32 replies to this topic

[scubafanatic]

Sorry Shad if I am hijacking your thread, but I have a similar interest in that we are talking about doing the Odyssey Liveaboard in Chuck Lagoon in January of 2011, and the boat supports tec diving of the wrecks, including manifolded doubles. They require Extended Range Diver to do them..

http://www.trukodyssey.com/

So now I am trying to chart a course to get there to be able to take full advantage of what is offered on the boat. It seems like the first step is to move to a BP/Wing and prep for diving doubles.

George, If Extended Range is your goal, then yes I would say go ahead and move to a bp/wing set up. My best advice from my personal experience is to go ahead and get the gear need in the beginning. It's all about consistency. I didn't do that and started my initial training in some borrowed gear. It seemed like every time I changed something I was starting over again. Ideally I think it's best to dive the same basic set up whether you're diving doubles or a single tank if you can, including a long hose, etc. I haven't done that because I teach recreational too, but I think it's best if you can.

Some of that appears to be a challenge and a balancing act as the BP/Wing I would want for travel I would want to be as small and light as possible, but probably would not have the lift requirements for a typical doubles setup.

...for what it's worth, the Odyssey offers manifolded AL 80's...which are 'lite' doubles.....I've used a 50 - 55 lbs wing for twin AL 80's, twin steel LP 76's, twin LP steel 85's and twin LP steel 95's, ...along woth a stage bottle, and that amount of lift was plenty, so you don't need a monster sized wing for Truk.

[georoc01]

Sorry Shad if I am hijacking your thread, but I have a similar interest in that we are talking about doing the Odyssey Liveaboard in Chuck Lagoon in January of 2011, and the boat supports tec diving of the wrecks, including manifolded doubles. They require Extended Range Diver to do them..

http://www.trukodyssey.com/

So now I am trying to chart a course to get there to be able to take full advantage of what is offered on the boat. It seems like the first step is to move to a BP/Wing and prep for diving doubles.

.....per their WWW site, Extended Range is ...RECOMMENDED.....not required.

Karl

Agreed, but if you are going to spend $6k on a trip, wouldn't you want to have the skills to maximize the value you get out of it? Plus when you look at the list of sample sites, at least a few the wrecks don't start till 80-100' and go as deep as 200'. I'd like to have more than just a few minutes if I have the resources to do it.

Edited by georoc01, 10 July 2008 - 06:12 AM.

[Fordan]

I have to disagree with one point (At least in a small way). When I took the DM course it was for personal knowledge development. You are right in making the general statement that going pro is for others, but it is a great course to fill in all the blanks the other courses never covered in enough detail for me. Just the stuff covering tissue compartments alone made it worth while. So much went 'click' in my mind when I read over the material. The point about liability and responsibility is dead on. My greatest moments of anxiety were with students. The best feelings of achievement were with them too.

That's one of the things I like about the NAUI Master Diver program vs the PADI Master Diver program. The training programs are equivalent up to that point, but while the PADI Master Diver is a collection cert (get 5 specialties), the NAUI Master Diver is basicly the technical content from the Divemaster program, minus the leadership pieces. It's a good way to expand your diver knowledge without expanding into the leading others aspects of DM and the liability it includes.

Now I just need to get my dives in to complete it.