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Hi Mark. I have an XDeep Deluxe wing for a single tank with an aluminum plate. I’d like to change the configuration to twin set. Of course, I’ll need a bigger bag. However, I’m wondering if the aluminum plate will be suitable for the twin set. #askmark
I manage a xdeep dealer in florida and its something people ask often. In our experience the plate actually begins to bend in aluminum 80s/ steel 85s. You’ll most likely need more lead in dbls anyway so your better off just buying a new or used steel plate, in large size if you are over 5’11” or small size if under.
Yeah, as @simzalabim says, aluminium is a softer metal, and while it will be able to make the odd dive with twins, there’s a chance it may bend with heavier cylinders. A steel backplate would be safer if you plan to dive twins frequently.
#askmark diving is great. But afterwards you can feel a bit “depleted” what is you go to food for after a dive and what are your top 10 recommendations. Also what should you eat and what shouldn’t you eat before a dive. #hungrydiver #decompressionfood
Carbs and water are your friends for diving but, nothing stodgy or hard to digest.
*Before a dive* I avoid anything greasy or high sugar so I don’t get heartburn or a sugar crash during the dive. A fair amount of water and carbs leading up to a dive, overnight oats or some kind of breakfast cereal. But not too much water, overhydration can lead to needing to cut the dive short and can also increase chances of IPO.
*Right after the dive* I drink some water or fruit juice to rehydrate and maybe get some sugars in. I usually bring flapjacks or some kind of oat bar to get some carbs and sugar in for instant and slow release energy.
After that it’s down to proteins and carbs with a good meal
@Scuba Diver Magazine almost sounds like. Before the dive eat proper British meal. After the dive eat a proper British meal……. and tea.
What is IPO?
#askmark My predive lever on my regulator (aqualung legend elite) is sticky after a shore dive. I auspect i got sand in there and no amount of rinsing is helping. Is there anything i can do that might help clean this more thoroughly than taking it to a service tech. Any walkthrough or demonstration i would appreciate. Thanks.
If there’s grit in the mechanism then I’d stop adjusting it for now so that it doesn’t wear. Your best option is to ask an AquaLung Technician to quickly pull it apart, remove the grit and assess for damage.
The procedure shouldn’t be complicated, the technician would unscrew the front cover of the 2nd stage and gently remove the diaphragm and any retaining rings. Then they would be able to see inside the 2nd stage and brush any grit out of the 2nd stage. In a perfect world that would be all they need to do but, if there’s still grit in the mechanism the technician would need to fully disassemble the 2nd stage.
Thanks for the answer, Mark! Having just completed my cave course, I was free to use whatever hand was convenient at the time. I dive in sidemount and the wing I have (Razor) has the dump on my left oblique and my inflator runs across my chest, right to left. This means that I inflate my wing with my right hand so I also inflate my dry suit with it for consistency. But, it very much depends on the situation. If I was performing a task like running line, for example, I would use my left hand as my right would be on the reel to hold tension and guiding it to next tie off. I’m right handed.
#askmark Hello, Any know cases where air in the BCD is used for and extra few breaths in an out of air emergency? If you can self inflate a BCD the opposite maybe possible? I asked my inductor he believed the bacterial risk was too high. I believe a bacterial infection would be your last worry if its your only option to live. Most likely the physics would prevent getting a useful breath. Could be an interesting test with a sterile BCD and safe environment. Whats your opinion Thanks!
For the amount of gas that most divers keep in their BCD for fine tuning their buoyancy, there wouldn’t be much of a lungful there. On the surface where your BCD has the most gas in it you don’t need to breathe from it.
If it ever truly came to breathing from a BCD or drowning then yes, I’d risk a bacterial infection. But I don’t think there’s a real-world situation where you’d need to breathe from a BCD.
#askmark Any preference between apeks and sitech valves on drysuits? I’ve seen arguments on both sides
No preference really. The general consensus I see online is that SiTech valves are more efficient but, they’re a bit more fragile and higher profile. I’ve heard some divers fins Apeks valves leaky at times but, I’m always prepared to get a little wet on a dive.
