My Technical Diving Gear Set Up

R for rebreather

Do you require your tech student to have a double bladder?

Maybe I'm just missing something but I can't find a video showing your Recreational SCUBA setup. What's the title of the video or do you have a link. Many thanks in advance.

Hi James thanks for the video, great as always. Quick question, where do you store your big boy reel if it does not fit in the dry suit pocket? Kind rgds Andrea

No, "every technical diver" doesn't agree that redundant buoyancy is necessary. The 'DIR' school has always prioritized the Balanced Rig Principle - which should be discussed in any feature about technical diving gear configuration.

Large capacity redundant wings are a bit anachronistic; a throwback to when high capacity steels were dived with thick wetsuits; something that any well-trained tech diver should know is ill-advisable and very difficult to make a reasonable argument for.

It's worth mentioning that commonly accepted best practice suggests the redundant LPI should not be connected during dives. It was shown connected in your video. It's a mistake that has caused too many injuries and fatalities to be overlooked. Read the reports of Annelie Wada's fatal accident in South Africa...

I'm interested in your rationale and calculations involved with choosing the 60lb wing. My guess is that you planned the requirement based on HP100s, as 40lbs is a far more typical requirement for AL80s or AL100s.

Wing lift calculation is often neglected in tech training; it'd be a good topic for a future video.

Whilst lift bags are a solution for redundant buoyancy, it requires extensive practice. Far too many tech divers content themselves with hypothetical solutions that dismiss risks, rather than functionally addressing them. I've seen divers who have only done a 'lift bag ascent' in confined or shallow water... and then opt to be reliant on that for real dives. They aren't practiced with the technique for real-world tech ascents; and all the complexity and task loading that comes with it. The reality is that it's a very hard skill, and takes a lot of routine, deliberate practice to become reliable. Most are incapable of doing it for real, i.e. it's not actually a risk mitigation... it is a convenient means of risk dismissal.

I love the apex tec shorts

What about dive computer consoles

How long are those inflator hoses?

When it comes to using your drysuit as a buoyancy device in an emergency, like Gene Krantz said: I don't care what it's designed to do, I only care what it CAN do.

I like that you're practical with your advice where I don't have to buy branded equipment, etc. I am researching what to buy for my rec scuba gear, and the prices can be financially overwhelming when you search online for the "best" equipment. X_X

Damn that was pretty thorough. I appreciate this info, thank you. I am curious though what kind of fins you prefer for each configuration.

what size is your primary light

You should tell those GUE divers it’s ok to customize your gear to suit your personal needs.

What do you think of the Apex XTX 100 I might possibly have a need for starting tec and looking at a set of these.

I want to know where you put the 35 pounds of extra weight on that equipment or do you put on a belt

Good video. Thank you.

You mentioned using contacts during your dives, doesn’t it become an issue when your clearing your mask or changing your mask underwater ?

Man u would love to visit you some time you just seem like a nice person to hang out qith:)

90-degree connector between the hose and regulator second stage: having watched a variety of videos on DIR/Hogarthian/Tech rig set-ups, I’ve seen a 90-degree connector on the long hose, on the back up, on both, and on neither. I see you have a 90-degree only on your primary. What are the pros and cons of the different configurations? Many thanks James!

What are your preferred cylinders for deco gas. Do you just complete deco on your back gas without gas switches? I have found slinging 80s of deco gas very challenging where 40s are very easy and you barely notice them.

Diving dry, I think wings are waste. We started diving with Unisuits when they came out back in the 70s on shipwrecks (Michigan) and found BCs unnecessary. There were no octopus rigs when I started but I did carry a 33cf pony bottle, obviously with its own reg, but it was not for public consumption. I was the only one in my group that ever had to use their pony, and then it was only twice; one time to finish out decom stop.

We carried real knives. I got tangled up in some electrical wiring hanging down from a ceiling in about 125' in the Monrovia, and was glad for the size and type of blade it was. On the other side, I dove on wrecks for almost 10 years, and it was the only time I used it.

Dive lights today are amazing compared to what was available when I stated diving (1968). I wound up making my own from a friend's design that would never hold up in warm water because it was a 6 volt tractor headlight that I ran 14 volts through. We were diving in 39 to 42 degree water, and never had a bulb burn out. It was extremely bright, and friends always new what room I was in because all the portholes had light glaring out of them.

We carried spools of line back then, but not anything with 400', and certainly not the same quality. I got lost on the stern of the Danial J Morrell and found out my 220' of line was not enough. I only used it once, but without it, I wouldn't have gotten the decoming I was able to complete. We always had a tank of pure O2 on board for just that king of emergency, and a good supply of aspirin to thin the blood. The dose was 8 to 12 depending of body size, which was the recommended by the research Doctors at U of M . We were told to take the aspirin, lay still for at least an hour, breathing the O2. I should have spent at least 45 Min at 10 ten feet decoming, but I did what the doctors said, and didn't get bent. 4 hours later, I went down an retrieved my line.


