Who knows... can't finish full cave until I get through adv nitrox/deco...Originally Posted by rddvet
Welcome to the Cave Diver's Forum.
Who knows... can't finish full cave until I get through adv nitrox/deco...
Why yes that was me inshorts and a t-shirt
oops, a drysuit @ the 700' marker
Good plan. Seems to be working well for you so far.
Good luck.
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And what we see in that youtube video is the result of that strategy.
So if you already know that you wont listen to any advice, why ask questions on a forum. Makes no sense. I guess that means you're really just trolling.
If the only people you?re going to listen to are tour instructors or people you?re diving with, why the f are you asking about tanks here? Makes no senseno, I get it I can see where the eddy's are , the whitewater references was just to say that where river reading is pretty visual, reading water in a cave is not so much on the visual side. And your right I am choosing to ignore most of the posts about my sidemount configurations because well, this thread was about logical progression on cylinders. The only people I will listen to about my sidemount are people who are actively my instructors or people I am diving with or have dove with. Honestly of everyone posting you are the closest I have come to diving with because we tend to run into each other at dive sites, I don't think we have ever actually been in cave at the same time though (possibly Kelly as well).
In cave 1 if your tanks looked like they did in drakers video, then please seek a new instructor. They should have addressed that.
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That statement totally blows away the need for a post dive debriefing. And seriously a cave diver NOT come across as rude? some of the least caring people I know when it comes to them caring if someone thought they were rude...
Why yes that was me in
Draker has always had an issue with my choices in thermal protection... but I am sure everything else is being influenced by Marissa... I let her utilize my commercial permit when she was getting started and suddenly after I left Florida I became for best I can tell a threat.
The video he shared was a video I actually recorded to see why my 72's were at such drastic angles.. I know now it was the connection to the butt plate.. which actually is the problem with all my cylinders but I'm not going to change that until I change wings.
Why yes that was me in
Next set of SM cylinders, what should I get?
Hey Tim,
It?s been a few years since I have seen you around! You have been given some really good advice on this thread, and I know some of it can be hard to hear but the intentions I am reading are all to help you (even from Draker). I do hope you can take a step back, give it another read through (maybe even pretend it?s someone else they are talking too) and see that everyone is just trying to help you out in their own way.
If I were in your shoes I would use the money you are thinking about using for another set of tanks, to hire an instructor for a day or two to specifically help you get your rig set up and dialed in properly. Rent a second set of 85?s those days so you can maximize the time and not have to run off for fills.
I didn?t see the video, but looking at the picture that was posted, I would recommend at least 3-4 changes (including how you have the connection to the plate) but they would HAVE to happen in conjunction to get your tanks in the right spot. Seeing it in person there might be more with hoses etc. A good sidemount instructor would have at least as many if not more than what I see. Just changing that one thing with the butt-plate connection won?t be enough, and being lazy with your trim in an OW environment doesn?t effect how your tanks should overall be sitting, which is parallel to your body. With this configuration in perfect cave trim those tanks would still be too valve low and bottom high, and are likely sitting a bit further forward and push right on the middle of your bicep, correct? That creates drag, making it harder for you to swim them through the water than if they were properly set up.
To answer this question, the answer would be both! I would seek out someone who understands all the rigs you are thinking about purchasing and can talk to you about the up and downsides of them for what you want to use them for. Then once you buy it, I would absolutely do a day or two with someone knowledgeable with that harness in your specific use application to get it set up properly. For example the prominent guy to go to to get an SMS100 set up for cave is not the same guy to go to for getting a razor set up. To one of Kelly?s points, once your properly set up you can easily switch between the same diameter tanks with very little to no mods.
Reading this and again sorry for my bluntness, but no you don?t know how to read a cave nor know where to be. If you are in the right position in the gallery the water flow will actually push you into the cave, towards the lips from the entrance. You can sit completely still, not finning, and still be moving into the cave. Swimming that hard and watching your pressure gage drop means you are in the wrong spot. Ken gave a great analogy about this and once you learn to read a cave you will find the same is true at Little River (and other caves) as well.
