Equipment Selection

***caveseeker7*** · 4th December 2006, 23:13

Quote: (Originally Posted by JaceCady)

And I don't want a dive boat anyway, I want a helicopter to drop out of like SEALs do...skydiving + diving would be the ultimate adrenaline rush.

Doing that while under enemy fire should be.

LAR Vs do bubble when you get shot through them.

Helicopter, don't know. A few years back a nicely converted Albatros sea
plane was for sale. Converted to a (really) mobile home with dive shop.

JaceCady · 4th December 2006, 23:15

Quote: (Originally Posted by caveseeker7)

Jackie, found it easier to don and doff, easier to do so yourself, much more comfortable once you're in it both underwater and on the boat. No

getting into the water when semi-drys become semi dry or wet suits wet, no

half way through the dive when you get cold, no

getting back into a cold, wet suit for the next dive.

That sounds like a compelling argument. The only remaining objection is no one seems to have come up with a decent pee valve for us girls...

quickean · 4th December 2006, 23:45

Thick wetsuits may seem inflexible on the surface, but once you go underwater they seem a lot less restrictive. If you need a thick wet suit (are diving in cold water), you should seriously consider a dry suit though. Pick up a copy of Steve Barsky's book, Dry Suit Diving: A Guide to Diving Dry and read it before you make any decisions.

some key points:
If you get a quality dry suit that fits, it shouldn't flood/significantly leak, will be very comfortable compared to a thick setsuit, will provide a secondary bouyancy source (as opposed to having a double bladder BC), and you can match undergarmets to temperature if you want to do a little warmer water diving - not to mention that at depth wetsuits compress and loose bouyancy and thermal protection.

JaceCady · 4th December 2006, 23:51

Quote: (Originally Posted by quickean)

Thick wetsuits may seem inflexible on the surface, but once you go underwater they seem a lot less restrictive. If you need a thick wet suit (are diving in cold water), you should seriously consider a dry suit though. Pick up a copy of Steve Barsky's book, Dry Suit Diving: A Guide to Diving Dry and read it before you make any decisions.

The Pacific Ocean off the California coastline is pretty darn cold, so I may not have much of a choice.

Quote:

If you get a quality dry suit that fits, it shouldn't flood/significantly leak, will be very comfortable compared to a thick setsuit, will provide a secondary bouyancy source (as opposed to having a double bladder BC), and you can match undergarmets to temperature if you want to do a little warmer water diving - not to mention that at depth wetsuits compress and loose bouyancy and thermal protection.

Wouldn't a double bladder BC still be a good idea for redundancy? They don't seem to be *that much* bulkier / more expensive than single bladders.

megdiver12 · 5th December 2006, 04:09

welcome

quickean · 6th December 2006, 05:41

Wouldn't a double bladder BC still be a good idea for redundancy? They don't seem to be *that much* bulkier / more expensive than single bladders.[/quote]

If you think you'll ever dive with a wet suit, then a double bladder wing would be a good idea for technical diving. If you are wearing a dry suit, a single bladder is not a problem - you have enough redundancy. Double bladder wings aren't too much of an issue, but sometimes too much redundancy can lead to excess bulk or complication and can be a negative thing. If you need it to get to the surface safely, take two; if you don't need it on the dive, don't bring it.
Keep in mind that to have a double bladder wing, you'll have to have two low pressure inflator hoses attatched to two corrugated hoses - one on the left and one on the right (as opposed to just one on the left). It's just clutter if you don't need it.
If you have doubts or questions though, contacting a reputable instructor is probably the best way to go. If you are interested in rebreathers, researching the intructor you plan on going to is one of the most important things. There are some excellent ones out there. I'm sure there are some bad ones too. You want someone with a large amount of experience with rebreathers and experience teaching. If you are interested in the Meg, you can call ISC and they should be able to direct you to the nearest trainers in your area that they would recommend.

