What SCUBA gear do yak divers have/use

Into yak based Diving? Talk about it here!
User avatar
maverick
Hardcore Vyaker
Posts: 10913
Joined: 25 Jan 2010, 21:49
kayak: Hobie Direction & Hobie Road Sign
Real Name: TopGunPete
Location: Mornington

Re: What SCUBA gear do yak divers have/use

Post by maverick »

Best I got out of 10.5 was 1.5 hours in shallow water, but then I was inflating the BC by mouth to conserve air and it was cray dive so it was a pretty slow paced swim.
Well past the edge, almost at the point of no return.
User avatar
SurfanFish
Qualified Fish Monger
Posts: 495
Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 13:05
kayak: dorado, espri
Real Name: Rob
Location: Somerville

Re: What SCUBA gear do yak divers have/use

Post by SurfanFish »

maverick wrote:Best I got out of 10.5 was 1.5 hours in shallow water, but then I was inflating the BC by mouth to conserve air and it was cray dive so it was a pretty slow paced swim.

Thanks Pete. What is shallow and how many bars did you come up on? What would you prefer to have? The extra agility of the lighter tank or the extra air?
“Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.” - George Carlin
User avatar
maverick
Hardcore Vyaker
Posts: 10913
Joined: 25 Jan 2010, 21:49
kayak: Hobie Direction & Hobie Road Sign
Real Name: TopGunPete
Location: Mornington

Re: What SCUBA gear do yak divers have/use

Post by maverick »

SurfanFish wrote:
maverick wrote:Best I got out of 10.5 was 1.5 hours in shallow water, but then I was inflating the BC by mouth to conserve air and it was cray dive so it was a pretty slow paced swim.

Thanks Pete. What is shallow and how many bars did you come up on? What would you prefer to have? The extra agility of the lighter tank or the extra air?
It all depends on your air consumption level, I tend to be pretty conservative on the air so the smaller tanks work ok for me. Most of my cray diving is in shallow water - less than 10 m and normally less than 7m (I dive where the boats can't go) so the bottom time is extended. If I do a scallop dive, normally I don't need to go deeper than 15 m and always plan on a 45 min bottom time and generally surface with about 70 bar. Depends on the current and whether I am drifting with the yak, or have it anchored and have to navigate around and swim against the current at some stage.

Can you hire different sized tanks and see which one suits you the most?

If I was boat diving and didn't have to carry the tank, I would go bigger.
Because I am yak diving, the smaller suits me. With a big tank you can always get a extra long occy hose so that you can take the tank off underwater and squeeze under ledges ;)
Well past the edge, almost at the point of no return.
User avatar
SurfanFish
Qualified Fish Monger
Posts: 495
Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 13:05
kayak: dorado, espri
Real Name: Rob
Location: Somerville

Re: What SCUBA gear do yak divers have/use

Post by SurfanFish »

Thanks. Some good info. I'm fairly good on air so was thinking of a 10.5L for local.
“Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.” - George Carlin
User avatar
yakhangger
Lord of the fish
Posts: 1375
Joined: 02 Feb 2013, 12:22
kayak: cool kayak, Hobie Outback !! Adventure Island
Real Name: Merv
Location: Ferntree Gully

Re: What SCUBA gear do yak divers have/use

Post by yakhangger »

Mines a ten...as I am new to diving I hope that my bottom times will improve with experance but at the moment I get around 45min's from my tank and come up with about 50bar left, but all my dives have been shallow around 5 to 7 meters.
PB Frog 490mm Squid 395mm Gummy 1080mm Bream 295mm Snook 589mm Leather Jacket 340mm Snapper 540mm Barracouta 635mm Garfish 430mm Rainbow Trout 340mm Cuttlefish 210mm Salmon 370mm Banjo 935mm Elephant 810mm Ghurkin fish 230mm Port Jackson 700mm Blue T Wrasse 490mm
User avatar
SurfanFish
Qualified Fish Monger
Posts: 495
Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 13:05
kayak: dorado, espri
Real Name: Rob
Location: Somerville

Re: What SCUBA gear do yak divers have/use

Post by SurfanFish »

yakhangger wrote:Mines a ten...as I am new to diving I hope that my bottom times will improve with experance but at the moment I get around 45min's from my tank and come up with about 50bar left, but all my dives have been shallow around 5 to 7 meters.
Thanks mate. Starting to think a 10.5 will do me for shore and yak dives.
“Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.” - George Carlin
User avatar
yakhangger
Lord of the fish
Posts: 1375
Joined: 02 Feb 2013, 12:22
kayak: cool kayak, Hobie Outback !! Adventure Island
Real Name: Merv
Location: Ferntree Gully

Re: What SCUBA gear do yak divers have/use

Post by yakhangger »

Got 55mins today and came up with 70bar still in the tank
PB Frog 490mm Squid 395mm Gummy 1080mm Bream 295mm Snook 589mm Leather Jacket 340mm Snapper 540mm Barracouta 635mm Garfish 430mm Rainbow Trout 340mm Cuttlefish 210mm Salmon 370mm Banjo 935mm Elephant 810mm Ghurkin fish 230mm Port Jackson 700mm Blue T Wrasse 490mm
Post Reply