No one (except maybe Draker) cares if your in a drysuit or a wetsuit, and I would still recommend at least a 3mm in a cave for several reasons besides thermal alone. However putting some dots together your probably working much harder swimming than most of the rest of us between drag and not reading the cave and trying to swim through the fire hydrant rather than letting it push you along, which just like working out in a gym generates a ton of heat and keeps you artificially warm. I?ve got my money on if you take the time with an instructor to get you properly set up and show you some of how to read a cave you will eventually get cold enough for at least a thicker wetsuit like the rest of us mere mortals.
Tara,
you are among the few who I actually do value opinions from (we have been if not diving together, in cave at the same time), my only issue with MOST of the posts here are they were redirected from a conversation about cylinders to my "ineptitude" as a side mount diver, pretty much driven by Draker. Although I do plan on getting away from the butt plate, I'd love to hear what you have to say about cylinder connection points to it, it might help in the interim.
No I don't know how to dive Ginnie, I've only done like 5 dives there in the 6 years since class, the ROI is not enough to warrant diving there because one dive and I spend 2 hours getting fills somewhere, one of the reasons I was looking at a 2nd set of cylinders.
Actually two people care about my not wearing a drysuit, but that doesn't matter. When I lived in CC, I weighed in at over 300lbs... I was a walking heater, I could spend 5 hours in the water , never getting out and I was fine. I have since lost weight and although I am still comfortable in 72 degree water my limit has definitely shortened. I am slowly progressing to wearing a drysuit most of my cave dives , but never open water. The problem there though is it is a big on me drysuit so there is definitely some drag happening when I wear it.
I am only looking at two possibilities on harness, xdeep and hollis K2, and I'm leaning pretty heavily to the K2. The plan was to get the new wing and then spend a day with an instructor on that unit, will probably happen end of summer though. And yes to the question about my cylinder placement, all my cylinders are butt high, valve low...even when pulled completely up under my arms... but I think we both agree the butt plate is driving that... the 72's are always going to be butt high.. but the 85's shouldn't be.
All in all I agree with 95% of what you said (and everyone else who has made similar posts) my only contention is all I was really asking for was the next best step in cylinder progression
Why yes that was me in
I think you might need a full class. That said, to not distract too much from OP, most people do not get further in 95s than they do 85s.Tara,
you are among the few who I actually do value opinions from (we have been if not diving together, in cave at the same time), my only issue with MOST of the posts here are they were redirected from a conversation about cylinders to my "ineptitude" as a side mount diver, pretty much driven by Draker. Although I do plan on getting away from the butt plate, I'd love to hear what you have to say about cylinder connection points to it, it might help in the interim.
No I don't know how to dive Ginnie, I've only done like 5 dives there in the 6 years since class, the ROI is not enough to warrant diving there because one dive and I spend 2 hours getting fills somewhere, one of the reasons I was looking at a 2nd set of cylinders.
Actually two people care about my not wearing a drysuit, but that doesn't matter. When I lived in CC, I weighed in at over 300lbs... I was a walking heater, I could spend 5 hours in the water , never getting out and I was fine. I have since lost weight and although I am still comfortable in 72 degree water my limit has definitely shortened. I am slowly progressing to wearing a drysuit most of my cave dives , but never open water. The problem there though is it is a big on me drysuit so there is definitely some drag happening when I wear it.
I am only looking at two possibilities on harness, xdeep and hollis K2, and I'm leaning pretty heavily to the K2. The plan was to get the new wing and then spend a day with an instructor on that unit, will probably happen end of summer though. And yes to the question about my cylinder placement, all my cylinders are butt high, valve low...even when pulled completely up under my arms... but I think we both agree the butt plate is driving that... the 72's are always going to be butt high.. but the 85's shouldn't be.
All in all I agree with 95% of what you said (and everyone else who has made similar posts) my only contention is all I was really asking for was the next best step in cylinder progression
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