Personally I’ve never had an issue with either. I’d probably lean a bit more towards SiTech but, I wouldn’t think twice about diving a drysuit with Apeks valves.
#askmark my local dive shop only teaches scubapro air2 because that is all that they stock in the shop to sell. They only show one tiny little slide of an octo but don’t demonstrate or even show the setup in person. Shockingly they even say during the class: “we use air2 here but if you go anywhere else you’ll likely get an octo set up.”
I am curious how you and other dive professionals feel about this. BTW it’s a top 10 SSI shop in thr country ad far as number of certs given.
Interesting…
I do see the benefits of an integrated inflator setup. However they’re doing their students a disservice if they only mention octos briefly because students will venture out and could be confused by rental regulators and what to do in an emergency as they’re trained to donate their primary.
Integrated inflators are by far the least common regulator setup and only fit on certain BCDs.
I’d love to see the SSI training standards on skills like reg recovery to see what they’re required to teach
@ScubaDiverMagazine I don’t know the SSI standards but they teach two regulator recovery methods: the arm down back, up, and around sweeping your primary into your arm then back into your mouth. Also the lean to your right, reach back to first stage, grab hose and retrieve primary back into your mouth. Continuing to blow bubbles while reg is out.
I personally was shocked by the air2 design during my OW classes with them. The inflate and deflate buttons were extremely hard to press down and oral inflation was the hardest of all the skills because the button had to be squeezed down using both hands other wise you couldn’t get the airway open. Granted this was probably do to lack of service but as a professional dive shop their student gear was trash. I also couldn’t imagine how terrible it would be to have a real like emergency with my buddy 2 inches from my face and my inflation device in my mouth. I was really caught off guard by everything about it as a new diver.
The right hand right hand holding the light left hand runs BC etc push comes to shove whatever hand is free Unless you are GUE DIR types
The light is on your left hand because you are planning for the end result, which means scootering. Almost everyone runs their scooter with their right hand. So you learn to manage the light in your left hand from the start.
@Team Peg Leg thanks !!
Since @aliasincognito0 mentioned cave diving in particular: in cave diving your light is not always in your left. It is in whatever hand it needs to be in for the layout of the cave at any given time and you will switch light hand frequently. So, whichever hand is free/convenient is the right answer and if nothing else is happening, then take the hand that doesn’t have the light. If that hand is busy, then use the light hand but be careful not to inadvertently give an emergency signal.
#askmark how do you size a drysuit base on size chart provided, i am 161cm 55kg 38cm feet , for reference wearing size S aqualung shorty ( XS size bicep and thigh is too small and too tight )
can’t find a Male drysuit base on the size chart and test wearing is impossible as dive store doesn’t stock smallest size
Go to your local dive shop and get measured for one. It may also be possible that the shop, as an authorized retailer of the product, can get one in your measured size to try. If it doesn’t fit they can send it back for the proper size.
It’s best to go to the manufacturers website and see how they want you to measure yourself and what to wear. Then get somebody else to measure you with a tape measure. Go through the size chart and cross out any measurement that is too small. If one size doesn’t stand out then it’s down to trying them on or a M2M suit.
Your local dealer will be the best place to visit so they can measure you and find the best size for you and they’ll be able to get a suit in for you to try on as long as the manufacturer has them in stock. Just because they don’t have a smaller size in stock doesn’t mean they can’t get hold of one for you.
#askmark Here is an easy one…
Where can I get an “Emotional support bolt snap” t-shirt these days?
You can find them over at this Teespring store
https://safe-diving.creator-spring.com/listing/new-emotional-support-boltsnap
@Scuba Diver Magazine Do you own the store and designs, or do you have to give the parent company of Simply Scuba a cut?
I always watch Mark’s videos, but I used to benefit more from videos with multiple questions. Lately, it’s been one video per question so if it’s something I already know, the whole video isn’t as interesting…
I agree some questions need more in depth answers, but questions like the one today could probably have a shorter answer and multiple questions answered but over all a good listen