Going CCR - what to do with old OC kit!

[SoggyFox]

Originally Posted by finbar.taylor

it's easy to do the maths!
if your not deco qualified then MOD one only allows a safty stop so
cylinder size * pressure * sac *1.5 (concervatisum!) *10 (meters a minute assent rate) = max depth in ata you can get up from. this is very crude but would get to to the surface and you could probably get some safty stop in

but you have to be careful cos IIRC you can be within CCR no stop times but because you bailout you can suddenly incure deco obligation, becasue you've dropped from enhanced deco (80%) to whatever is in your bailout (air or 32%). unless i'm having a real bad day and my brain has stopped again.

and MOD1 is limited deco of about 10mins, i think, not got a book or anything to hand.

[David Pye]

Well, I suppose I am deco qualified through BSAC SD?

I could work it out but wondered whether there was a convention e.g. on what SAC could be guestimated after a bailout due to CO2 hit etc.

[finbar.taylor]

Originally Posted by David Pye

what SAC could be guestimated after a bailout due to CO2 hit etc.

from previous expreiance about 60ltr a min for the first 5 minutes!

[Padowan]

For true MOD1 diving (ie, <40m and <10mins deco) you don't really need to carry any offboard bailout, as long as you keep yout inboard 3L topped up (assuming that you go for something with 3L tanks). A direct ascent from 35m, with a couple of minutes of safety stop, is pretty easy on 150bar in a 3L.

Having said that, assuming you're gonna progress to doing deeper diving, with nore deco commitment, then it's certainly worth keeping the 40cuft for a bailout tin. Getting a suit inflate bottle is a good way to take some demand of the inboard 3L too, and an essential if you plan to do trimix diving later.

I would also consider keeping the twinset, getting a decanting whip, and using it for a gas-bank in your garage for either topping up the diluent and suit inflate or O2, depending on what you find harder to get hold of - if your club has a compressor and/or you can easily get air, then having 24L of O2 in the garage to keep the O2 tin topped up can get you out diving at short notice as you start to become more self sufficient in your consumables.

So basically, almost all of your OC gear will find a use at some stage in your CCR diving career, it depends really whether you need to liquidate some cash in the meantime.

[milldog]

First thing is to sell the lot including your house and car and move to a country where the FCUKING weather doesnt kill the diving.

Graham

sorry friday cancelled

[David Pye]

Thanks for the tips guys.

I'm particularly sold on the idea of using the twins as an O2 bank, as I have access to the club compressor. That way, with a spare tub of 'lime, I can be pretty much self sufficient. Makes a change from paying £8 per fill of the twins....

[Dave Crampton]

Originally Posted by David Pye

Thanks for the tips guys.

I'm particularly sold on the idea of using the twins as an O2 bank, as I have access to the club compressor. That way, with a spare tub of 'lime, I can be pretty much self sufficient. Makes a change from paying £8 per fill of the twins....

My thoughts on O2 bank.

I bought a 10ltr surface cylinder which only requires testing every 5 years. << Full Stop!! I bought it second hand and I got it full and so far 100 bar got me several dives. I also got a filling wip & gauge, which comes in handy.

Now if I had not sold my twins, (for the price of the 10ltr surface and filling wip +200 notes):
- I would have had to buy a new(er) filling wip at ~£80 - £280+ depending on where you buy and also what valve and gauge you get.
- I would have also, cos their diving tanks not surface, had to get them visual/hydro tested and O2 cleaned, which cost me £120 at my old LDS for the test and clean and then a further cost ??? to have them cleaned every year
- plus what ever it costs to fill them, ~20ltrs pure O2.

This sounds like more cost than I currently have with a smaller surface O2 bottle, and my shop is not local, hence the surface cylinder of O2 in my garage.

Of course if you live 100's of miles from the nearest shop who sells O2, and your diving every other day, then it might be worth your while, but I would look into the servicing costs in the long term. Visual/Hydro plus an annual O2 clean/service.

Of course on the the other hand you could keep them for diving and not an O2 bank in which case you might find them usefull, but then you would be doing less CCR diving which is kind of not why your moving to CCR right?

Dave C

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by onthetrain

How about,

Keep your Vytec as a bottom timer.

Keep your regs as you will need them for bail out & suit inflate bottles

Keep your twin set and fill with o2 or mix to decant from

Keep your ali 40 as its ok for a shallow bail out

Start saving for an ali 80 for deeper bail out.

There you go, saved you a load of hassle.

That about covers it.

ATB

Mark Chase

[David Pye]

Originally Posted by Dave Crampton

Of course on the the other hand you could keep them for diving and not an O2 bank in which case you might find them usefull, but then you would be doing less CCR diving which is kind of not why your moving to CCR right?
Dave C

Definitely a plausible argument. I'm about 10-15 mins drive away from Cormeton, which are a pretty good place to get O2 and other things from.

I'm just lazy and the idea of having stuff to decant from is quite appealing

Though, I suppose I could sell the twins and get a spare 3l for dil and another for O2, and then be more than set up for a weekend's diving. Is that a better idea?

[Dave Crampton]

Originally Posted by David Pye

Definitely a plausible argument. I'm about 10-15 mins drive away from Cormeton, which are a pretty good place to get O2 and other things from.

I'm just lazy and the idea of having stuff to decant from is quite appealing

Though, I suppose I could sell the twins and get a spare 3l for dil and another for O2, and then be more than set up for a weekend's diving. Is that a better idea?

I have two 5s which came with the RB which are good for a long weekend. I then bought two 3s so have two sets to swap out for longer trips. Plus my tall 10ltr is good for weeks away, like Skye in August which still has a space I think. I also use my Bailout cylinder for suit feed (until I can get a smaller 1.5ltr) and keep that topped off as I my clubs Equipment Off and have the compressor at my house.

I flogged my Twins, wing and regs for 600, which paid for the training.