Learning to use doubles

[Harry Braviner]

Hello,

I've been diving for a few years, done 66 dives, and I'm looking to do more challenging diving in the future. I'd like to start diving doubles.

I know that it's not really as simple as slapping two cylinders on my back and jumping in, and there's various new drills I need to learn. What I want to know is how you guys learned all this stuff. Are there specific courses that are good for learning to dive doubles?

Thanks!

 

[dewdropsonrosa]

Some recreational agencies offer classes for doubles, and several agencies will teach doubles skills as part of Intro to Tech-type classes. Do you have any goals that using doubles will help you achieve, like extending your dive time or visiting deeper sites? This might help you choose the course/instructor that best meets your needs.

When you do find an instructor, you'll want to spend some time properly planning your equipment configuration. Doubles are heavy and you'll want to make sure that you have the correct amount of buoyancy and lift from your exposure protection and BCD, among other things.

 

[tbone1004]

tons of specific courses to learn to do it, but if you have a buddy that dives doubles well, that will greatly expedite the learning process and IMO negate the need for a course.
The only "drills" that are new is the valve drill itself. Everything else is the same as singles assuming you are diving a long hose primary donate setup and have a backplate/wing.

The valve drills are done specific ways by certain agencies and if you're going to do it, I recommend learning the GUE method of doing it. I don't necessarily agree with it, but I understand why they teach it the way they do. That said, if you're going to learn it, at least learn it that way and you can change it down the road. A lot easier to streamline their clunky valve drill than to learn a short way of doing it and then have to break it down into each individual step if you decide to go through their training.

outline of how to do it
Technical Diving Skills - Valve Shutdown Drill Explained
and video

 

[seeker242]

Some of the official classes that teach it:

UTD Doubles Mini course
GUE Doubles Primer course
TDI Intro to Tech course

You could also just hire an appropriate instructor for private instruction without an "official" class, as you don't need a c-card to dive them.

 

[Harry Braviner]

Some of the official classes that teach it:

UTD Doubles Mini course
GUE Doubles Primer course
TDI Intro to Tech course

You could also just hire an appropriate instructor for private instruction without an "official" class, as you don't need a c-card to dive them.

Do I have to have done GUE Fundamentals to do Doubles Primer?

 

[seeker242]

Do I have to have done GUE Fundamentals to do Doubles Primer?

No, just an open water diver from whatever agency. But, you do need to have the same equipment configuration that you would need if you were doing fundamentals.

 

[Harry Braviner]

OK, that's good to know. I was thinking about doing Fundamentals anyway - is doing fundamentals with doubles a good way to learn to dive doubles, or am I going to be trying to learn too much at once?

 

[tbone1004]

OK, that's good to know. I was thinking about doing Fundamentals anyway - is doing fundamentals with doubles a good way to learn to dive doubles, or am I going to be trying to learn too much at once?

Fundies is not the class to teach you to dive doubles, that's what the doubles primer is for. That said if you have a buddy that knows what they're doing, learn there and then the fundies class will polish everything for you.
Honestly though if you set your bp/w up in the standard hogarthian configuration, and your doubles themselves are standard, the valve drill is the only thing to learn, and you can learn that yourself....

Also consider NAUI NTEC which is taught by Dan's Dive Shop in St. Catherines

 

[rhwestfall]

If you know other divers using doubles, a mentor is a nice option if yo can find one willing to work with you. There is nothing wrong with doubles for recreational diving.

I'm sure there are others, but NAUI has a Technical Configuration "workshop" as a lead in to their Technical Program. It covers the equipment and drills (or at least mine did).....

 

[rhwestfall]

Steve @abnfrog is a ways north from you, but also might be able to link you to someone in your area as he is quite familiar with the TO dive scene.

(a weekend workshop with him would be a good one if he is willing)