Dive Rite Transpac II BOUYANCY PROBLEM

[tchil01]

Originally posted by jonscubas
Figured out the problem. Moved the integrated weight pockets back, removed 4 pounds from them, so only 12 pounds in pockets, plus 8 lbs trim weights on harness. Cinched up bungee cords tight, I mean tight! took some air out of BC. Went beach diving for the test, with a steel 80 Cu tank.

Floated fine, able to stay upright, best of all was able to surface swim in on my back, like I wanted to.

Thanks to all of you, it was the combined advice from all of you that gave me all the ideas to try out and it worked!

Great JOB! Happy Diving ALL!

Glad to hear it all came together for you and ou had a good dive. I did 5 dives this weekend and the more I dive with my TP II, the more I like it.

Ty

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by Rick Murchison

First bad advice I've seen from you, Pug.
The face-down moment is a function of back-inflation, not the Transpac. The difference in face-down moment between the Transpac and a BP is zero to margional, depending on BP material, with the heaviest SS being the best.

Rick... I am chagrined... you haven't been reading all my posts....

Anyway on this one... I did say *proper* Bp/wing... which in my case would be SS

I have only had one experience with a transpac and it was watching a fellow flop around face down on the surface at the back of our boat trying to get out of his...

Shane and I were impressed with his acrobatics and ability to hold his breath so long....

He was impressed by the ease with which we slipped out of our BP/harness/wing double 104 rigs.

He bought a SS BP/harnes/Halcyon wing the next day and sent his transpac to ebay.

 

[divernva]

jonscubas - Glad you figured out your problem. Well sort of... it's never good to overtighten the bungees on any wing. It's nice when you have pressurized air inflating the wing, but could be a serious problem if you need to inflate manually.

Someone earlier mentioned, not inflating the wing fully. I found that this helped when I started with a back inflation type BC. Try moving your trim weight lower on your back (don't know much about the TPII, so I don't know the position of the d-rings). A tank weight placed near the bottom of the tank will work too.

With my AL BP, I use trim pockets from Zeagle. They slip over the tank straps and hold about 4lbs of soft weight in each pouch (you get two). Again, the lower the better... so I put them on the lower tank strap. Worked like a charm.

So with that said, too much weight low on your tank can screw up your horizontal trim in the water. Hang in there and keep practicing. Most of all please loosen up the bungees.

 

[donooo]

Divernva ,,,,,,,,, why loosen the bungees ? As I got more dives in, in warm water, the bungees got tighter and I got better. The net affect of a smaller wing. A number of divers hear, on this board, use a travel or treck wing in cold water with singles and do just fine. I bought a travel wing to make it simple. The bottom line is that the rec wing might just be to big for most "rec" uses, warm or cold.

Johnscubas,,,, you've solved "the problem" , just a lot of options.




adios don O

 

[DiveRite-SW]

As was pointed out in a seminar that I recently attended, a BC (Buoyancy Compensator) is NOT designed to be used as a PFD (Personal Flotation Device).
The speaker mentioned that one of the original intents of the rec-version BC-configuration was to try and float an unconscious diver face-up on the surface, but in extensive testing it was found that this did not always happen.
The tekkie-version (whichever brand(s) is being discussed here) does an even poorer job of a PFD, but it isn't supposed to even try to do it.

Now can we talk about something more important, like bungee vs non-bungee? (tee-hee)

 

[Scuba446]

Hey Pug,
His problem isn't his Transpac II, I have the same probelm with my Halcyon rig and BP....ALL back inflation wings do the same thing, be they OMS, Dive Rite or Halycon - I don't care what anyone says. Same thing for the Mares Syncro Power abck inflation BC's as well...

 

[divernva]

donooo - lots of info out there about bungee pro/cons. I've been away from this particular board, but I suspect it has a fair share of the two perspectives.

In short (for arguments sake, and so I don't have to don the asbestos suit), overtightening the bungees could inhibit manual inflation if necessary. Increases the possibility of losing all gas from the wing if puncutured or malfunctionig. Probably not good things to toss into an emergency situation.

Not familiar with the DR bungee style, but I was on a trip and my "buddy for the day" had some non-DR bungee wings. They looked nice and tight, so I asked him to manually inflate. He struggled to get the thing 60% inflated (but "its fine with the LP")... might have been partially due to the pack of smokes he went through on the way out to the site. With the weight he had and proposed dive plan, I asked for another buddy.

 

[donooo]

OK, don't tighten to the point that you can't manually inflate. Thanks, not a problem. I went to a smaller wing for warm water anyway. A lot like "right tool for the right job".

tnx don O

 

[wheezy]

Even with DR bungiees strapped all the way down I can manually inflate to the point the overpressure valve releases air. And I smoke a pack a day.... not an issue that I've EVER seen. Not only that, but even 50% full a rec wing will lift my 220lb carcas with all my gear out of any depth....


Anyhow, glad to hear you solved your problem. I'd still try a dive without the trim weights.

Good Luck

 

[Scuba446]

What are TRIM weights and WHY and HPOW would you USE them?