Scuba anyone?
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@Giles same hook / rope experience, and a mandatory upgrade for Komodo as we were told by the guides that came from there. They were pushing our AOWD/Deep group hard at descents, yet for unknown reasons we were not doing a negative entry. This was the only time when the current was really an inconvenience. To reach a starting point at depth. Not all the dives were with the current, but we always engaged in some meandering, often against the currents, to check the pinnacles for pigmy seahorses.
Going back to the rope, we were chastised by our guide for having reef hooks that are, and I quote "Are expensive for money but cheap for life". They are stainless steel in protective tube. His good point was regarding the lack of grip on the string surface while being in very strong currents. It's better to have something like what you build, please keep some knots, something bulky, to hold on to when you climb down to the hook in order to release it.
And the long rope also provides longer bottom time while hanging on the observation point. It's amazing how many minutes can be gained when you have a long rope. -
OK @Karol . I have decided what I will get/do.
XDeep Ghost with 4 small trim weight pockets, 2 on each cam belt. Currently I dive with 4KG of ditch-able weight with my Hollis LTS BCD. Not sure how my weight requirements will change when I move to the Ghost plate and wings.
I don't need any ditch-able weights and having weight around my waist gives me an uncomfortable foot down attitude in the water. Having the 4 pockets should allow me to fine-trim to horizontal. Also, taking into consideration your comments about streamlining, having all the weight "hidden" on my back, will greatly improve my streamlining.
Paula will also get a Ghost, but I suspect that I won't convince her to move to all non ditch-able weights.
"OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011
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@Giles If you dive now with 4kg, you might actually go down to 2kg as the aluminium plate might weight ~1,6kg. The trim pockets will be perfect here, with how little weight you need it's not a big deal if you can't hand the weights separately to the dingy crew on the way back. Your trim might improve with this setup, but I have a question about the fins. Are they of negative, neutral or positive bouncy?
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I have negative and positive fins.....I use the postive when I am doing close quarters stuff in and around coral (the are quite short), the long ones which are negative, I use if I know I have to do a lkoad of finning...
And I have never been asked to take the weights out when I give the BCD to the dinghy guys.....And if I have to, I can float the tank/BCD set up and take the weights out....But the Ghost only weights 2.3 KG, with bits and bobs, 2KG of weight and the reg set, I reckon the set up minus tank will be about 8kg
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@Giles That "uncomfortable foot down attitude in the water" happened regardless of the fins?
Im asking because during last trip I swapped fins with another diver in my group and that was the worst dive in that I almost felt like a seahorse. Cool fins but my trim was way off. Maybe in dry suit with a bit of air in the leg that setup can be nice, but by cost of freedom of movement (once you distribute the air you don't want to mess with it).
What would you say about short fins with a larger surface area? Something that would feel rigid and resistant to a strong frog kick.Favorite:
IH-888S-21 | IH-888-XHSib | IH-805 | IH-729-PUR | IH-555-SST-BLK | IH-555S-25MB
IHSH-339-SAX | IHSH-293-OD | IHSH-362-BLK | IHSH-409-IB | IHSH-336-OD | IHSB-BIGBUCK-BLK | IHSB-PR-NAT
IHV-44-BLK | IHV-02-BLK
IHJ-75-BLK | IHJ-79-BLK | IHM-37-ODG -
@Karol said in Scuba anyone?:
What would you say about short fins with a larger surface area? Something that would feel rigid and resistant to a strong frog kick.
No views, I am afraid....
My tendency to sea horse is way less with the floating fins, but honestly, I am sure that it is because I have 4KG around my waist.... Get that up to nearer the shoulders and I think it will make a massive difference....
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You guys are heading for overall trim improvement just by having the wing. Have the trim bags on the tank belts as close to the plate as possible.
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@Karol said in Scuba anyone?:
Have the trim bags on the tank belts as close to the plate as possible.
Yep......
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"OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011
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@Giles I need to upgrade my hook line like yours and to cut the stupid metal.
Question on your setup, having the reference point from the carabiner, I was thinking about getting larger knots, just to have more surface area so hold on to. What is the result of your slip test? I know it's a subjective question, but have you tied it to something and gave it a try? -
I did think about installing plastic beads about 12mm in diameter, locked between two knots instead of just the knot. But felt that the small knots would be OK, even if I have to wrap the cord around my hand. and the beads would increase the chances of getting tangles as I deployed....
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@Giles Thanks! Good and balanced opinion. The tangle worry is always real. My fucking hook was out and about few times to many this last trip...
But that's why Im thinking about thicker paracord. I have a feeling the thicker it is the harder it is to tangle. But I was not testing this theory in practice.
What do You think?Favorite:
IH-888S-21 | IH-888-XHSib | IH-805 | IH-729-PUR | IH-555-SST-BLK | IH-555S-25MB
IHSH-339-SAX | IHSH-293-OD | IHSH-362-BLK | IHSH-409-IB | IHSH-336-OD | IHSB-BIGBUCK-BLK | IHSB-PR-NAT
IHV-44-BLK | IHV-02-BLK
IHJ-75-BLK | IHJ-79-BLK | IHM-37-ODG -
@Giles said in Scuba anyone?:
said in Scuba anyone?:
XDeep Ghost with 4 small trim weight pockets,
Bought.
And what about @Madame-Buttonfly ?
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She is not 100% sure exactly what she wants/needs, size wise and weight pocket wise. So I have ordered an L Ghost for me, with 4 small back mounted trim weight pockets and 2 small ditchable waist belt weight belt pockets.
I wont use the waist belt pockets, but she will. I want to get her to understand (she has issues visualising shit), how they and the back mounted pockets will work.
Once I have shown her how it all fits together, and she has worked out where her gear will attach, we will order her the wing and any other bits she needs.
I have one of these already. So I can stow my DSMB and reef hook (and other shit, if I feel the need) in that.
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@Karol said in Scuba anyone?:
My fucking hook was out and about few times to many this last trip...
My fucking hook used to fall out of the pouch it came with and hook onto shit randomly. Which is why I now stow it in the XDeep cargo pouch (see above)
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@Karol said in Scuba anyone?:
My fucking hook was out and about few times to many this last trip...@Giles said in Scuba anyone?:
My fucking hook used to fall out of the pouch it came with
@Karol - sounds like a great trip, good to get the hook out when travelling
@Giles - did that excuse ever work?
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