Imported post
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Phil Ennis @ Nov. 24 2003,19:31)]
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]So have you inverted Mark? I wasn't aware that you had!
No if you read my post you will see I went for the slob knob, but I admit that inverts are better than the slob knob. I have also given serious thought to inverts.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I have never met anyone yet who cannot shut down as long as the rig is correctly set up and the under suit or drysuit are not restricting them.
Really? I have met loads. Including one chap who nearly killed himself by running out of gas. Only difference was he thought he could do normal shut downs. He was very bent but lucky to be alive after ascending from 50m and totally running out at 15m. Rob Evans was on that boat trip ask him.
If you meet me I would be only too pleased to demonstrate how crap I am at it. With two stages on it becomes ridiculously slow.
I haven’t had the spare cash or the opportunity to try loads of different under suits and dry suits to see if that made any difference. Like most divers I chose a well-known suit and bought that one in what the makers said was the right size for the figures I sent them.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]You must have very short arms or I suspect a suit that is restricting you.
I am 5'10" and have a 32 waste and 44 chest. Unlike GI3 I am unfortunately less Action man and more Quasimodo. I find shut downs hard work in a 5mm semi dry so I doubt if a different dry suit will help.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]If someone genuinely cannot then yes invert because you have to be able to shutdown or you shouldn't be diving the rig.
That old chestnut
So how many of you can shut down your single tanks? Not many I bet and yet you can still dive the rig?? This standard shut down comment is just bullshit. I did conventional shut downs for my Trimix course. I couldn’t believe they would pass me having taken soooooooo long to shut down conventionally but they did.
Release waste buckle hoik up tank, grab knob shut down, jeeeeez what a waste of time. Two turns of the slob knob swap regs and ascend to gas switch. Much quicker. Faff about trying to shut the reg down once the situation is under control.
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Before you inverted did you have 3 slob knobs
No you don’t need three just one and independent bail out gas or enough gas in any one tank at any time in the dive to get you safely to the surface.
I do know a chap who used three slob knobs to pass his Trimix course and I did see a diver using two slob knobs on his independent 12s.
Difference is you see a numptie and I see someone who has carried out a risk assessment and implemented a safety protocol to minimise the risk. I would rather diver with either diver than someone who refuses to admit a problem and dives a conventional rig to be fashion conscious
Ask your self this question Phil. If I could do it with a little rig adjustment and practice and I could do it as quickly and safely as I can with my slob knob (or if I chose, with an invert rig) don’t you think I would?
Mark Chase