As I prepare to start diving wet again, I have a question about some possible failures, and how to deal with them. They involve the issues of buoyancy lost and regained when diving wet.
I have a 5mm full suit along with a 7mm vest, diving with an aluminum backplate, basic harness (no floaty padding), and steel tank. In this configuration, I found that I needed about 20-22lbs to stay neutral.
I have two trim pockets installed on my tank strap. I plan to put 5lbs into each pocket, for a total of 10lbs, or half my weight as non-ditchable weight.
BCD Failure Scenario
Worst case scenario, Im at 100 and my BCD fails to inflate. Maybe it was punctured, maybe it blew a valve, whatever it just wont inflate.
I figure at this point, Im going to be 10-15lbs heavy due to suit compression, which would make it hard to maintain depth and not go deeper. What is my best option?
1. Ditch all 12lbs of weight belt and watch my ascent rate carefully, expecting to become overly buoyant. Once positive buoyancy starts taking over, either A) spread out and exhale to create drag and minimize buoyancy, or B) swim aggressively down to minimize ascent.
2. Take off the weight belt, and using my Trilobyte eezy cut, slice off a weight or two so I can start ascending by swimming, expecting again to become over buoyant, and manage it as above.
3. ?
Weight Belt Failure Scenario
Lets keep the 100 worst case depth. Weight belt buckle fails, and I dont catch it in time. Now Im suddenly 12lbs buoyant.
1. Vent all air from BCD and manage ascent, as above, by either A) spread out and exhale to create drag and minimize buoyance, or B) swim aggressively down to minimize ascent.
2. ?
Discussion:
In the BCD failure scenario, Im thinking option 2 would be ideal. A complication I can see, however, is by the time I get the weight belt off, the trilobye out, and actually make the cut, I may have already descended unacceptably deep. Whereas simply ditching the whole belt is much quicker, but will result in a harder to manage runaway ascent once my suit decompresses.
For ascent management, Ive always read that simply spreading out to create maximum drag is best. Is this because trying to swim down doesnt really work all that well?
I have a 5mm full suit along with a 7mm vest, diving with an aluminum backplate, basic harness (no floaty padding), and steel tank. In this configuration, I found that I needed about 20-22lbs to stay neutral.
I have two trim pockets installed on my tank strap. I plan to put 5lbs into each pocket, for a total of 10lbs, or half my weight as non-ditchable weight.
BCD Failure Scenario
Worst case scenario, Im at 100 and my BCD fails to inflate. Maybe it was punctured, maybe it blew a valve, whatever it just wont inflate.
I figure at this point, Im going to be 10-15lbs heavy due to suit compression, which would make it hard to maintain depth and not go deeper. What is my best option?
1. Ditch all 12lbs of weight belt and watch my ascent rate carefully, expecting to become overly buoyant. Once positive buoyancy starts taking over, either A) spread out and exhale to create drag and minimize buoyancy, or B) swim aggressively down to minimize ascent.
2. Take off the weight belt, and using my Trilobyte eezy cut, slice off a weight or two so I can start ascending by swimming, expecting again to become over buoyant, and manage it as above.
3. ?
Weight Belt Failure Scenario
Lets keep the 100 worst case depth. Weight belt buckle fails, and I dont catch it in time. Now Im suddenly 12lbs buoyant.
1. Vent all air from BCD and manage ascent, as above, by either A) spread out and exhale to create drag and minimize buoyance, or B) swim aggressively down to minimize ascent.
2. ?
Discussion:
In the BCD failure scenario, Im thinking option 2 would be ideal. A complication I can see, however, is by the time I get the weight belt off, the trilobye out, and actually make the cut, I may have already descended unacceptably deep. Whereas simply ditching the whole belt is much quicker, but will result in a harder to manage runaway ascent once my suit decompresses.
For ascent management, Ive always read that simply spreading out to create maximum drag is best. Is this because trying to swim down doesnt really work all that well?