I tried scuba diving with double tanks - Mukilteo, Puget Sound, Washington

[@AzulUnlimited]

Do you want a video on tips for diving in doubles as a small person? ⛑ Become a DAN Member: bit.ly/DANMemberAzul ✈ Get your scuba diving trip insurance: bit.ly/DANTripAzul ✅ Join the Azul scuba community: www.patreon.com/azulunlimited

[@kjelpeterson5236]

Thanks!

[@AzulUnlimited]

Thank YOU! I appreciate this big time🙏💙

[@kjelpeterson5236]

Another great episode. I enjoy seeing you try different types of gear and divesites and giving your feedback on it. Looking forward to seeing the sailboat adventures unfold

[@AzulUnlimited]

Thank you 🤙 I can’t wait to share more sailboat stuff with you all

[@seanking5737]

Really cool to see some diving in the Washington area!

[@AzulUnlimited]

I love the diving here! And the community is freaking awesome 💙

[@PaulRoberts61877]

LOVE seeing my local beach from the aquatic angle.

[@AzulUnlimited]

Yay! Glad to be able to share it

[@tonfleuren3536]

I can't believe you've never dove double before! It's the only configuration I ever dove after my very first course. If you're going to do serious dives with doubles (which is usually the preferred configuration for technical diving), you have to make sure you can reach the valves, to do a proper valve drill and valve failure drill. I'm guessing those are much easier in a sidemount configuration. Personally, I've been wanting to give sidemount a try.

[@AzulUnlimited]

I still prefer sidemount to doubles. But it was a great introduction to it.

[@stevecooper3510]

Loved seeing the verts and inverts of the Salish Sea. Thanks!

[@AzulUnlimited]

Thanks, it's an amazing place to dive!

[@jeanlanglois7892]

It is my favorite configuration for the very reason you mention, very stable on the back. The only times I will prefer single is when shore diving and the water access is not very safe to enter with 2X the weight. Which is not the case with what I see in the video

[@AzulUnlimited]

Totally. Shore entries in the Puget sound are super chill

[@timgosling6189]

Welcome to twins. I also found I needed my weighting further down my body, and heavy fins, to get good trim. But it's a great configuration for when SM isn't appropriate. The downside for me is not being able so easily to see and diagnose any issues with the regulators as they're behind your head. That means you have to be well practised in the drills to react correctly and I'd recommend anyone going this way get expert tuition. But you looked very comfortable and of course coming from SM you know exactly what perfect trim feels like!

[@AzulUnlimited]

If I decide to take up doubles diving, I will definitely do drills to become proficient.

[@MikeDodds]

13:03 Time for the scuba nap!!! 😂

[@AzulUnlimited]

Scuba naps are great!

[@TheodoreJudah]

Thanks! Sarah, what was the water temperature?

[@AzulUnlimited]

Thank YOU! About 50-55F

[@WhaleOnTour]

If you need heay fins, I'm using OMS Tribe fins. These are like stones. Absolutely love them

[@AzulUnlimited]

Nice! Thanks for the tip 🙏

[@ChadDoesStuff]

Nice! I live just across the ferry on Whidbey! (and have yet to dive Mukilteo. oops)

[@AzulUnlimited]

You have to check it out!

[@kitzyowo1319]

Oml I went to America and dove there 28th of may, haha. Sadly due to bad vis it was a dive lasting 5 minutes 🥲 I think I may have dived with 2 of the people you were with? A father and his daughter? 12:52, I think that is the daughter and... Father? If so, the dad is such a kind and nice guy! I thought it was fine but the locals didn't, fair enough! Also for doubles I use a Bertec weight system, it's just that one step nicer then the pouches (And prob that 5 steps more expensive!)

[@AzulUnlimited]

Those two aren't father and daughter. They are just dive buddies. And yes, they are very nice.

[@kitzyowo1319]

@@AzulUnlimited Mmm, thought it was father and daughter... Might be two different people then I am thinking off, or it may be the daughter with a buddy. Either way, honestly, nice people all around Seattle, I really like how open they are and show that not every GUE divers is "To be feared". I was very sad returning to the Netherlands, the community here feels so much more closed and gated :(

[@AzulUnlimited]

@@kitzyowo1319 shoot. I'm sorry you've had that experience, and yes, the friendly diving community is a big part of the reason I love this area so much. If you come back this way, reach out!

[@somethingsomethingscuba]

Awesome! Doubles are great because it's exactly the same configuration as a single from the shoulders forward. And you're absolutely right, you do get "twins fit" when you dive them regularly.

[@AzulUnlimited]

It was quite comfortabe in the water.

[@somethingsomethingscuba]

@@AzulUnlimited Did you try a valve drill?

[@AzulUnlimited]

@@somethingsomethingscuba I didn't. Next time :)

[@MikeDodds]

I was diving at Pennyroyal in Kentucky and saw a rigged twinset. Dude was rocking twin HP Steel 110s in a backplate and wing rig. The wing looked like a friggin tractor tire inner tube!!! Absolutely nuts!!!

