DutchDiverDude
Registered
Hi all,
With around 60 dives in the cold Dutch weather, I'm leaning towards going to a 'redundant' setup, so 2 1st and 2nd stages.
My first thought was to replace the valves of my single 12L bottles with double valves, but that still means that I have a single tank without reduncency and a max volume of 12L. As most advanced divers here (at least that I know) dive doubles, that's what I'm looking into. However, in the small group of fellow divers I'm in, I hear lot's of conflicting opinions. I was wondering if anyone here could clear some things up. Some like double 8.5L, and hate the double 12L, others like double 12L. Then there's also double 7L's and double 10L. What is everyone's opinion on the size of the tanks? Please keep it in liters, I don't understand the other way of measuring haha.
Another thing that confuses me is the wing. I watched some video's on wings and understand the different types, but I cannot figure out what 'lift weight' wing I would need with which type of double tank.
My setup right now:
Compressed neoprene drysuit with undersuit
BCD with 12L single tank.
15Kg of lead, divided over pockets and belt.
My dives right now are regular cold water divers still within AOW limits, but I plan on continuing training here to later also do more specialties, probably tech diving as well in the future. I surface with 90/100 bar in the tank, which is filled to about 200/210 bar.
Here's the opinions of my buddies on the tank sizes.
Double 7: garbage, might as well do single 15L in that case. Only advantage is redundant tanks.
Double 8.5: quite popular here. Most guys that use these actually have more than one set of tanks, and use these for the 'recreational' dives and training dives with their students. They like that they can get 2 dives out of the set without too much weight.
Double 10: I don't know anyone who has this.
Double 12L: Apparently good for everything, with the disadvantage of heavy weight. My instructor gets 3 normal dives out of a set of double 12's. Apart from that the benefit only becomes apparent at deeper / more technical dives.
So based on these opinions I'm considering double 8.5 and double 12, mainly because of weight versus benefits in the future.
However, I also carry 15Kg of lead with me due to a compressed neoprene drysuit. How would the total weight of my equipment change with either the double 8.5 or double 12? I'm mostly wondering if the added weight of the tanks means I need to carry less lead, and the difference of TOTAL weight between single 12L, double 8.5L and double 12L may actually not be that much....
And then the wing.... how much lbs of lift is needed considering either a 8.5 or 12L double set with neoprene drysuit?
And how does the backplate factor in there?
Are there disadvantages of having too much lift? Honestly this wing lift thing is the most confusing thing about the whole situation to me.
Thanks!
With around 60 dives in the cold Dutch weather, I'm leaning towards going to a 'redundant' setup, so 2 1st and 2nd stages.
My first thought was to replace the valves of my single 12L bottles with double valves, but that still means that I have a single tank without reduncency and a max volume of 12L. As most advanced divers here (at least that I know) dive doubles, that's what I'm looking into. However, in the small group of fellow divers I'm in, I hear lot's of conflicting opinions. I was wondering if anyone here could clear some things up. Some like double 8.5L, and hate the double 12L, others like double 12L. Then there's also double 7L's and double 10L. What is everyone's opinion on the size of the tanks? Please keep it in liters, I don't understand the other way of measuring haha.
Another thing that confuses me is the wing. I watched some video's on wings and understand the different types, but I cannot figure out what 'lift weight' wing I would need with which type of double tank.
My setup right now:
Compressed neoprene drysuit with undersuit
BCD with 12L single tank.
15Kg of lead, divided over pockets and belt.
My dives right now are regular cold water divers still within AOW limits, but I plan on continuing training here to later also do more specialties, probably tech diving as well in the future. I surface with 90/100 bar in the tank, which is filled to about 200/210 bar.
Here's the opinions of my buddies on the tank sizes.
Double 7: garbage, might as well do single 15L in that case. Only advantage is redundant tanks.
Double 8.5: quite popular here. Most guys that use these actually have more than one set of tanks, and use these for the 'recreational' dives and training dives with their students. They like that they can get 2 dives out of the set without too much weight.
Double 10: I don't know anyone who has this.
Double 12L: Apparently good for everything, with the disadvantage of heavy weight. My instructor gets 3 normal dives out of a set of double 12's. Apart from that the benefit only becomes apparent at deeper / more technical dives.
So based on these opinions I'm considering double 8.5 and double 12, mainly because of weight versus benefits in the future.
However, I also carry 15Kg of lead with me due to a compressed neoprene drysuit. How would the total weight of my equipment change with either the double 8.5 or double 12? I'm mostly wondering if the added weight of the tanks means I need to carry less lead, and the difference of TOTAL weight between single 12L, double 8.5L and double 12L may actually not be that much....
And then the wing.... how much lbs of lift is needed considering either a 8.5 or 12L double set with neoprene drysuit?
And how does the backplate factor in there?
Are there disadvantages of having too much lift? Honestly this wing lift thing is the most confusing thing about the whole situation to me.
Thanks!