Can these be used for diving?

[caledfwlch]

Navy SEALs.com: Sea, Air, Land, Online. Owned and Operated by Navy SEALs. Best Gear and Training around.

Navy SEALs.com: Sea, Air, Land, Online. Owned and Operated by Navy SEALs. Best Gear and Training around.

I wonder where to secure the alternate air source becos there doesnt seem to be any straps. And anyone got any opinions on whats the diff between the two? I also can't see clearly where I can connect the hose to fill the BCD.

It finally says that if shipped outside the States, I have to pick the without CO2 option. SO does that mean when I get it without the CO2, I have to go look for someone to top it up for me?

What are the CO2 bits for anyway?
http://www.ustactical.com/CO2-Cylinder-38g-p/daaq13220.htm

I tried contacting Seatec about their Sunfish BCD, but I couldn' get them thru email, thats why I'm ,looking at these.

 

[darkstar]

Really?

If you don't know, it's probably safer that way. Drop into a dive shop for some guidance.

If you do know, shame on you. Back under the bridge.

 

[tfsails]

No. Don't even think about them. Listen to what Darkstar has to say.

 

[rstofer]

Or, you can think about it... Read exactly what it says...

These use those little CO2 cartridges that used to be popular for air pistols and are still used in inflatable life vests for boating. Oh, wait! These are life vests - they just aren't Coast Guard approved.

These are also oral inflate flotation. They have no connection to your low pressure inflation hose and in normal service, you use oral inflation. When things get tough, you use the CO2 inflation. You don't want to use that cartridge unless you have a real problem because it only works once. That's why you see redundant cartridges. But it still only works twice.

Can you use these for diving? Sure, if you like vintage diving, plan to do oral inflation and are generally into retro stuff. I have one of them but I haven't tried it yet. I bought it for use with a double hose regulator and a tank with just a cotton straps harness. No backplate and no wing. I have a question about whether it provides enough buoyancy to compensate for a 7/8mm wetsuit and an HP100. I need about 30# of lift.

I'll try it one of these days.

Richard

 

[NCadiver]

Those were used for scuba 30+ years ago for that price you could by a new low end BCD for that price.

From your profile you look like a new diver that has not been train for the old hose collars and you are asking if it's safe. That means you should pass on the horse collar and get a BCD.

 

[herman]

There is basically 2 answers to your question. IF you want to dive like 99% of the world, then no, you can't use them for scuba, they do not have LP inflators and the CO2 creates more problems than they solve.....on the other hand if you care to dive like the other 1% of us then yes you can use them. Myself and most divers who spend time in vintage gear dive with a similar floatation vest or more often as not, no vest at all. Personally I would not bother with them, esp at that price, like others have said, you can buy a nice BC for very little more. No BC diving is not for everyone and is not taught in any basic class I know of and only in 1 advanced class. Nor is it approperate in every diving situation. If you really have 0-25 dives like your profile indicates then all in all it's best if you go the more traditional BC route until you get some experince then look into alternative ways of diving.

 

[Diver0001]

Navy SEALs.com: Sea, Air, Land, Online. Owned and Operated by Navy SEALs. Best Gear and Training around.

Navy SEALs.com: Sea, Air, Land, Online. Owned and Operated by Navy SEALs. Best Gear and Training around.

I wonder where to secure the alternate air source becos there doesn't seem to be any straps. And anyone got any opinions on whats the diff between the two? I also can't see clearly where I can connect the hose to fill the BCD.

It finally says that if shipped outside the States, I have to pick the without CO2 option. SO does that mean when I get it without the CO2, I have to go look for someone to top it up for me?

What are the CO2 bits for anyway?
Navy SEALs.com: Sea, Air, Land, Online. Owned and Operated by Navy SEALs. Best Gear and Training around.

I tried contacting Seatec about their Sunfish BCD, but I couldn' get them thru email, thats why I'm ,looking at these.

I used something remarkably similar to the BCD in the second link for a backup source of buoyancy for my drysuit for years.

Wouldn't recommend it at any price and especially not at that price. There are modern solutions that are more comfortable and more useful.

The CO2 cartridges are there as a "panic button". You pull a tab, it activates the CO2 thing, the BCD blows up all the way and you go to the surface like a rocket.

If you *do* buy one of these things then the best thing to do to deal with risk of the CO2 system getting activated by accident is to set it off once (not in the water) so the cartridge is empty and then not replace it.

R..

 

[scubafanatic]

....dude, for the love of God....PLEASE go get your basic open water scuba certification BEFORE you spend a penny on anything....you SEVERELY need MAJOR guidance....right now you don't have even so much as a molecule's worth of basic scuba knowledge, which is VERY dangerous...this sport can KILL you QUICKLY........can I ask why you've not been in touch with a dive shop and signed up/completed at least a 'Discover Scuba' 'class' ???

 

[shugar]

can someone let Darwin in?

He just pulled in and I'm busy on SB

Jag

 

[n618ft]

Bwahahahahaha. Let's design some BCDs out of rubber rain coats, duct tape, and a straw... Mythbusters style.