[@AzulUnlimited]

110s?!? Wow! There are some divers here in the PNW that are quite tall that dive twin 117s and 120s. That's almost as tall as me!

[@HeinerLok]

I am diving since 1993 and always dived single tank, wasn't until 2011 that i tried doubles. And as you mentioned the stability it gives you is great, especialy in combination with a drysuit. After that first dive with doubles i was hooked and have been diving them since then. Have a D7 (±40cft) for dives around 25m/75 ft and a D10(±80cft) for the deeper dives, also have 2 stage 40cft and 80cft that i use when diving solo or diving deep.

[@HeinerLok]

Gonna try out side-mount soon, friend and co-instructor teaches toddy style and wants me to change to SM due to neck injury

[@AzulUnlimited]

Sidemount can be a great alternative for people who need to change that weight distribution. It takes some getting used to, but with a good instructor guiding you, you will pick it up in no time!

[@HeinerLok]

@@AzulUnlimited Yeah i guess i will pick it up quickly, already used to diving with stage. So handling the tanks shouldn't be a problem, it is the adjusting/fine tuning of the system that will take most of the time i think. And the tank drill is someting i look forward to. Andy is a TDI instructor with a lot of experience so i can learn a lot of him, even being an instructor myself.

[@TrishT-me6nj]

Interesting video! I'm also small frame, 5'3" and I can only imagine myself struggling with walking around with extra tanks on my back! Love those mushroom looking sponges at the dive site too.

[@AzulUnlimited]

Those are called plumose anemone. They are absolutely beautiful!

[@TrishT-me6nj]

@@AzulUnlimited thanks!

[@HeinerLok]

Try a double with 2 40cft tanks, that should work with your length

[@mahnkemachine3281]

I love diving doubles! I much prefer them to singles. So stable and air for days! Until recently, I was diving LP95’s all the time, and my wife was diving HP100’s for technical dives. At 5’3” the HP100’s were really too big for my wife and she struggled getting back onto charter boats with them. Between the cost of helium, and her struggles with the weight of doubles, we got into rebreathers in May this year. The units we got weigh close to the weight of a single tank setup, solving the problem of climbing the boat ladder, are just as stable to me as my doubles were, and having the added benefit of significantly reduced gas usage when tech diving. To the point of the fellow helping you get fitted up, my wife loves the short backplate. It’s only about 1.5 inches shorter than the standard backplate, but she says it fits her much better than the standard backplate. Once she got one, she would not go back to the standard backplate, she liked it that much!

[@AzulUnlimited]

That is awesome! I’m glad to hear you guys were able to solve that problem! I love that scuba diving has so many different options for people.

[@AirwolfCrazy]

I'll stick with sidemount. After some shoulder surgery I cannot confidently reach the valves to do a shut down if needed. I like the ease of accessing the valves on sidemount.

[@AzulUnlimited]

100% i feel the same way. I can reach the valves at my back but I like being able to see my valves when solo diving

[@HeinerLok]

One way to solve that issue is to is a reverse set up. Reverse the tanks so the valves are at your buttocks, easier to reach that way. My buddy has a "stiff" left arm and dives his doubles this way, and i tried it once and had to say it was not bad😊

[@AzulUnlimited]

@@HeinerLok I've never seen that!

[@davidb5195]

Such a great video. I just got back from diving yesterday using doubles in a drysuit and open water. So what you are saying at the end of your video is that you have some shit to attend to?

[@AzulUnlimited]

Hahahaha luckily no shitting US allowed onboard 😆

[@TheodoreJudah]

The red colored metridium are cool!

[@AzulUnlimited]

Aren't they? I love all the life here in the PNW!

[@zeroviz53]

RK3 is a great fin for drysuit diving

[@wd4005]

I love my RK3s!

[@AzulUnlimited]

I have a friend who loves their RK3 fins. I prefer more negatively buoyant fins for drysuit diving.

[@HeinerLok]

Try the force fin from scubapro, great for drysuit diving. In my humble opinion the best when drysuit diving, i dive dry since 1995 and have tried various fins.

[@AzulUnlimited]

@@HeinerLok Thanks!

[@James0u812]

Try double lp50s!!!!!! Lighter, but still the redundancy and simplicity of back mount and a lower profile. They are awesome!

[@AzulUnlimited]

Maybe one day. Right now, space and storage is the issue. I can't have a large assortment of tanks with my current living space.

[@h20doctor]

Hey ... Your in my back yard .... I helped build the geodome many years ago . There's a plaque their honoring him at the base. Welcome to the Pacific Northwest. If you want to meet up with the local celebrities im one of them. Also take a look at our local scuba board Northwest dive club... Accentuating doubles why didn't you go down to the man at 115 ft and then you could have jumped over to the troll... @136 feet

[@AzulUnlimited]

Hello! Nice to virtually meet you! Since it was my first time in doubles and at Mukilteo, I didn't want to go too deep. But maybe next time!

