BC full or not - Split from overweight

[JahJahwarrior]

I'm curious about the practice of bc inflation. Personally, I don't see the problem with it. I am just about neutrally bouyant without my gear on, but with my weight belt on. If I exhale, the top of my head is just above the water. Inhale and I can get my mouth above the surface My gear is negative by a few pounds at the begging of a dive, and I believe if the tank was empty, would be just about neutral, but becuase the tank is almost never empty at the end of a dive, it's still negative. If I don't have a little air in the bc, i am a little negative, not much, I can swim up easily, but what is the problem with adding enough air to my bc that I float up automatically alittle? This way no my giant stride I don't end up taking tim eto get to the surface to give my ok. However, some would say that I am overweighted. I honestly might be by 2# or so, it really do depend on how much air is in my tnak Turning at thirds, I usually get on the boat with 1500 (or to the dock, or stairs...wherever), the tank is not empty, and I think is still negative. If I dove it to empty, it would be 2# bouyant at the end of a dive, if memory serves correct. And I don't feel like resetting my belt for that 2# difference based on whether it is an overhead or OW envireonment.

 

[cowdog77]

"Observe buddy's entry to insure they are o.k. & ready ( if not, you are IMMEDIATELY ready to assist ) ; instantly pair up with said buddy & move off in unison."
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Good point... what about Buddy?
A very good reason to have your own BC partially inflated....you'll be a buddy from the beginning of dive, not just when you "meet up" on the way or at the bottom.

 

[Charlie99]

With full lungs I float on the surface, even with my BCD empty. This is particularly true for the first dive of the day when my wetsuit is dry when I first enter the water.

If you need to have anything more than just a tiny puff of air in your BCD, then you are either overweighted, or carrying lots more air than the 6 pounds or so that's in 80cu ft tank.

My routine is simple. Test the BCD on the boat. Empty the BCD. Enter the water. Signal or group up with buddy or whatever is needed. Exhale strongly to descend. The first time I touch the BCD inflate/deflate is when I add some air upon reach 20 or 30' depth.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

Offhand, I can think of a couple of reasons to stay momentarily on the surface -- for example, if I'm diving with my kids, I want to see them on the surface giving me an OK sign before we submerge.

Oh --and as a photographer, I prefer NOT to jump in the water and descend with my camera, I prefer to have a member of the boat crew hand it to me so I don't shock the O-rings and cause a flood (which is what underwater housing manufacturers recommend).

I suspect there are other pieces of gear that are best handed down to a diver on the surface.

I'm sure there are other reasons to do a momentary surface stay as well.

I am always prepared to submerge immeidately, of course.

Jeff

 

[Charlie99]

Offhand, I can think of a couple of reasons to stay momentarily on the surface -- for example, if I'm diving with my kids, I want to see them on the surface giving me an OK sign before we submerge.

But how much air in your BCD do you need to stay on the surface without effort? Hopefully, it isn't anything approaching half full --- if that's what it takes to keep you on the surface, then you are grossly overweighted.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

But how much air in your BCD do you need to stay on the surface without effort? Hopefully, it isn't anything approaching half full --- if that's what it takes to keep you on the surface, then you are grossly overweighted.

Oh, no-- Just a couple of breaths of air. Nothing close to half full. I was just making the point that often it is necessary to stay on the surface.

J

 

[diver 85]

I completely disagree with you walter. And agree with Kirwoodd. The reason to keep your BC inflated is so that people on the boat know that your exit was ok. What happens if you bump your head on something as you are exiting or some other issue occurs and you pass out. There is a reason we are taught the "fist to head" sign. This shows the boat tenders that you are ok and ready to make the dive.

.........Don't ever dive the Fling........

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

Unless overweighted, you should be able to hit the water with a deflated BC and still have control over whether you ascend or descend. A diver should be ready to descend before leaving the boat, otherwise he should wait until he is ready. I go straight under and wait for my buddy 10 under the surface.

 

[D_B]

Signal boat OK ... watch buddy enter water ... swim over to descent point .. all done on surface , unless there is a reason not to

"stupid" .. Yep, oh well *shrug*

... you do sound harsh, Tom

 

[Bubble Junky]

Not meaning to sound too harsh, but going off a boat with any air in your bc is stupid. If you're not ready to submerge immediately, it sounds like your skill level is a little deficient. Get all the gear fussing done in the boat so when you go in, you're ready to submerge.
I have seen so many divers go in, putz around on the surface doing this-and-that, and winding up so far behind the boat that they couldn't make it to the down line. Wind, currents, and inattention will get you blithely drifting nicely.
Since I was not going to untie the boat, I'd have to swim them down and drag their lame carcasses back to the boat. Plus if you're fiddling with gear on the surface near the boat, you might get another bonehead dropping in on you. I never had that happen on any of my boats, but it has happened.
You want to boat dive? - go in, get your bearings underneath the surface, get to the downline and wait at 10' if you need to congregate and do any final adjustments, but get off the surface.

Just use a drift line