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Al, I am always thinking in terms of deco diving. If one aspires to extend one's bottom time, then you are heading towards deco diving. And if you want to deco dive and take on the risks that entails then you must do it right. DIR = doubles, and that's that. I look at single tank diving as a transitory phase, something that should be done with minimum investment of money. Sure streamlining is great, but to me DIR is using a system, and the system depends on a doubles configuration. I don't care how you setup a single, you screw up the system unless you are diving doubles with an isolator manifold. IMHO for maximum survival, any dive where a problem can't be resolved by a one-breath free ascent to the surface should use a doubles setup. Dive shops should be renting doubles rigs rather than singles for 80'+ dives. I see guys doing deco diving all the time with a single and a pony. Using this rig with a backplate and singles wings does not make it right. I have to laugh when folks are striving to Do It Right but stop when it comes to doubles, using a lame pony and excuses about money. That's bullshit. There's no point in wasting your money on useless half measures until you are ready to go all the way. And lets face it, jacket style BC's are a successful configuration, if they weren't then there would be lots of floaters all over the place. And you can keep it simple with a jacket rig. Now I agree that for streamlining mini-wings are better. But it simply does not make that much of a difference for the "80 and bolt" diver (divers who suck an 80 down to 500 and bolt to the suface, which is how the overwhelming majority of scuba diving is done). Now if you are a new diver who has not spent that money on a BC yet, by all means get a stainless steel backplate and mini wings. Then save up for the doubles and full size wings, I have no problem with that strategy. Or you can save a bunch of money by avoiding the mini wings and single adapter, keep your jacket until you are ready to graduate to some equipment which allows you to spend more time on the bottom. After all, thats what its all about, isn't it? Jim On 7/24/98 9:15 PM KybrSose@ao*.co* wrote: >In a message dated 7/24/98 8:23:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time, >cobber@ci*.co* writes: > >> Well, my point was that the DIR system does not accommodate singles,< snip > > so if you have a jacket BC, keep it until you can >> raise the shekels to do it right. >> >> I have a mini-wing single setup myself, but there is no huge advantage to >> it if you already have a jacket style BC. > > Jim, > > I couldnt disagree more with the above. > > While you are prudent when diving a single to avoid deco, and the deep or >long exposures it usually accompanies, the single tank most definately >figures >into the DIR philosophy as I understand it. For shallow , or short exposures >streamlining and minimalism demand the single tank with only one first stage. >Redundancy is achieved through the buddy. > The harness and small wing are the ideal tools for the single, whether >halycon, or diverite, or seatec, or aul, or homemade. The only place for a >jacket is for the student or the renter. Students require the buckles and >heads up floatation, as they have not yet mastered diving, and may more >likely >require rescue. The renter is more likely to have less developed skills or >rusty skills, and thus also has the greater potential for requiring rescue. >Most new divers would be well advised not buy gear until they have developed >their skills. Unfortunately this does not sell dive gear or fund dive shops. > The small wing setup on a single is an amazing change from the jacket, it >is easier to acheive proper trim in water, is faster to swim due to less >drag, >less likely to break, and with certain brands is cheaper. > Ideally shops would have both types for rental, so that divers could try >them out and their skill levels would likely help them to decide what bc they >could handle. > > Regards, > > Al Marvelli > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- Learn About Trimix At http://www.cisatlantic.com/trimix/trimix.html -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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