[@wd4005]

Gosh this makes me miss diving the sound.

[@AzulUnlimited]

I love diving here!

[@gabyallrath553]

I would like to hear more about doubles configuration for short people (I’m 5‘5).

[@HeinerLok]

With your length a double 7L or 40 cft would be a good configuration in regard to tanks.

[@gabyallrath553]

@ Thank you!

[@AzulUnlimited]

I’m organizing a video shoot all about it. I will post it before the end of the year!

[@WDImagery]

What brand 1st stages are you using with those doubles?

[@AzulUnlimited]

Those are Nex Underwater Products. Great small company based in Monterey, California

[@WDImagery]

@@AzulUnlimited I love the look of them.

[@HeinerLok]

​@@AzulUnlimitedthey look very scimmilar to the Apexs mtx-r or rc

[@cowboymcq6711]

You’re living the life 🎉. So sick That’s what I’m working towards myself Good Times Get life back to simplicity life on a sailboat

[@AzulUnlimited]

Although it has it's challenging, it's amazing! Thanks for watching!

[@MikeDodds]

Worthingtons sounds like a snooty law firm or something!!! 😂

[@AzulUnlimited]

Haha! Almost! But they are very sought after here and really hold their market value.

[@jacobkrause1913]

When you are feeling up some wrecks past recreational levels reach out

[@AzulUnlimited]

I've heard of the wrecks in Lake Washington. Maybe someday!

[@DanielRicardo42]

If you're gonna go on your first doubles dive, there's no better option than to do it with a GUE diver

[@AzulUnlimited]

Yes, my friend was trained by both PADI and GUE agencies.

[@DanPlusWater]

Hope you had a great time diving and trying something new. (At least it looked like you did 😊). I do a hybrid version of doubles, that I term, ""Independent Doubles"'. I still have 2 fully redundant systems, but with the added ability to easily exchange bottles without needing any tools, and I can even offload the bottles to the boat crew, before climbing up the ladder so it's easier for me. (The benefits of side mount, but bottles are still mounted to my back plate, as being a Public Safety Diver requires alot of arm room to work)... I will actually be making a video about it soon for my channel page on how I created it, so everyone can see what I'm talking about... Might be another option to try? From Lansing, Michigan. Wishing you and your loved ones a great week, and hopefully you can get a few more dives in before the weather turns bad.

[@AzulUnlimited]

That sounds super interesting.

[@esits]

Ugh. Shore diving a set of double low pressure 120's was never fun. Ok, the diving was fun - getting in and out of the water was not fun. Hurts my hips just watching this video. Nice to see the gear hasn't changed too much since my last technical dive over 20 years ago. I had a stainless steel backplate, we built our own harness, Halcyon wings, dual cross over manifold and some scuba pro's. Main was on a 10' hose and redundant was under my neck on a bungie. Throw on a cannister light and you're set! NAUI Divemaster and TDI Advanced TrixMix Diver. Now, next time you dive doubles, do a bunch of manifold emergency drills. Have your dive partner screw with all the manifold valves and you get to figure out how to undue it all without dying. Or, remove your twins underwater and put it all back on. Without a mask. Fun stuff. My recreational kit used the same gear but with only a single tank and attached a 30cft pony bottle. No manifold, but that gave me 2 regulators, 10' hose, and still had a backup source of air.

[@AzulUnlimited]

That's an awesome setup - thanks for sharing your experience!

[@SeattleRingHunter]

Sarah, Go take a GUE FUNDIES course! Cheers, #SeattleRingHunter

[@AzulUnlimited]

Maybe one day. But right now, I have my hands full with lots of boat stuff.

[@matt_hoaglund]

Pink fins and H’s aren’t GUE-y approved. lol. Jk!

[@AzulUnlimited]

Hahahaha time to report him 🤣

[@matt_hoaglund]

@@AzulUnlimited love your channel! Well done reporting him haha

[@arqcm]

I will keep my Sidemount life!!😁

[@AzulUnlimited]

It's still my preferred method to dive right now.

[@bodee1994]

A cart to bring down the kit to the water,seems like a way to go🤿🤘🤿

[@AzulUnlimited]

Some divers do that. I might be one of them one day!

[@willsmooth45]

😮‍💨✊🏼*cough* get *cough* a cough*rebreather *cough* 🫣👀😂😂😂 it’s better than doubles luggin them around is such a back breaker

[@padraicmcgraw]

This lady just bought a boat.... Idk that the budget could take rebreather money

[@AzulUnlimited]

haha! I have friends that are rebreather divers. I'll try it out one day. But for right now, I'm focusing on getting my house/boat in order. Thanks for the tip!

[@AzulUnlimited]

Yeah, not too much in the "rebreather fund" right now. haha!

[@TrishT-me6nj]

Thanks!

[@AzulUnlimited]

Thanks for watching! 🙏💙