Tank configuration

[swimmer_spe]

Do you even need two tanks?

Mexico cavern cenotes aren’t deep, and you aren’t going to be going past the daylight zone. Why complicate your situation?

Please forgive me for my possible mistake, but if I remember right, we dive in thirds. That is thirds of all the air you are carrying. So, if I can go X time with 1 tank, I should be able to go 2X time on the 2 tanks.

... I may be mistaken. Its been a while., and before I dive next, I would do a refresher.

 

[PfcAJ]

Please forgive me for my possible mistake, but if I remember right, we dive in thirds. That is thirds of all the air you are carrying. So, if I can go X time with 1 tank, I should be able to go 2X time on the 2 tanks.

... I may be mistaken. Its been a while., and before I dive next, I would do a refresher.

Yeah, but in real life you’ll be limited to daylight zone and/ or the depth+distance limits (usually like 130’), not gas.

You aren’t going to get farther on doubles.

Additionally, an intro to cave class does NOT qualify you to dive thirds on double tanks.

 

[swimmer_spe]

Yeah, but in real life you’ll be limited to daylight zone and/ or the depth+distance limits (usually like 130’), not gas.

You aren’t going to get farther on doubles.

Additionally, an intro to cave class does NOT qualify you to dive thirds on double tanks.

On the first part - yes, but I run out of air before I get to those limits.

As far as the second one, please enlighten me how that works.

 

[PfcAJ]

On the first part - yes, but I run out of air before I get to those limits.

As far as the second one, please enlighten me how that works.

If you’re hitting gas the answer isn’t different gear. It’s mastering your skills so your gas consumption falls. For real the cavern dive rules are SO limiting that there’s no way you should be hitting thirds. 130’ from the surface is a 2-3min swim. Call it 10 if you’re running a line and really taking your time.

Intro cert is limited to 1/6th of doubles, equivalent to 1/3 of a single tank for penetration.

You don’t need new gear, save your money and go dive more instead.

 

[swimmer_spe]

If you’re hitting gas the answer isn’t different gear. It’s mastering your skills so your gas consumption falls. For real the cavern dive rules are SO limiting that there’s no way you should be hitting thirds. 130’ from the surface is a 2-3min swim. Call it 10 if you’re running a line and really taking your time.

Intro cert is limited to 1/6th of doubles, equivalent to 1/3 of a single tank for penetration.

You don’t need new gear, save your money and go dive more instead.

I am an airpig. When I dive with others who haven't dove with me before, I warn them. They then get upset when they have lots of air. "No, i will not buddy breath."

Straight up/down chasing my bubbles, maybe is a 2-3 minutes. Normally, closer to 5-10 minutes, not including the 3 minutes 15 feet safety stop. And this is in OW. Dealing with the line and with all the other issues, it would take much longer.

Here I dive steel 120s, and they last me about 45 minutes..

I never did the sidemount part of the course. To learn to cave (cavern) dive, and change my set up was something I was not looking forward to.

It does sound like I need to dive more. It sounds like my next cavern dive will be a refresher on the skills and knowledge.

 

[KevinNM]

Get someone to video you underwater. I'll bet you are moving too much, swimming with your hands and moving too fast. If that's the case you can work on that yourself or you can find someone who can help you learn how to stop doing that. But until you understand what you are doing wrong it's hard to fix.

 

[kensuf]

Sorry, but I'm going to be an ******* here.

While I personally think backmount doubles are the best way to learn cave diving (reduced task loading, access to all gas), I'm going to say based on what I read here, if the idea of having to clear a regulator during a switch is the reason you would prefer backmount over sidemount, you have no business cave diving.

The water filled cave environment is one of the most unforgiving diving environments ever. If you're worried about purging a regulator, cave diving may very well be too intense for you.

There's nothing wrong with not being a cave diver. There's a ferry that goes to Cozumel. The diving there is phenomenal. I personally love Devil's Throat, I think it's one of the best dives in the Caribbean. Skip the cenotes, go to Cozumel.

