge. I suspect that in 20 years time we will look back at some of the "Accepted" practices of todays dives and grimace.

I swapped to carrying an alternative source in 83 after a first stage failure at 65m (yes you can do a free ascent from that deep) I went out the next day and bought one of the newly out "Pony" cylinders. I learnt a valuble lesson the hard way. Nowadays I would never dive without a second source. I even took a 3l pony on a 10 m quarry dive yesterday, despite having an air2 and octopus on the rig I wore (And 2 buddies)

 

[cavediver]

sheck33 once bubbled...


Did you do these dives solo?? If not then you made your buddy do these dives solo because how are you going to help someone.
'The cylinder'? You did them on a single tank?




You must be a very lucky person to be alive today....

I agree, if you cant wear a cylinder out of the water, be it one or doubles. you arent going to be able to "dive" them

 

[dlarbale]

Cavediver,

I'm not too sure I agree with this - explain your rational, my cylinders aren't the same weight in water as they are out. Also, I know several people that are excellent divers that, for whatever reason can't wear they're gear out of the water (knee joints shot etc).

I too started diving at an early age (13) and also conducted deep dives at this age (OK no 65m dives with shed loads of deco). To be honest there were several people in the club (BSAC) that couldn't keep up and even some that prefered diving with the 'youngster'.

Seems to be a trend here - myself, madmole and the original poster are all from England. Perhaps the Americans are scarred of being sued by their own siblings? LOL.

Later - Dave.