I agree with your points, just an off topic comment
Maybe your buddy needs some bigger tanks, too, or turn the dives sooner. I don?t think I ever got that low on my main tanks, hope I?ll never have to.
Printable View
Actually I thought you were bored and that was why you posted a photo and crawled all over me for something that wasn't even on topic... I mean it was enjoyable, the more you pick on me, the more I think I'm doing something right or that Marissa logged into your account :)
Thanks for staying on topic. So I guess I need to plan on renting a pair of 104's on my next trip... Not sure I want a taller cylinder like the 120's would be.
And yes, I am a tourist cave diver as well, however being a quarry diver I don't mind low vis as long as I'm not the one creating it.
-Tim
I agree with you. People are being trained in 85s because at entry level they are easier to use initially,but if your training is adequate, then you have the skill set to transition to bigger tanks. FWIW, 85s are a marginal tank at best for cave diving. They don't have adequate gas for bigger dives, and these tanks were implicated in a cave diving accident because they were carried beyond "safe" distance. 95s/108s are great tanks for longer dives, and even 120's have awesome buoyancy characteristics.
I not commenting it is the tank's fault,but the paradigm that a lot of training is done in 85s, and then people will follow a natural progression with penetration distance in that configuration. 85s are a great entry level tank and there are some dives that they are an appropriate tank,but for the most part bigger gas quantity is found in 95s and up is a better choice in cave diving. So it begs the question, if people are given sidemount training in 85's,but not trying larger tanks in that course, is the training at this point insufficient. When is less gas a better thing?
Get some larger tanks and try them, and modify your rig to trim these tanks. If you have some trouble, then find a mentor/instructor to accomplish your goal. If you have a well balanced rig you can easily go from 85's to 120s, and everything in between without wholesale modification-heck I had a homemade jacket BC sidemount rig once that could trim anything, it isn't impossible,just takes time and experimenting.
You asked what tanks you should get as a second set. 90% of people said 85s. So yes I read.
I?m starting to see where Drakers coming from.
Seems like you ask for advice but dont want to take the advice. If you just want larger tanks then you should have specifically said that. You asked what next set of tanks. The peanut gallery answered you. Do with it what you want.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk