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George, We prefer different systems. It sounds like you are raring for A fight. I am not saying my system is better, or the only way. It is one of several ways (including DIR) that works. I use a set of Steel 120s with an isolator manifold.The 120s have more than enough gas for what ever I want to dive. in general my bottom time is usually controlled by my decompression. I usually do not want to hang more than 45 Min. ( I could not do the extreme hangs you do on your cave dives) I have plenty of reserve air if needed. I have given my air to others on many occasions. I use a simple Dacor back pack. It allows for easy adjustment of the straps (shoulder & waist, no crotch strap) I wear a Poseidon unisuit, and underware appropiate to the conditions. I use two Posiedon Odins regs( I have never had a problem or free flow with them. I get them serviced every season, about 100 - 125 dives) with my suit inflation comming off one tank, with a spare whip on the other in case I need to shut down that tank & still inflate my suit ( never happened yet) I put a hand held blue water or UK 800R ( these lights are plenty bright for what I do, the burn time is long enough for my dives, I have spare battery packs for consecutive dives, I feel a canister light is too much of a hassel to rig from set to set, dive to dive. if a light does not work, bad battery, blown bulb, whatever,I simply put it down & take another out of my box, put it in my bag & roll over the side. If I need many hours of burn time a canister light would be the way to go) in my goody bag, which is made of canvas or 300 Denier nylon, so as not to snag on the wrecks . I carry two lights if I plan on penetrating a wreck. I have a pelican float with extra line on it, ( enough to shoot a lift bag from whatever depth I am diving).& a 100 pound lift bag Mask, fins, weight belt, & three fingered mitts. I realize that this is NOT appropriate for cave diving. I do all wreck diving from an anchored boat. no drift diving, no scooter, no drifting decompresions. I do all my decompression on the anchorline. I do not carry a stage bottle because most of my dives are within 200 Ft 70% at about 130 Ft. With 35 - 55 min. bottom times my deeper stops are not long enough to benefit much from using Nitrox on them. but I have 100% O2 hanging from a T bottle on the boat, down to 20Ft. In the event I do not make it back to the anchor line I have enough air to do the hang without the O2 ( happened twice in 1000+ dives) I dive solo with out any surface support other than the O2. Thus I have no buddy and no long hose. A long hose is nice in your cave diving, not necessary for me. ( if I need air & someone only had a 6 inch hose on the reg they gave me, I would be grateful and make it work) I carry a minimum of gear (less to hurt myself with) A wing of some type would not be a bad thing, but I do not like them. I find the air travels from one side to the other making me feel like I am going to roll. you don't, but it feels that way. I have never had an occasion to need a wing. My unisuit has always had more than enough lift. I have no problem swiming with it either on the bottom or the surface. But I rarely swim far on the surface I go up & down the anchor line. If I were to lose the ability to inflate my suit (inflator go bad, never happened in 3000 dives) I can crawl / walk along the bottom to the anchor line & pull my self up, even if I lost the inflator I still would be about neutral (at that depth)from the air already in my suit. I always use the same set up whether doing a deep wreck of changing Zincs in the slip ( other than the goddy bag, not many lobsters in the marina) This set up has worked well for me for thousands of wreck dives dives. It could not work so well by luck alone. In general, if it were not for bad luck, I would have no luck at all. I have found that some divers carry a lot of gear to cover a million what if scenarios, often to cover up or compensate for thier own fears or inabilities. I carry back up only for the thngs I've actualy seen or experience happen on a regular basis. most diver injuries or deaths are caused by diver error, the gear between your ears. not on your back. Please refrain from foul language and farm animal stupid comments. they are usually indicative of some one who has nothing constructive to say, but just wants to rant. Please overlook the spelling & gramatical errors. I am dyslesic ond a poor typist. Please look at my content, not delivery Captain Zero -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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