All,
One of our active SB members, DanV, a tech diver, recently posted that he wears open-heel, freediving fins with his drysuit. (See post #3 here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/dir/368978-question-dir-compliant-fins.html.)
Reading this had me recalling my first (and only) tech dives in a warm ocean environment, which took place with Divetech on Grand Cayman in 2000. I had arranged ahead of time to dive with a DiveTech tech instructor as my guide for these dives which took place on a north Cayman wall. After a shakedown dive (to get comfortable diving a 3/2 mil wetsuit, manifolded Al 80's, and a single Al 40 for deco--gear much different than the gear I wore for Great Lakes tech dives in those days), the next day we did a lite tech dive in earnest: The plan was for a 170 fsw dive for a 25 min bottom time, using air as a bottom gas and EAN80 for the single deco gas.
DanV's post reminded me that the instructor wore freediving fins, which I had not been used to seeing. I can't recall whether they were full-foot fins or open-heel. But I do recall how effortlessly he finned, using a slow, wide, flutter kick. I remember feeling like I, wearing my Jets, was in second gear, while Ian seemed to be in fourth! (Oh, I also recall how spectacular the corals were where we dove! Absolutely amazing!!)
Okay, my questions are these: I would like to know if you use freediving fins when you're doing non-hard-overhead tech dives? Full-foot or open-heel? With wetsuit or drysuit? Lite tech or more serious tech? What kind of scuba rig, and carrying how many deco cylinders of what size? Any problems and/or any special considerations? Et cetera. Finally, do you favor a particular size fin (some of them are really long!), or brand, or material? Any stories?
Thanks,
Ronald
P.S. Oh, and I also recall spying tri-mix divers far below us when we were at depth, and heaving a heavy *sigh*.
One of our active SB members, DanV, a tech diver, recently posted that he wears open-heel, freediving fins with his drysuit. (See post #3 here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/dir/368978-question-dir-compliant-fins.html.)
Reading this had me recalling my first (and only) tech dives in a warm ocean environment, which took place with Divetech on Grand Cayman in 2000. I had arranged ahead of time to dive with a DiveTech tech instructor as my guide for these dives which took place on a north Cayman wall. After a shakedown dive (to get comfortable diving a 3/2 mil wetsuit, manifolded Al 80's, and a single Al 40 for deco--gear much different than the gear I wore for Great Lakes tech dives in those days), the next day we did a lite tech dive in earnest: The plan was for a 170 fsw dive for a 25 min bottom time, using air as a bottom gas and EAN80 for the single deco gas.
DanV's post reminded me that the instructor wore freediving fins, which I had not been used to seeing. I can't recall whether they were full-foot fins or open-heel. But I do recall how effortlessly he finned, using a slow, wide, flutter kick. I remember feeling like I, wearing my Jets, was in second gear, while Ian seemed to be in fourth! (Oh, I also recall how spectacular the corals were where we dove! Absolutely amazing!!)
Okay, my questions are these: I would like to know if you use freediving fins when you're doing non-hard-overhead tech dives? Full-foot or open-heel? With wetsuit or drysuit? Lite tech or more serious tech? What kind of scuba rig, and carrying how many deco cylinders of what size? Any problems and/or any special considerations? Et cetera. Finally, do you favor a particular size fin (some of them are really long!), or brand, or material? Any stories?
Thanks,
Ronald
P.S. Oh, and I also recall spying tri-mix divers far below us when we were at depth, and heaving a heavy *sigh*.