Reg Questions and Setup

[Scrappy]

All you use to hear everyone rave about is MK20/G250s. I want to know if anyone has a real problem with the S600 for tech diving, other than the price( I buy keyman). I am setting up now for for my TDI courses and I will be using 2 MK25/S600s w MK2+/R380s for deco regs.

Thanks to the board I also ordered a Fred T heavy plate to go with my drysuit when diving singles. After using a B/P wing setup one time I was hooked and sold my Zeagle Ranger. I do a lot of explaining to my open water students when they see the b/p harness setup.

I setup my regs lastnight and I am trying to set everything up DIR. I do want to replace my OMS wing with a Halcyon eventually though. Anyway, this is waht I did and any sugestions would be nice.

Left Post: back-up reg, pressure gauge and left low prewssure inflator. Before you say something this will be going away.

Right Post: Primary (7ft hose), right Lpi and drysuit.

My pressure gauge is a new scubapro w/boot. Should the boot go?

Also bony wrist + drysuit = damp arms. My new Abysmal with latex seals is better than my bare neoprene with neoprene seals, but I still take on water. Any suggestions?

Thanks ahead of time.

 

[detroit diver]

Scrappy,

Lose the boot on the SPG, and buy some Apeks regs. All of the WKPP guys are switching away from the Scubapro regs (and they're the ones doing the serious diving).

PS-When you explain the new setup to OW students, what is their reaction?

 

[ninja]

I don't know but the Gue and wkpp guys I just seen in florida were all using scubapro's (mark 20's G250) and yes the s600 will be more than adequete for technical diving!! I use mark 20 D400 combo and a trustworthy poseidon odin around my neck!

Len

 

[Scrappy]

I did 2 no-deco test dives today (night for most of you) and what a joke. My bouyancy is so jacked up I feel like an open water student all over again. I have a feeling I know what the problem is, but solving it will be a whole other story. So if you have time and patience then please read and feel free to let your opinions fly.

For starters here is the rig:
Abysmal 5lb ss plate

twin Genesis HP 100s (made by Asahi)

Abysmal Adventure drysuit with underwear
OMS double bladder wing (now is this a 50lb size wing or 100lb size? I have seen it rated both ways...and yes the bungies are on it)

MK25/S600 primary and MK20/D400 backup reg

Scubapro black twinjets (jury is still out on these)

Any way my feet float, if I lean to one side I flip and flounder like a turtle on his back trying to right myself. What would be the difference if I switched to Pressed Steel 104s. Help??? I didn't feel like an instuctor today instaed somewhere below my students. Is this normal when starting out with doubles?

Shane

 

[D.I.R.Lizard]

Lose the boot on the spg.

Lose the twin jets(really bouyant) get yourself some Scubapro Jetfins or Turtle fins. You will not be sorry and you will notice an extreme differance.

Apeks Regs. are the way to go! Detroit diver is right the big boys are making the switch to Apeks. Go to the WKPP website and you can look at Georges set-up.

www.wkpp.org

although I am no expert in OMS equipment, I have known people who owned the dual bladder and I believe it has 2-50lb bladders inside. Like I said I am not sure.

The bungees need to go, they can greatly contribute to the rolling problems by keeping air from being distributed evenly.

Halcyon wing is the way to go, but you at least can cut off the bungees on the OMS until then.

Pressed steel 104's are great. They have more even bouyancy charecteristics.

And yes it is pretty normal to be rather unwieldy when you first start out with doubles. They are a lot different. But if you had good bouyancy and trim before in a single you can get it back with doubles, start out easy until you are very comfortable. As I said before different bladder and tanks will also make a differance.IMO

 

[Campana]

You didn't say how much of the equipment you listed is new to you. If you haven't dived dry much, that will make a lot of difference. Using the doubles will make everything pretty squirrly at first, until you get used to it. When I started diving dry and with doubles, it took me at least 20 dives to start to get comfy. I would just dive a lot before I started changing anything else, selling my tanks, etc.

There is nothing wrong with Scubapro regs, and the ones you have should be fine. Apex regs are sort of a trendy thing right now, which is alright, I'm sure they're fine, but you won't find any regs better than the Scubapros. I wouldn't sell my scubapros either. I have taken the boots off my SPG's so you can see and deal with any leaks easier.

My advice to you is to dive a lot and see if you can get comfy.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Greetings Scrappy,
If you are already signed on with TDI for intruction perhaps you would want to get some input from them as well concerning your questions.

I don't think you need to bail out on the scuba-pro regulators...they are fine.

I would have my suit inflator coming off of the left post... you should have the lp inlfators coming off of different posts IMO so that should you have a failure requiring a shut down of a post you won't be turning off both buoyancy devices.

The bungees probably are not causing your rolling problem - a Halcyon wing will actually exacebate the problem you are experiencing because the air is free to move to the high side when you start to roll and will tend to reinforce that movement. The problem you are having is probably do to the greater mass on your back and your unfamiliarity with it coupled by more gas in the drysuit than you should have. Get all the extra gas out of the suit and only leave enough or add enough in as your descend to get a 20' squeeze. That is the squeeze you would feel at 20' if you let out all the suit gas. When the suit starts squeezing you more as you descend deeper add a little gas to get the 20' squeeze back. Use your wing for buoyancy control. I agree that the bungees are not optimal and when you can get a non-bungee wing but do not cut the bungees off... we do not pay you enough and you will need the money from selling the OMS wing on ebay... and it will sell better un-altered. BTW the fact that the Halcyon wing allows the gas to freely flow from side to side is not a bad thing... I can control my trim using that... it just is not the cure for the problem you are having... more diving is. Some folk need 10~20 dives to get used to the doubles and that is OK... it might just take getting used to them (and I certainly wouldn't be diving them in front of students until you are comfortable).... the other Shane and I loved the doubles from the beginning... but then we had the advantage of having taken a DIRF with our singles rigs. I wish you could get some DIR help over there...

BTW the HP100 are shorter than 104s and will tend to put you in a head down trim with out the heavier fin... might want to consider getting the old jets.... or installing half a V weight on the lower bolt of your doubles to off set this.

 

[Scrappy]

Guys thanks for the info. As far as drysuit diving ,I have been doing that since July of 200 when I was stationed in San Diego. Although I just recently switch to a shell suit. I was using my bare 7mm neoprene. I bought the Abysmal Shell when I went home on leave at Christmas last year. By the way the guys up at Abysmal are some great people in person. As far as talking to the TDI instructor, he is in San Diego where I will be going to take the class. One thing I do notice in the difference between the suits is that the shell does put more of a squeeze on you. Time to get a pee valve. I don't use the suit for bouyancy but whith 1500 lbs in the tanks I am JUST able to do my 10 ft stop. I am wondering if I add a fuzz of weight if it will alow me to use a little air in the wing for stabilization. I don't have to cut the bungies off, I tied them and I can un-tie them. I also do not dive the doubles in front of students, just a bp/wing with a single tank. I have a Fred T heavy plate on the way, which will add another 4 lbs to the setup. I looked up info on the tanks they go from -11 to -5 lbs. I was thinking of switching to my PST hp 80s, I love the characteristics. Jet fins are happening this week I think. Yes, I do not get paid enough by the Marine Corps to be replacing to much right now.

Shane

 

[scuba6559]

Hi,
Anyone have a link for this Fred T. guy? Never heard of him! And I agree - Halycon is the way to go, although there are many OMS-heads out there!

Lose the split fins and go to the Jets! You won't be sorry!

Good luck!

 

[Tavi]

Fred T's e-mail is ftagge@goldinc.com
ask for backplate features and pricing.

I just ordered mine!