Does everyone really need the LP BCD inflator?

[jborg]

If someone does need to rescue you for some reason they might want to inflate your BCD to make sure you stay on the surface once gotten there. Lack of a standard LPI would be surprising and annoying at that point. If the surface conditions are choppy, them having to ditch their own regulator in order to orally inflate your BCD is suboptimal.

 

[clownfishsydney]

If I dive in the tropics, I also do not need to inflate my BCD. However, a huge percentage of people on this site dive outside the tropics (like me 95% of the time) and you need lots of weight to counter the wetsuit/drysuit and to orally inflate would be tiresome. Possible, yes, but annoying. Even diving in the tropics, no need to delete your inflator hose, as others have stated, a safety device that may never be needed, but better off there.

 

[jale]

Hi
It seems you are properly weighted and have the good body mass ratio for you to avoid having to use the bcd so I don't see why you would need a bcd.
As people have said, diving existed before modern bcd and it was fine. Further more DIR agencies are reinventing warm water by teaching proper weighting and trim by putting new students in the pool without bcd to make them understand the lung role in buoyancy.
Personally, I dive without a bcd.
If I were you, I would ditch the bcd and just use a backplate or sm the tank and then get rid of the inflator hose; don't do it half way.
Enjoy your dives

 

[KenGordon]

I'm just thinking, in the event that I need to be rescued and taken to the surface, my dive partner would remove air from my BCD (and thus not need to pneumatically inflate it). In fact, I hope to Poseidon, that they'd fully deflate my BCD lol.


Well I've slowly been loosing weight and reaching that nirvana where I'm needing less and less weight.
Earlier I needed 5 kg (10 lbs) but now 4 kg (8 lbs) is enough.

If you are rescued the rescuer will want to make you buoyant at the surface. By not having an LP inflator you make that harder. That rescuer will be having a very poor time already as all aspects of rescue are difficult. Quite a lot of people are lost having been successfully brought to the surface.

Your question is typical of the SB view of the world which doesn’t much consider the case where the poster is having an issue and needs help.

 

[hedonist222]

When I learned to dive I had a Fenzy ABLJ (look it up). No direct feed, two choices to achieve neutral buoyancy; 1. orally inflate, 2. use the crack bottle. The crack bottle was too dangerous for trainees, so not fitted until dive 10 or later.

With today’s training, if you needed to be rescued your buddy would automatically try and inflate your BCD, when nothing happens, revert to a no gas in tank rescue.

Your choice, just ensure you brief your buddies.

Wow. Thanks for sharing that dive bcd.

Fortunately I dive with like minded folk.

 

[hedonist222]

If someone does need to rescue you for some reason they might want to inflate your BCD to make sure you stay on the surface once gotten there. Lack of a standard LPI would be surprising and annoying at that point. If the surface conditions are choppy, them having to ditch their own regulator in order to orally inflate your BCD is suboptimal.

And this is exactly the purpose I started this thread.
Very good point. Thank you.

If I dive in the tropics, I also do not need to inflate my BCD. However, a huge percentage of people on this site dive outside the tropics (like me 95% of the time) and you need lots of weight to counter the wetsuit/drysuit and to orally inflate would be tiresome. Possible, yes, but annoying. Even diving in the tropics, no need to delete your inflator hose, as others have stated, a safety device that may never be needed, but better off there.

Yes it appears as such.

Hi
It seems you are properly weighted and have the good body mass ratio for you to avoid having to use the bcd so I don't see why you would need a bcd.
As people have said, diving existed before modern bcd and it was fine. Further more DIR agencies are reinventing warm water by teaching proper weighting and trim by putting new students in the pool without bcd to make them understand the lung role in buoyancy.
Personally, I dive without a bcd.
If I were you, I would ditch the bcd and just use a backplate or sm the tank and then get rid of the inflator hose; don't do it half way.
Enjoy your dives

What a mind blowing and eye opening suggestion.
I never considered ditching the bcd.
What a liberating experience.

But others have just pointed out that a bcd would keep an unconsciousdiver afloat on the surface....

If you are rescued the rescuer will want to make you buoyant at the surface. By not having an LP inflator you make that harder. That rescuer will be having a very poor time already as all aspects of rescue are difficult. Quite a lot of people are lost having been successfully brought to the surface.

Your question is typical of the SB view of the world which doesn’t much consider the case where the poster is having an issue and needs help.

I'm not sure I understood you said but the true purpose of this topic was to discuss the merits of retaining the LP inflator hose - despite not needing one.

Thanks to jborg and others, I can mention that point if the discussion ever comes up again.

 

[Dan]

But others have just pointed out that a bcd would keep an unconsciousdiver afloat on the surface....

Correction:
Unconsciously afloat & face down if you have a fully inflated backplate with wing = drowned. That’s why I stick with jacket-type BCD, as I’ll be vertically bobbing at the surface.

 

[Jafo19D]

Hello fellow divers.
The purpose of this topic is to have a useful discussion on the merits of jettisoning the low pressure BCD inflator hose, and instead, orally inflate.

I ask this because I have recently been diving with 4 kg (approximately 8 lbs) of weight with a rash guard.

I found I do not need to inflate my BCD. I remain neutrally buoyant from start to end with no air in my BCD.

So, in my case, why not forego the instant inflator?

And in the event that I ever need to inflate, I would not need more than a miniscule squirt of air. Which can I do by orally inflating.

Any reason to absolutely have it?

Some data for reference:
I am thirty eight years old. I weigh about 72 kg (~158 lbs). I am 184 (6 feet).
I have approximately 490 dives. My SAC is between 0.8 bar and 1.0 bar per minute.
We routinely go down to 30 meters (100 feet).
I'm not sure what else I could provide that would help.

Keen to learn from your experiences.

Thank you.

I also have the Hydros Pro and since getting noticed that except for the surface I have little to no air in it while diving. I start out with some air in it but during the dive I never again add air and just dump it instead. Kind of a shame because that BC has a nice inflate button that I wanted to play with when I bought it.

But why the question? What does it hurt to have it just for sh*&$ and giggles?

 

[BoltSnap]

Why do you want to remove it? What advantage are you trying to achieve?

 

[tna9001]

For those of you who don't dive with a BCD or never inflate them on a dive, does the 4-5lbs of air consumed during the dive not enough to be an issue?