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" The required
equipment list for a TDI Technical Diver course called for (amoung
other items): a redundant bladder backmount BC, redundant mask w/bag,
and a redundant bottom timer/depth gauge (read:computer)."
Allen, when the guys who wrote these standards do their first
real dive, then they will find out what you saw in the video.
They would know about the bc, they would know that you can tell
time at a depth by your gas as well as you timer, but more
importantly, your buddy has one each of the same things. If that
does not work, then who cares? Dial 911. The mask thing is bull,
as you will not break your mask, and you will not lose it. If you
do, you can see in a couple of minutes. Salt water actually feels
good to the eyes , as its salinity is closer to the body's than
fresh, which causes the eyes to swell and the lens to change shape.
I wear a "suveying" contact on my left eye to overcome this on
real long dives - ask the TDI wizzards about that. When I am doing
a real long swim, I wear two lenses so that I can accurately guage
where the wall is so I can get a better turn, and keep an edge on
the guys I am swimming with by gaining in the turn at each lap,
an example of the degree to which I will go to keep the hammer
down and "do it right".( I leave a little bit of water in the
goggles to keep them clear- they wash the lens at each flip turn.)
The correct attitude in diving is to worry about the real risks,
not the unseen demons. Worrying about deco or bc bladders or
pockets full of crap are designed to keep you from diving, not
to help you dive. Everything you saw me put on in that video is
all I have ever taken on the biggest cave dives I ever did. The
only additions I make for wreck diving were mentioned in there
as well. Do enough of these dives and you won't even take a deco
table in the water with you anymore.
You do need redundent regs, access to your full gas supply from
both regs, backup lights, a safety spool, and a knife. I carry
a second knife on the handle of my light, (and a small pair of
super sharp scissors in my pocket when wreck diving, as well
as a pair of dykes). I carry two compasses, one in my book, and
one on my wrist, but this serves two purposes: I can watch where
we are going all of the time, and if I lose the forestry compass,
I can use the reverse bezel Suunto . At 300 feet , when you loose
something, you don't look for it unless it is your buddy. - G
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