why hate safety devices?

[MXGratefulDiver]

What skill?? What about regulator? What skill did it replace? We sure don't need fins. We can swim just as well with our own feet.

Not a good comparison ... people dived for decades without the use of a BCD. The same cannot be said for regulator and fins.

I think it fair to state that without a BCD, most divers today would have to begin learning buoyancy control all over again ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[BoltSnap]

The skill Bob is talking about is proper buoyancy control. A diver who practices good buoyancy control can enter the water, dive to the desired depth, conduct his dive, and return to the surface without needing to use his BC. With this level of skill, the BC becomes an aid and not a necessity.

Fins, mask, snorkel, regulator, depth gauge and watch are the necessities of SCUBA. Virtually everything else is an aid. If one has mastered the basic skills of SCUBA using the necessities, then the failure of one of the aids does not constitute a catastrophic occurrence.

No one here has said anything about ignoring technological advances. The point being made is that these advances should not replace the basic skills for which they are intended as aids.

How on earth would you have "good buoyancy" control without the BC? Isn't that impossible by definition? Aren't you defying the laws of physics especially if you are wearing a wet/dry suit?

We are all for good skills and proper "watermanship" knowledge and training but we all have to resort to technology to make up for our deficiencies as humans in all aspects of modern life and not just in diving.

 

[Crush]

How on earth would you have "good buoyancy" control without the BC? Isn't that impossible by definition? Aren't you defying the laws of physics especially if you are wearing a wet/dry suit?

Easy - stay within a narrowly-defined water column (your operating depth) where you are neutrally buoyant.

 

[Paladin]

How on earth would you have "good buoyancy" control without the BC? Isn't that impossible by definition?

Not at all impossible. That's where the "skill" comes in. How else do you think it was done before the BC was invented? I've been diving since 1965 and I didn't own, or use, a BC until last year. Head over to the Vintage Equipment forum and you'll find a lot of divers who still prefer to dive without a BC and I can assure you that they have excellent buoyancy control, even when wearing a thick wetsuit.

It's because they know how to do it.

 

[Dr Wu]

How on earth would you have "good buoyancy" control without the BC?

By breathing.

That or a Clorox bottle.

Isn't that impossible by definition?

Nope.

Aren't you defying the laws of physics especially if you are wearing a wet/dry suit?

Nope.

We are all for good skills and proper "watermanship" knowledge and training but we all have to resort to technology to make up for our deficiencies as humans in all aspects of modern life and not just in diving.

Um...ok.

 

[BoltSnap]

When diving wearing a wetsuit U/W without a BC you are not able to control you buoyancy if you are changing depth. If you want to stay at one depth for the entire dive and not come up or go down it maybe possible.

Now to say that people have done it in the past without needing BC's, sure. People have done lots of things without the conveniences of modern technology but it either wasn't safe to do so, not convenient or they got away with it with luck.

I started to dive in Libya with no BC at all in the early 70's. I only had the tank strapped to my back for years until I got hold of the Fenzy. I survived it but it wasn't fun or safe or convenient.

Dr. Wu,

I suppose you live in a different universe. It is easy to say "nope" when you ignore basic physics and common sense.

What did you use the "Clorox bottle" for?

 

[peterbj7]

OK. Suppose you're wearing a 7mm wetsuit because of the temperature, and you want to make a dive to 100ft. Tell me how you can wear enough weight to allow you to descend and yet be neutrally buoyant at 100ft without any form of adjustable buoyancy.

 

[Paladin]

I, and countless others like me, dived for decades without BCs or many other modern conveniences. Yes, it was fun. Yes, it was safe. We had the training to handle it. And we did not think it inconvenient at all. We were too busy having fun and enjoying our diving to worry about it.

Just because one person does not know how to do a particular thing, does not mean that thing cannot be done by someone else who does have the skill.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

 

[BoltSnap]

Pass me some please.