My journey into tech

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SM class end of April.

Best of luck with it! From what I've been reading, you've been putting the time in to get ready, you'll do fine.
 
Thanks! Another pool session tomorrow (shop has these once a month in winter), and March pool session will include some time with SM instructor. If things go well, I might even try SM on a Lake Michigan charter over the summer.
 
Question on tank sizes for AN/DP (probably two years down the road) that popped up. I realize my HP80s are an odd size for tech and would probably complicate gas matching. However, drivers do use AL80s doubled up, so I guess my question isn’t totally crazy. If I’d be able to use my HP80s for AN/DP without having to get HP100s, that would be lovely, not having to shell out for other tanks. I do have two sets.

And, yes, I have asked my instructor.
 
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Question on tank sizes for AN/DP (probably two years down the road) that popped up. I realize my HP80s are an odd size for tech and would probably complicate gas matching. However, drivers do use AL80s doubled up, so I guess my question isn’t totally crazy. If I’d be able to use my HP80s for AN/DP without having to get HP100s, that would be lovely, not having to shell out for other tanks. I do have two sets.

And, yes, I have asked my instructor.

Could you use them? Technically yes.

I find AL80/HP80s to be too small when doing deeper dives, but if you find a buddy who dives similar tanks or is ok with the shorter dive times there is no reason they can't be used.
 
160cuft is enough for a short single deco dive. You'll be looking at ~80-100cuft in min gas, and have ~60-80cuft left for the dive.

Last tech dives I was doing the other week were on doubled AL80's, and using ~40cuft for 15miniute/51m-170ft dives ... topped back up between dives as there wasn't enough gas for a worthwhile second dive (factoring in minimum gas).

Larger tanks are nicer (12L and 16L - aka HP100/HP130) as you can do either longer dives, or get a second dive out of the same set without topping up. Also, gas matching is easier as these are generally what people dive (OK, there are a lot that dive HP120's as well as others too)

_R
 
I may be doing SM on the Lakes sooner than I had planned! My shop (DRIS) has a new boat on Lake Huron. I was talking with the captain today at Our World Underwater and he doesn't mind rec SM at all (and I got the unlimited season pass that covers all the DRIS boats!).

I'll be a Great Lakes divin' fool this summer. Hitting Alpena, MI/Thunder Bay - or trying to (we got blown out last summer).
 
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Pic from yesterday's pool session. Blurry, but shows nice trim.

PICT0116.JPG
 
@Marie13 - I take a third lp85 on bigger dives. During dive 1 I switch as usual until I get to 1200psi, half pressure, in one cylinder. Then I stay on the other to complete the dive. For dive two I swap in one fresh cylinder. This gives me more gas for dive 2 than if I just had a pair of 100s. And it matches up pretty well with guys diving doubled 120s.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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