4th December 2006, 23:13	#21 (permalink)
*caveseeker7* Who loves ya, baby Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Prism Topaz Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Too far from Neverland Posts: 5,556	Re: Equipment Selection Quote: (Originally Posted by JaceCady) And I don't want a dive boat anyway, I want a helicopter to drop out of like SEALs do...skydiving + diving would be the ultimate adrenaline rush. Doing that while under enemy fire should be. LAR Vs do bubble when you get shot through them. Helicopter, don't know. A few years back a nicely converted Albatros sea plane was for sale. Converted to a (really) mobile home with dive shop. __________________ Cheers Stefan "Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.!"
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4th December 2006, 23:15	#22 (permalink)
JaceCady New Member Current Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 31	Re: Equipment Selection Quote: (Originally Posted by caveseeker7) Jackie, found it easier to don and doff, easier to do so yourself, much more comfortable once you're in it both underwater and on the boat. No getting into the water when semi-drys become semi dry or wet suits wet, no half way through the dive when you get cold, no getting back into a cold, wet suit for the next dive. That sounds like a compelling argument. The only remaining objection is no one seems to have come up with a decent pee valve for us girls...
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4th December 2006, 23:45	#23 (permalink)
quickean RBW Member Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 140	Re: Equipment Selection Thick wetsuits may seem inflexible on the surface, but once you go underwater they seem a lot less restrictive. If you need a thick wet suit (are diving in cold water), you should seriously consider a dry suit though. Pick up a copy of Steve Barsky's book, Dry Suit Diving: A Guide to Diving Dry and read it before you make any decisions. some key points: If you get a quality dry suit that fits, it shouldn't flood/significantly leak, will be very comfortable compared to a thick setsuit, will provide a secondary bouyancy source (as opposed to having a double bladder BC), and you can match undergarmets to temperature if you want to do a little warmer water diving - not to mention that at depth wetsuits compress and loose bouyancy and thermal protection. Last edited by quickean : 4th December 2006 at 23:50.
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4th December 2006, 23:51	#24 (permalink)
JaceCady New Member Current Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 31	Re: Equipment Selection Quote: (Originally Posted by quickean) Thick wetsuits may seem inflexible on the surface, but once you go underwater they seem a lot less restrictive. If you need a thick wet suit (are diving in cold water), you should seriously consider a dry suit though. Pick up a copy of Steve Barsky's book, Dry Suit Diving: A Guide to Diving Dry and read it before you make any decisions. The Pacific Ocean off the California coastline is pretty darn cold, so I may not have much of a choice. Quote: If you get a quality dry suit that fits, it shouldn't flood/significantly leak, will be very comfortable compared to a thick setsuit, will provide a secondary bouyancy source (as opposed to having a double bladder BC), and you can match undergarmets to temperature if you want to do a little warmer water diving - not to mention that at depth wetsuits compress and loose bouyancy and thermal protection. Wouldn't a double bladder BC still be a good idea for redundancy? They don't seem to be that much bulkier / more expensive than single bladders.
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5th December 2006, 04:09	#25 (permalink)
megdiver12 New Member Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Inspiration Vision Evolution Classic Kiss Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: minnesota Posts: 71	Re: Equipment Selection welcome
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6th December 2006, 05:41	#26 (permalink)
quickean RBW Member Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 140	Re: Equipment Selection Wouldn't a double bladder BC still be a good idea for redundancy? They don't seem to be that much bulkier / more expensive than single bladders.[/quote] If you think you'll ever dive with a wet suit, then a double bladder wing would be a good idea for technical diving. If you are wearing a dry suit, a single bladder is not a problem - you have enough redundancy. Double bladder wings aren't too much of an issue, but sometimes too much redundancy can lead to excess bulk or complication and can be a negative thing. If you need it to get to the surface safely, take two; if you don't need it on the dive, don't bring it. Keep in mind that to have a double bladder wing, you'll have to have two low pressure inflator hoses attatched to two corrugated hoses - one on the left and one on the right (as opposed to just one on the left). It's just clutter if you don't need it. If you have doubts or questions though, contacting a reputable instructor is probably the best way to go. If you are interested in rebreathers, researching the intructor you plan on going to is one of the most important things. There are some excellent ones out there. I'm sure there are some bad ones too. You want someone with a large amount of experience with rebreathers and experience teaching. If you are interested in the Meg, you can call ISC and they should be able to direct you to the nearest trainers in your area that they would recommend.
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