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One of the problems with this list are thing like you guys. You always jump on the positive side without looking at the negative side. They are designed for warm water divers. THEY ARE HARD AS HELL TO READ WITH THICK GLOVES ON....:-) Ken ---------- From: David Shimell (shimell) [SMTP:shimell@se*.co*] Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 1998 8:10 AM To: William M. Smithers Cc: Chris Hellas; 'Jim Cobb'; Tech Diver Subject: RE: Deco bottles W/O SPGs (was Pony Bottles) Will I was aware of these and they are the best comforter available (IMNSHO) they are sold by Oceanic but they spoil my argument :). Dave ---------- From: William M. Smithers[SMTP:will@tr*.co*] Sent: 27 January 1998 10:42 To: David Shimell (shimell) Cc: Chris Hellas; 'Jim Cobb'; Tech Diver Subject: RE: Deco bottles W/O SPGs (was Pony Bottles) I've been using these tiny SPG's that are built into a 1/2" nut package that's like 3/4" high. They screw directly into the HP port, are low-profile, with a tiny (but fairly accurate) guage inside, that clearly shows red at 500PSI, yellow at 1000, and green above. I rig the deco bottle so that the SPG "nut" is pointing up, and it's fairly easy to read. And the things are indestructible - I've dropped an AL80 deco bottle rigged this way where it fell directly on the SPG from several feet, and it keeps on going. For deco bottles, they're perfect, because all I really want is a ball-park estimate of how much gas is available - I've already planned for consumption and reserves, so who cares if I know whether I've got 1500 or 1625 PSI. They run about $30 apiece at my local high-markup dive shop. -Will On Tue, 27 Jan 1998, David Shimell (shimell) wrote: > > Chris > > Thanks for taking the time to reply. > > >Firstly, deco cylinders without gauges will bite your ass one of these > >days (ask Martin Smith about that one). The arguament of an extra > >failure point usually rears it's ugly head in discussions like this. > >From most folks experience, a proper stage regulator set up (gauge not > >flapping in the wind) is about as reliable as the rest of your stuff. > > I'm not aware of that particular Martin Smith incident. The procedure I > apply works but if I became complacent it would fail, just as if I get > complacent about gas planning or any other aspect of my diving. You will > be glad to hear that it is not in my nature to be complacent! I agree > with your point that the likelihood of a short, tidy HP hose failing is > low, but my point is that it is avoidable. HP hoses do fail. I have had > a standard length HP hose blow on the boat as I was about to kit up. > This hose was about 12 months old and on inspection in apparently good > condition. Being anal, I check my hoses every few dives. I have seen a > HP hose go one other time but this was in poor condition and should never > have been near the water. I do not fret about using a HP hose since I > use one on my backup regulator on my twinset and I will use a 7" hose on > a stage bottle when I need to dive thirds. I do not use them on my deco > bottles as I do not need them therefore I do not take them in the water. > > >If the justification for not having a gauge is substantiated by having a > >buddy to run to if 'shit happens' (incidentaly, after 20 years of diving > >and servicing dive gear the only times I have seen a neck O ring fail is > >down to poor maintenance) then I cannot see any application for a twin > >set and a 3l 'stage bottle'. > > You are being slightly emotive WRT "buddy to run to", but I agree with > your point. Here we have shifted (I started it!!) from the original > discussion of single with pony to twinset with 3l stage. The application > is simply one of using the 3 l cylinder to carry deco gas. The twinset's > redundancy allows more adventurous diving whilst the pony carries the > deco gas. In this instance my gas planning would be such that I can > ensure that I can meet my deco obligations with *either* my back gas *or* > my 3l deco bottle thus maintaining a redundant configuration and supply. > Since I quite rightly got grief about apparently mis-representing BSAC > training - which I hope was due to lack of clarity in my writing rather > than my understanding, I will emphasise that the 3l cylinders are being > used for entirely different purposes here. With a single it is used as a > bailout from depth and so the contents must be breathable from the > maximum planned depth. In the twinset and small deco cylinder scenario, > it is just another deco bottle and the "standard" rules of gas planning > and management of deco bottles apply. > > I'm starting to get bored with this discussion how about you? > > Dave > -- > Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. > Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'. > -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'. -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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