Sparing and equipment for 3 divers

[kelly7552]

My 2 children who dive and I are all around 100 total dives each. On our recent dive trip to little cayman, My daughters integrated air Oceanic Pro Plus 2 flooded on her first dive, this unit had about 8 dives on it and was recently serviced. I had my recently serviced TUSA reg First stage experience uncontrolled free flow in it's first dive use. I decided when the three of us started diving that safety was an important consideration and that owning our own gear was safer than renting. What strikes me is that having a sparing strategy for three is different from being a single diver with gear.

Also, I've made some novice purchasing mistakes, I purchased a TUSA Platina BCD in 2006 with velcro only integrated weights. On this trip I lost a weight pouch for the last time. The design of the TUSA with velcro only was a stupid design that weakens over time and I having trouble with the ethics of selling this POS to anyone else.

One of the sparing challenges of Air Integrated computers is when it fails, On the dive where my daughters Air integrated computer failed, I sent her back to the boat just after we splashed, she rejoined my son and I mid-dive with a computer provided by the boat, but no SPG. I sent her back again, and the three of us had a long post-dive discussion about safety and having no air gauge. The DM on the boat hadn't realized she was integrated, and all my daughter told them was her computer had failed.

When my reg failed, I had issues using my BC because of Air Integration and my AIR2. Because I was doing a week of diving on the boat the were helpful and broke their rig down and added my hoses.

It's been a wonderful week of diving in Little Cayman, but it has exposed gear issues. We dive every 1 to two years, usually intensely like on a liveaboard or for a week of dedicated diving. I always get my gear serviced before we go. I've lost access to a local dive shop (it closed) and I've heard some suggestions, like goto a local pool and test everything out before we leave (good suggestion), never service your equipment (interesting suggestion).

We are also at that magical time where we are rethinking some basic issues as we all mature as divers. The need for a jacket BCD that keeps us upgright on the surface is less attractive as experienced divers, we are considering wing/backplane/harness change; I'm tired of velcro BCD's that need to be adjusted in water. Air Integration is another issue, I really like having one console that gives me Dive Time, Tank Pressure and ATR. I guess I might think about converting us to the air integrated transmitter.

One concept I've been thinking about is 3 Air Integrated computers, with a single inexpensive SPG and Dive computer and wrench that comes with us on boat dives that would allow swapping.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[tracydr]

A very good example of why I like plain old brass/glass SPGs, plain regulators with bungees backups and a plain,old BP/wing. All the new-tangled stuff has failure points that the DIR divers have discarded because they have weaknesses.
Could you replace the Velcro in the BC to sell it? If not, keep it for a pool BC. That's what I do with mine, although I get a lot of pool time since we have our own pool and because I'm a DM. But, if one of you decides to become a DM/instructor, you'll want some junk to use in the pool. The old BCs are great for this use.
Air integration is also not needed, plus its expensive. It's not hard to get used to using a regular SPG and computer. I dearly love my new Liquivison ( not air-integrated) and have never used AI.
tech divers also don't use AI, or most don't, because it can be another weakness and expensive unnecessary. I'd rather spend money on an inexpensive second b/u computer worn in the pocket for each diver than air integration.
The new Liquivison Lynx, that moniters the air and location of your whole group, though, that has some bells and whistles that I can see useful for a family.
Before your trips, I highly recommend not only a pool session ( will refresh everyone, check gear) but maybe a pool class to refresh skills, if your local conditions are conducive to diving. Ideally, though, get the exposure suits needed for local diving and dive at home, then you can dive more often, making sure that skills and gear are in top working order before trips.
You have some world class diving in Monterrey, Channel Islands and a short trip up to Puget Sound. I've yet to dive Monterrey but Puget Sound and Channel Islands are some of my favorite dive spots out of the whole world of dive destinations.

 

[TravisD]

IMO if you're only diving once a year or less, renting may be for you. A lot of gear degrades more by not using it than by using it. After a year or more dry, you've also probably lost much of the familiarity with it. As you alluded to above, right after service seems to be when thing are most likely to be not quite right - especially regulator adjustments.

 

[corvettejoe]

I would recommend always having an SPG attached and 2nd timing device with a backup plan or carry a cheap 2nd computer as backup, even if you still plan to use your AI sensor. There's too many points of failure relying on ONE device to calculate your entire dive.

