Huh... I've never really sufficiently considered this point before regarding integrated weight, but now, yeah, it would be quite interesting trying to remove/replace my BC at depth with integrated weight only.
Diving incident at Eagles Nest Sink
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Huh... I've never really sufficiently considered this point before regarding integrated weight, but now, yeah, it would be quite interesting trying to remove/replace my BC at depth with integrated weight only.
archer1960
Contributor
@tbone1004 thanks for that detailed discussion of the weighting. I have been silently following this thread, and was wondering about the weight distribution too.
archer1960
Contributor
I recently redistributed some of my weight from my BC to a belt/harness for this exact reason.
These last comments have me rethinking weight belts for recreational diving. I always have a weight belt for doubles and sidemount.
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please remember that what applies to diving in the PNW, Europe, or any other true cold water environment is not applicable in the fresh water caves in Florida. The Razor morons like to tout how they can use massive steel tanks in a drysuit while ice diving, so why can't we in Florida? Well they are using added lead to offset their drysuits so the wing doesn't have much air in it. I.e. diving a balanced rig. Though in their case I'd argue that they are diving an "overbalanced" rig where if they drained those tanks all the way down they would have to dump air out of the drysuit to stay down.
You literally can't conduct a dive like what these guys were doing in a balanced rig, it is simply not possible. The CCR makes it less unbalanced than a set of say PST104's, but you are still going to be overweighted. The gear requirements are far too much, and the exposure protection required is far too little. While a weight belt may have changed the ultimate result of this dive, the risks of diving that much more overweight would far outweigh the little benefit of unplanned gear removal. If I dove with enough lead on a belt to keep me down if I had to remove my rig, my 50lb wing wouldn't have enough lift to keep me off of the bottom at the beginning of the dive.
We dive with light undergarments, in a suit squeeze because the water is 70-72F. The drysuit is not there because of the water temperature, you certainly don't need a drysuit in 70 water, hell a 3mm is adequate for most people for an hour long dive. The drysuit is there because of the duration that you are in the water and it is contributing far less lift with a suit squeeze and minimal undergarments than the drysuits configurations in properly cold water where you need a drysuit because of the water temperature regardless of the dive time.
Please make sure not to forget these two important points. The divers were unlikely planning on removing the backmount unit as it is not something that is taught in any class I am aware of, common practice despite not being taught, or recommended by anyone including the guys I know that do it. It is also not possible to dive a balanced rig where you are adding ballast to the rig when diving in these conditions, so there is no ballast to move from the unit to your body. Putting ballast on your body is only adding to your negative buoyancy which results in a case of moderately overweight to severely overweighted.
Interesting and informative; particularly for us dry suit divers from open water, cold water, environments.
This thread is truly sad. The diagrams are etched in my brain, so tragically close, yet unattainable. The fact that the team stayed intact (probably) is comforting but heart rending. Thank you to all the contributors who are patiently explaining and re-explaining the facts and implications. Thank you to all those who are asking my questions for me, and thanks to all the heroes that provide rescue, and unfortunately sometimes recovery. I for one would not want anyone to be endangered in recovering my body. The thought of an additional loos of life is sobering to me. Peace.
I understand that and I agree. I'm just rethinking for my own diving here. I am working on student and instructor manuals for the PADI self-reliant diver course that I wish to submit to PADI by hopefully the end of the year. But I have to put myself first through my proposed course and then some of my experienced dive buddies. And I have to consider so many diving conditions to make it truly useful material.
Dan
Contributor
I disagree with you on that for warm water, recreational diver with no overhead like myself. First of all, I would never want to remove my BCD until I'm on the boat or fully inflate the BCD and doff it, before climbing on the boat. What would be the reason you want to remove & replace your BCD underwear? If I notice a problem with my BCD, I'll thumb the dive & get back to the boat & fix it. I'd rather be positively buoyant without the BCD than having weightbelt on & sink when I become unconscious for whatever reason. I'd rather end up floating on the surface without the BCD & let the BCD sinks to the bottom than the other way around.
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