Diving equipment has certainly changed, and I would say mostly for better, especially concerning dive computers. My first one was the SOS Decompression Meter, which we affectionately called the "benz-o-matic". It could only do one thing, and not very well. Obviously, we had a working knowledge of the Navy Dive Tables.

BCs using dry suits at depth and octopus rigs; No thanks, way to much unnecessary junk. Of course, we only had compressed air (mixed gas was mostly a theory in until the late 70s and wasn't available to sport divers until much later), so we needed life underwater to be as simple as possible.

We had 2 sayings that we lived by. 1. Plan your dive, and dive your plan. 2. There are old divers, and there are bold divers, but there are no old, bold divers.

Steel 100s are the best..Steel 131s are heavy as shit, but pumped up, you got gas all day...Also steel denotes less weight around your waist and better buoyancy when your gas gets low..Always dove oms back plate and banded wings with one inflater hose with Poseidon's. You can never have enough gas. Lose a mask,a fin, no biggie..Outta air..your screwed. North Atlantic wreck diving was my primary location..Safe diving.

Funny I pretty much have the same set up. Exep my fins are OMS ones and I have the non redundant donut 😁. And I also chew threw the apeks shorts. It's sad because they are good shorts but the pockets just aren't up to scratch.

Trying to figure out to get a donut wing system either from Apeks or from OMS. Have two shops in my town, one sells Apeks and the other OMS, each sells the best 😂. What would you prefer and why?

Great video.

Finally someone that doesn’t puke at the sight of a dual bladder wing. I have your exact setup from Apeks. (Backplate/harness, Tek 3 Regs and of course the WTX-D60R wing) I’ve been told by multiple training agencies that I can’t train with it. Looks like I might be coming to you for tech training.

Hi James! Great advice as always - Really enjoying your channel! Just wanted to let you know, that I've been using the Fourth Element Tec Shorts for about 50 dives in warm water now, and I couldn't be happier. Since I use a wing configuration, that doesn't provide any pockets, they have become my main place to store about anything I bring on a regular dive (torches, boltsnaps, spare mask, SMBs, line, white balance sheet, etc.). I really like the pocket layout and size, especially the super large lids, which are even suitable for use with gloves. If you have the chance, I'd really recommend having a look at them. Have a great season, stay safe and best regards from Switzerland!

I realize that this is 9 months old, but I use kona brand shorts. They appear to be the same shorts as Apex, just half the price.

What Stage Regulator do you use? Because it is undeniable, that the Tek 3 while being a great Twin-Set Regulator is not the ideal Stage Regulator.

so, what happened to that perdix video? :)

Hi James, I am just starting to look at the long hose set up, with a back plate and wing. I am only diving recreationally at the moment in the UK. THis video suggets that i may not need t drop loads of cash on a branded back plate. Will non branded hamper set up of the wing or is there a base standard they meet ? Generally speaking of course

Awesome video. Great info.

Bro I use my drysuit for buoyancy constantly I don’t need to “put more air than necessary” 🤦🏻‍♂️ I just loft my suit and bam perfect buoyancy no big bubble of air and neck seal has never once burped on me or my wrist seals when I dive them (mostly dive dry glove) seems like you have a lot of issues with your drysuit maybe get a DUI

For some odd reason I can't find your recreational diving gear setup video. :S

James, your videos are thoroughly enjoyable. I too have a DST/XTX50 setup. Is the Apeks bungee kit necessarily better than the traditional zip-tie/bungee arrangement?

I appreciate the level of professional knowledge and the humility this man talks with.. Defenitly would like this bloke as an instructor

Nice video, but do you realy use primary dive computer on the left wirst?

Hi James - how do you attach weight to your rig, looks like some kind of strap? Cheers

You sound a little Australian , great vid 👍🏼

And what about sidemount diving?

Get a Akuana tec shorts!

Hey James, awesome setup. You can get the apeks tech shorts under a different brand name (YONSUB) for about a third of the price so if you don’t mind the brand name you can definitely save some coin. I got a pair, couldn’t tell the difference apart from the name

Hey - what is that plastic piece on the second stage holding your necklace bungee?

I my self like Apeks and the XT-50 is a bullet proof reg. I am thinking about getting into tech diving and I am looking at much of the same gear. So, thank you for going over your setup. I am in the same boat with the shop I work is a AL and Apeks as well as Dive Rite so I am still shopping. Thank you for your hats work and all the stuff you do.

Very very thanks for your video 🤗👌🐬🐬🐬

Could a student opt to take your Tec course in a side mount setup instead of having to use the back mounted doubles that you provide during your course if they already have the equipment. I deal with a back injury but would still love to get the opportunity to go through your Tec divers course

Is there such a thing as one point harness disconnect and connect for diving I have one arm that's why I'm asking

thanks
great video
keep them coming pls
cheers mate