Monitoring your family may be cool, but they are all responsible divers and need to be checking their own stats at all times. Perhaps get in the habit of every X minutes or every X PSI of your own pressure, you signal them and ask them to report back. We learned dive signs for a reason. This will get them in the habit of doing so and make them better more confident divers.

For the price of those expensive AI computers, you can get some much higher quality technical computers that tell you much more, have better displays, built tougher to withstand extreme environments. You may never use all the features, but you will know it's a much better made tougher product for you and your loved ones to rely on. I still carry 2 computers on me at all times even for short and shallow dives.

As for your change to BP/Wing... You will find it a much better setup if you dive a lot and are not happy with the velcro style. It's still just as comfy (adjust each one to each person so they like it) and you have more options to put things exactly where you want them. If you buy a steel backplate, that can take care of some of your weight too (about 6lbs worth). Being that its more minimalistic, you can reach things easier, and if you want something where you want it, you can put it there (Drings, keepers, exact lengths of harness to fit you (and your family) exactly for each person. It's the ultimate in customizing. One size fits all and fits exactly to that person!

 

[uncfnp]

With that few dives I would recommend either rental or better yet, going with the simplest gear options out there. Even ones you may be able to learn to do at least minimal service/repair to yourself. And if you keep the gear matching, as much as possible, less spares needed.

For example, I think BP/W could be a good choice, nearly infinitely adjustable and maintainable by owner. Low cost computer, not air interegrated, maybe wrist mount and buy one extra as spare. If you all use the same one it would make it very simple to exchange. Separate SPG, again, can buy a spare and switch out as needed.

Just a thought...

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

If you do the spare computer, keep it one you and running so you can hot swap it. Leaving the spare on the boat is not all the much help on an intense dive trip (you have to sit out up to 24 hours).

I go with KISS, the more complex your gear the more likely it will break. Very simple concept and very valid in salt water, which kills gear. You very rarely hear of SPG's failing, when they do it because someone set a tank on them or they have 20 years of use or some other extreme. Worst case I have had is a leak on the spool when the o-rings wore out from use and some abuse.

 

[kelly7552]

If you do the spare computer, keep it one you and running so you can hot swap it. Leaving the spare on the boat is not all the much help on an intense dive trip (you have to sit out up to 24 hours).

Wow, so if I regularly go on intense diving trips this would mean 6 computers to avoid having to dry out?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I've seen it happen often and read about it quite a bit...recently serviced gear having problems. I wouldn't service gear after only 100 dives unless it was having problems to begin with. BTW, I also keep my gear simple and don't use air integrated computers. I'd rather dive than spend money.

 

[corvettejoe]

If you do the spare computer, keep it one you and running so you can hot swap it. Leaving the spare on the boat is not all the much help on an intense dive trip (you have to sit out up to 24 hours).

A note on that, you can also get computers that don't lock you out, or you can run in gauge mode and run off tables should it happen on a lock-outable model computer.
I refuse to touch any computer that has lockout.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

A note on that, you can also get computers that don't lock you out, or you can run in gauge mode and run off tables should it happen on a lock-outable model computer.
I refuse to touch any computer that has lockout.

I said nothing about lock out. You can unlock any computer if you want to with a reset. If your computer dies in the middle of the trip, you loose your data. This include a benign failure like a dead battery. If you have not recorded depth and time, you have to dry out to use the backup if it was boat side because it does not have your data. Diving tables is great if you have recorded accurately max depth and time of the dives and you are not doing complex multi-level dives where you are relying the computer to give you extra time. I don't see liveaboard divers running tables often other than some pre-dive planning.

As for needed 6 computers, the cost could be less because non-air integrated computers can be less than 1/2 the price of the fancy wireless AI. Another option is to have 1 spare to be carried by the diver who runs the deepest. If you are diving as a single team team this works. If you split up and dive different profiles, then its no good. It's borderline sharing, so some will scream you will die, but I don't see a high risk unless you are pushing the limits or split up the team.

Lastly, if you are diving only once a year or so, I would really schedule a pool dive or shallow local dive to wring out the gear before the trip. Annual trips indicate you are always diving freshly serviced gear which tends to have a high failure rate. Better to find it out a couple of weeks before the trip when it can be fixed than on day one of the trip.