Drysuit inflation with a rebreather

Ben Field

Maybe this is suggestion but seeing as its "only" for the training course why not just run it off the Dil?

Best to KISS while you're learning and ditch any extra bottles/regs that aren't needed, you're going to lugging a stage around anyway for most of the dives so if you really want to you could run off that.

Just an idea....

BEN

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Sutty

I'd just run it off the dil for the course too. I wouldn't run off the stage as your instructor may make you swap stages with another diver and you may get one with no drysuit hose!
Once you finish the course try running off the stage, check how much gas you use and that will give you an idea of what size cylinder you need for dedicated drysuit inflation.
Neil

wizbang

Sorry guys I might suggest the opposite.
Do it in the course under the supervision of your instructor & fellow students so you can hash it out and find the way it works for you.

It might mean a bit more hassle during the course but atleast you will have it sorted and feel more confident because you trained with it the same way you will dive with it.

Just a thought.

wedivebc

Good advice if you ask me.

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Deepwreck

Its always good idvice to train with the equipment you plan on diving. Trim, weight, ect are all effected by the equipment you carry. I have have a lot of training and always try to dive with the same gear I would use in the field.

As far a Argon goes, I like to use it for my deeper dives, but I cant say that I notice much change in warmth over air. Just don't use He. For longer dives I use a heating system from patco with 60 watts of heat for long dives that require a lot of deco. In 38 degree water I can handle about one and a half hour dive with most of that on deco, but any longer and the cold just cuts you. So I keep the battery charged.

Dive safe, dive deep, dive long.

Ben Field

Its a fair suggestion but I'd venture that none of us would dive OC kit anything like that what we trained on anymore so why should we do the safe on Rebreather?

Admittedly if you are diving Rebreather already and crossing over then extra bottles/plumbing might be no problem but if you are starting from scratch with no more RB knowledge than what you've read on here I would strongly reccomend you at least start the training with the very minimum of kit.

Learn the vital Rebreather skills on a clean unclustered rig then carefully and with great consideration build your "christmas tree" afterwards.

For example when you do your OC Trimix cert you don't generally take your lifting bags and wrecking tools because you are dealing with two stages for the first time. In the same way you don't need distance lines, large bailout tanks and scooters on your first few Rebreather dives.

IMVHO of course...

Enjoy the training and good choice on the SK, its mega!

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DaveC

This actually brings up a question I have. I'm getting my Prism units in a couple days and will be doing my Open Waters in a few weeks. This is how I'm thinking of configuring the units.

As a BP will be used, I was planning on using my 6CF OC suit inflation bottle in the normal maner. Hanging off the left side of the BP. I was also going to mount a 14CF bottle to the bottom of the rig to use as wing inflation rather then use my DIL. Off the DIL, I was going to run a standard OC second stage bungied under the chin for bailout as well as have the normal 40cuft bailout bottle with the mix for MOD I'm diving with.

Comments?

Ben Field

Another fine suggestion..... actually what just occured to me is that its kind of really NOT up to the diver, you both need to contact your Instructor and see what they reccomend for training with.

Under that light all our suggestions are valid but in reality only your instructor can dish out a pass or fail so really what they reccomend is what you probably ought to use....

(What you choose to do after you have a cert is something between you and your insurance )

BEN

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Sutty

Very true - not much point spending ages getting it rigged how you think you'll want it only for your instructor to get you to put it back another way!

Genesis

I've never been able to tell the difference between Argon and air for suit inflation. This doesn't necessarily mean there isn't a difference - just that I can't tell in "dive 1/dive 2" type comparisons.

Obviously if you're not running helium there's no point to another cylinder.

I did make the mistake of attempting to use Trimix backgas for suit inflation - once (gotta try stuff like this out for myself, 'ya know!)

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