Any recommendations welcome.
In an ideal world, you would carry as much gas as you are comfortably pack, have dedicated bailout or online backup gas system, and the skills to use in when everything goes wobbly.
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Any recommendations welcome.
18-20l/minute may not be excessive, it depends on the conditions.Hello,
I am in a similar situation with the OP. Relatively new diver, big (1.9m, 100kg), not particularly fit with SAC rate of about 18-20lt/min. It has improved quite a bit (I started with ~25lt/min) but still it is high.
Recently I did some rec dives with another much more experienced diver. He was big and not very fit and he had high gas consumption too.
He was diving with twins (I think 10 or 12lt) and BP&W plus a 12lt “stage” as he called it. For the two daily dives he used most of the gas in the twins plus some of his “stage” air.
Looking at him I liked the “stage” idea for me too (I’d personally leave the twins/BP&W setup for later).
Is it possible to dive with single 12lt AL tank on a usual jacket BCD and a 12lt “stage”??? Once I reach 50bars or so in my main tank I’d switch to the stage until the end of the dive. For the second dive I’d use a new 12lt main tank plus the remaining air from the first dive in the stage. Is that setup possible / recommended and if so what training is needed?
For me that would have several benefits. The main one is to have an extra independent gas supply. More than that I'd have more than enough air for my dives and "carrying" the stage didn’t look particularly uncomfortable at all. It also looks a good step towards more advanced setups and I’d guess practically it shouldn’t be that difficult to rent a stage in most places for a small extra cost.
Any recommendations welcome.
Thanks a lot
Is it possible to dive with single 12lt AL tank on a usual jacket BCD and a 12lt “stage”??? Once I reach 50bars or so in my main tank I’d switch to the stage until the end of the dive. For the second dive I’d use a new 12lt main tank plus the remaining air from the first dive in the stage. Is that setup possible / recommended and if so what training is needed?
Any recommendations welcome.
I think your missing the point. I never advocated that others start their dives without a regulator in their mouth. In fact , I stated that sometimes "I forget" because of habits pertaining to free diving . Then again I may be able to dive deeper without a tank on my back than you can with a regulator in your mouth. So my comfort level might just be different than yours. Either way you've criticized just about everything Ive said. And some of your comments are biased , not true and limited to your own experiences. Maybe Myself and others might feel comfortable breathing oxygen straight from the atmosphere when above water to conserve air, and maybe you feel you need to have the regulator in your mouth at all times to feel comfortable. Thats your right and opinion. Not mine or everyone else . Fortunately I know how to reach out, grab my regulator, and put it in my mouth, in and out of the water. "As my Buddy does his thing?" And I know how to fully open the valve before getting in the water, which was one of your concerns. Or swim 5 feet to the surface "if something goes pop" or an undetected failure occurs, which could happen EVEN if the regulator is in your mouth by the way. Thats why we are taught how to deal with these type of problems in basic open water certification.Let me be clear, descending without a regulator in your mouth is a stupid thing to do.
Regarding not breathing your gas at the surface. That is fine if diving a mill pond. In the sea with waves it is not such a good plan.
When learning you ought to keep it in your mouth to develop the habit. It you need to tell a buddy something or shout at the boat then sure take it out. If you subsequently dive in very flat surface conditions then decide if you are happy with it out in those conditions.Agree with everything except having the reg in mouth at all times while on the surface. Do I misunderstand your statement, or am I wrong? Sincere learner here...