First day out with Twins! Review type thingy! Long!

[lynsey.a]

Hi everyone,

I went out with my twinset for the first time today!
Just thought i would write a little rewiew about the process and experience for anyone thinking about it!

Well, heres the set-up

Twin 232bar 7litres,
Manifolded/banded together with Agir Brock shiny bits.
Dive Rite trek wing
Dive Rite Transplate harness
Stainless steel backplate.

All assembled by my Dad (also a diver) and myself!

So, putting it all together took around 2/3hours with help from the forum archives here.....
Wasnt difficult as such - more just very tricky to get the manifold screwed in to the exact spacing of the bands so that it ws not under any stress. Managed in the end though! (and if i may say so myself, with much more care and precision than the evil LDS did for me before.....)

Today we went for a easy dive at Conger Alley in Loch Fyne.
I had taken 5lb of shot out of my belt for this.
In to the water we go, did buddy checks. All fine and dandy.
Had the manifold a half turn open (and had practised soome knob fiddling in my living room already).
Swam out to the usual place we go down.
Dumped air.... dropped like a stone!
At about 2m i got my buddy to check for bubbles all over the manifold/valves/1st stages area - none there! Assembly successful!

Bimbled around in the shallow bit for a while. I found that i could easily reach and turn on/off the right hand post, i could also easily shut down the manifold. However, my left arm seems to be much less flexible than the right. (i had noticed this on dry land with normal clothes on when i was practising) I dont know why this should be! Ive never hurt it knowingly, and im only 22 so i should be flexible! I had a fair bit of trouble with the left post.

We have placed the bands too low on the cylinders - although they seemed at the correct height in the house, when i go under water they are actually touching the back of my head! So ill put the bands up an inch or two.

Now, ive only ever dived with a Stab Jacket, the wing (and twin 7's) was fantastic! A pleasure to dive with! I felt so balanced in the water - no rocking side to side when i turn around or change direction. No floaty feet either - possibly coz the cyliders are longer than my usual 8 or 9ltr ones? Think ill give the ankle weights a miss next time.

Was not really too heavy either (for my 8stone minature self!). Easily walked about with it on, put it on with no help at all (much easier than my single plus pony to get on and off actually). Still got to try some dive ladders though!

Consumption wise - after the shallow bimble, testing regs, turning on and off manifold and cylinders etc we did a 'normal' dive at this site. Air in 210bar, dive was 43mins, max depth 29m and i had 100bar in each cylinder left. Im sure this consumption will actually decrease as i stop being so excited about the kit..... So i feel i have tonnes of air for two sunday loch fyne/loch long bimbles, and plenty when i go for a single dive on a more 'special' type of dive - trips/wrecks etc etc. Then the plan is to decant from a 15ltr for the second dive. Should end up with 160/170 bar in each cylinder according to calculators (starting from 50bar per 7ltr).

Think ill play about with the hose configuration a little more, move the bands up a bit and drop some more weight from my belt for the next dive.

All in all, i am very happy about the changes i have made to my kit. Changed most things actually!
It is a massive learning curve though, and i have enjoyed it so far (apart from the problems i had with my LDS!).
When i am fully competant with shutdowns (perfect time to learn when theres not much about to see!) i will be really happy that i have
much greater redundancy and will in turn be a safer diver than before (assuming i get shutdowns perfect). 'Before' was diving with an 8ltr or 9ltr cylinder with a 1ltr pony that the contents gauge leaked on!

I would like to thank everyone that gave me advise and opinions on cylinders/bands/wings/shouting at dive shops etc etc!

Cheers everyone!
Lynsey.

[dlegros]

Nice report. I'm hoping on moving to twins this year at some point, it's always good to see how others get on.

Dom

[andy b]

Glad everything worked out for you. I noticed your famous previous twinset in Aquatron a few weeks back and wondered what was happening!

You might want to have a look at the How to reach your valves section on divefitness.com. Also make sure when you're trying to reach your valves that you don't come at them side on - try and run your hand straight past your head and onto the valve. Oh, and, try to be flat in the water, as the twinset pulling down your back makes the valves harder to reach.

andy

[Buoyant Babe]

Originally Posted by dlegros

Nice report. I'm hoping on moving to twins this year at some point, it's always good to see how others get on.

Dom

Wot he said!

Good informative report. It's started me thinking again about my own 'next steps'

[markgrayshon]

Right i just need to get my girlfriend into the idea of diving with twins and i can then get myself one, been looking at getting a twinset of a while.

Good Report

[dublinbay]

Good report Lynsey. Glad you sorted assembly yourself. The top band should be just below the shoulder bend of tanks. Right post , primary and wing inflation, left post back up spg and suit inflation. Give me a shout if you need anything , hoses etc.

[KeyLimePie]

It's good to see all of your hard work and patience have finally paid off, Lynsey. Good report and I hope to be following in your footsteps before too long.

[Little Pete]

I have to say that I didn't have too many issues moving from a single 12 to twins when I did so (first on a borrowed set at the DIR stoney gig and now my own). Bear in mind I went from a Halcyon single setup to twins and so nothing changed in terms of hoses or anything on my front. The stability I found was good and I trimmed out well without any issues.

The only problem is that the cylinders are longer than my legs

[Ding Dang Doo]

Originally Posted by Buoyant Babe

Wot he said!

Good informative report. It's started me thinking again about my own 'next steps'

Yes... ditto...

[diverdan]

Lynsey

Conger alley is in Loch Long not Loch Fyne unless you know of another diving site by that name..........

Good luck with the twinset........

Whats your father's name as I probably know him?

Happy divingare you out this weekend?

Regards

diverdan