 

[Caveeagle]

I dove backmount doubles for quite a while before trying sidemount, and although I did not have an adversion to reg switching, ..it was something I thought would be annoying and might distract me from other important things.

In reality, I find it's much easier to get used to than I thought. And you should gain confidence in knowing you can rely on either one. Many backmount divers will switch to the backup 2nd at some point during the dive as just a safety check of sorts. Or breath from it on the safety stop etc.

Perhaps the OP is just over-expression their apprehensions a bit.

I totally agree with Ken on his points, however I would much rather dive with a buddy you can tell me where their limits are than the macho-maniacal tech super-hero who's ego far surpasses their ability.

I started cavern/cave diving under the old single-tank, Y valve rules. If I was starting over, I would much prefer doubles with a strict limit of 1/6ths. I would much prefer to have 5/6ths of double 95s to make a slow steady exit than 2/3rds of a single.

 

[swimmer_spe]

Get someone to video you underwater. I'll bet you are moving too much, swimming with your hands and moving too fast. If that's the case you can work on that yourself or you can find someone who can help you learn how to stop doing that. But until you understand what you are doing wrong it's hard to fix.

I know the issues. I am working on resolving them. The biggest issue is I rush on land.

Sorry, but I'm going to be an ******* here.

While I personally think backmount doubles are the best way to learn cave diving (reduced task loading, access to all gas), I'm going to say based on what I read here, if the idea of having to clear a regulator during a switch is the reason you would prefer backmount over sidemount, you have no business cave diving.

The water filled cave environment is one of the most unforgiving diving environments ever. If you're worried about purging a regulator, cave diving may very well be too intense for you.

There's nothing wrong with not being a cave diver. There's a ferry that goes to Cozumel. The diving there is phenomenal. I personally love Devil's Throat, I think it's one of the best dives in the Caribbean. Skip the cenotes, go to Cozumel.

I have already done the cenotes. I plan on going back. I just wanted to have a discussion on he differences and why.

I am not worried. I just would prefer not. I div in near freezing water, but I hate my mouth getting cold. It comes with the territory.

Eventually I plan to go to Cozumel.

I dove backmount doubles for quite a while before trying sidemount, and although I did not have an adversion to reg switching, ..it was something I thought would be annoying and might distract me from other important things.

In reality, I find it's much easier to get used to than I thought. And you should gain confidence in knowing you can rely on either one. Many backmount divers will switch to the backup 2nd at some point during the dive as just a safety check of sorts. Or breath from it on the safety stop etc.

Perhaps the OP is just over-expression their apprehensions a bit.

I totally agree with Ken on his points, however I would much rather dive with a buddy you can tell me where their limits are than the macho-maniacal tech super-hero who's ego far surpasses their ability.

I started cavern/cave diving under the old single-tank, Y valve rules. If I was starting over, I would much prefer doubles with a strict limit of 1/6ths. I would much prefer to have 5/6ths of double 95s to make a slow steady exit than 2/3rds of a single.

I may be exaggerating, or people may be reading more into what I type.

 

[kensuf]

I have already done the cenotes. I plan on going back. I just wanted to have a discussion on he differences and why.

I am not worried. I just would prefer not. I div in near freezing water, but I hate my mouth getting cold. It comes with the territory.

Eventually I plan to go to Cozumel.

I may be exaggerating, or people may be reading more into what I type.

I don't think you understand what I said. Let me quote another post you made in this thread:

I don't like having to clear regs. I never have. I can, but if I can avoid it, I will.

Let me be clear on this -- if clearing regs is something that causes you enough mental discomfort that you will chose a gear configuration based primarily on not having to clear a reg, then cave diving is an activity that you have no business doing.

I'm sorry if that offends you, but the cave diving environment can be incredibly dangerous to someone that lacks mental discipline. I've lost more friends than I have fingers on either hand and I've pulled a few dead bodies out of the water, and in my opinion, someone that is uncomfortable with a skill that is taught in every discover scuba course probably should not be in the cave environment.