DIR stage rigging

[Davey Willo]

I've never tried carrying two stages, only the one ali seven, but it is so nearly neutral in the water that I can't imagine needing to offset any lead to compensate even if I did have two. Infact Wet and I have passed them to each other from distance, torpedo stylee...

I don't know what a steel stage feels like underwater as I've never had the opportunity to try one so two of them may make a big difference.. dunno

[siltmonkey]

Wetlettuce - If you have 2 stages on the left, zero visibility and no light, how do you select the correct one?  Or is "no light" not acceptable, given a main light and two backups?

Mark - do you ever dive with just one stage, and if so do you have the unbalancing issue?

I'm curious...show me how deep the rabbit hole goes!

cheers

r

[siltmonkey]

Dave - Surely there would be some buoyancy swing in your stage, would it not be positive after breathing it down?

cheers

r

[And]

Quote[/b] (siltmonkey @ Nov. 22 2003,17:40)]Wetlettuce - If you have 2 stages on the left, zero visibility and no light, how do you select the correct one?  Or is "no light" not acceptable, given a main light and two backups?

I'm curious...show me how deep the rabbit hole goes!

cheers

r

<font color='#000080'>Hi

Wondered how long this would go before we hit the 'hypotheticals'

However I'm willing to explore. I have one main light and two backup's. I have a buddy with one main and two backup's. The likelihood of no lights is extreme to say the least but zero viz can happen. Am I able to see my gauge or am I swimming in ink?

If I can see my gauge to establish my depth to do the switch then I am able to see the 3 inch lettering on the cylinder, if only by shining my gauge light on the cylinder!

But to address the 'order' I have thought this over a little and the way it goes is that you start with the deepest gas and then move out, ie 50% closest to your body and then 100%. In cave this would mean it is easier to leave stages at the max depth as you travel ie leave the 100% at 6 mtrs the 50% at 21 mtrs. In ocean we have typically different size stages, because the o2 bottle does not need to be that big as you use so little.

If vis is totally gone and I can't see my gauge then there is no difference with either method. I can't switch if I can't see my gauge or my buddy's gauge.

Think that answers it. Hypotheticals are always strange as the picture is never complete and too many assumptions are made IMHO.

Andy

[Mark Chase]

Quote[/b] (siltmonkey @ Nov. 22 2003,17:40)]Wetlettuce - If you have 2 stages on the left, zero visibility and no light, how do you select the correct one?  Or is &quot;no light&quot; not acceptable, given a main light and two backups?

Mark - do you ever dive with just one stage, and if so do you have the unbalancing issue?

I'm curious...show me how deep the rabbit hole goes!

cheers

r

I very rarely dive with one stage for reasons of bail out. That said when I do I alter the position of the stage I normally clip from a D ring on the twin set to the left nipple for my left tank so if on a single stage I would clip from hip D ring to my right nipple d ring. This moves the centre of gravity more central and over comes the problem.

As for steel V ali

A 7ltr steel is Negative 1.8kg full and 0kg empty. So tanks left I have 3.6Kg neg on my left reducing to 0 when empty.

A 7ltr Ali tank is Negative 1.1kg full and Plus 0.6 kg empty so there is less of an imbalance. The 2.2KG for two 7ltrs on the left can be (and is) off set by the torch canister on the right hip in DIR. BUT I already had lead off set to balance the torch canister so this had to move for diving stages. Now my torch is centrally mounted on the twin set so this is no longer an issue.

Ali cylinders are expensive and difficult to maintain in the UK so I didn’t opt for them. Also CE registered Ali cylinders have thicker walls than the American Luxfor items and I am told the characteristics are much the same if not worse than steel. They are definitely heavier and bigger than steel tanks. As a result the serious DIR lads import their non CE marked tanks from the US and then have to find a very friendly local test house willing to touch them. You might have a few problems getting them filled too. These problems are not insurmountable but its too much hassle for me. I will stick with steel tanks.

ATB

Mark Chase

[siltmonkey]

Thanks guys! &nbsp;I appreciate your answers.



r

[Pierre Farrugia]

<font color='#0000FF'>Hello,

When I dive with a single stage, it's always a 10l steel. Here in Malta you don't find 7l, because then the smaller size is 3l, of which is too small. SO I normally use a 2kg weight on the other side, as canister light is at the back of twin set.

On an other note WL, I don't know if it is DIR or not, what you think if you just place 2 O rings on the 100% oxygen regulator hose just near 2nd stage reg. So in zero viz you can just feel the second stage hose and if there is the O rings it's the 6m reg. Nothing big or something that can cause drag.Also WL is it possible to use different regs for deco gasses?

Regards

Pierre

[And]

<font color='#000080'>Hi

There is no need to put Orings or different mouthpieces or any other such things. There is no guarantee that you will be able to distinguish these with thick gloves. Again, if there is zero viz which prevents you seeing 3 inch numbers on the cylinder I do not see how you can see your depth to determine a switch in which case you wouldn't do one until you could see your depth (and therefore see the cylinder). In cave I could believe it (which is why you don't take cylinders in cave below the MOD) but not in ocean. The DIR method is that if the reg is not in your mouth then it is stowed on the cylinder and the cylinder turned off.

By keeping all stages/deco bottles rigged the same means that you can swop them around and always have the same procedure. KISS

Andy

[Rob Evans]

Much as I have a lot of time for the tenets of DIR diving, the 'slings on the same side' issue does leave me cold. As long as there's a possibility of picking up the wrong reg on stops, surely this system has to be flawed. &nbsp;With two bottles on the left, you're inevitably going to get a a fair bit of congestion on that side in terms of tanks, hoses &amp; regs and - as long as that leaves the possibility open to stick the wrong reg in your gob - that has to be a worry. Is there a method employed to circumvent this? Are 2nd stages wound tightly to the neck of their relevant bottle, or does the high mix reg have a physical barrier on it to reduce the risk of accidentally going onto it at an inappropriate depth?
I'm not making a big anti-DIR issue out of this, it just strikes me that having the high &amp; low mixes sepated by the width of your body and employed by different hands is ultimately a safer method. There are good manufacturers selling good left-handed regs so I don't see the 'handed' thing being that much of a problem.

[daz]

I think one of the safe guards employed is to have all the stages turned off, &nbsp;the required stage is turned on when required and the reg used. &nbsp;

If you can breathe from it then you should have the one on the correct stage.

I think this is correct but I am sure this procedure will be expanded on when the guys who know come along.

Daz