Diving Safely Without A BC

[REVAN]

I dove dry for a couple years without a BC. It works just fine with the same basic constraints as in warm water. The problem is that my old drysuit made a lot of drag, so it was still not a streamline setup. Now days, there are better (more streamlined) drysuits available that don't have much more drag than a wet suit.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Wish it was an option here but with a minimum 7mm wetsuit or drysuit a requirement for anything over a few minutes in the water it would be near impossible to get the weighting right.

I don't know what the water temps are in Scotland but if they're anything similar to Northern California then it is possible to dive sans BC in a 7mm wetsuit. The temps here range from 45 to 55 degrees farenheit depending on time of year, upwellings, El Nino, La Nina, etc. I'm not good with farenheit to celcius conversions but I'm guessing it's something similar to your waters.
I weight myself much lighter than freediving because of the weight of the tank and equipment, plus with freediving you pump a lungfull of air and it doesn't change. With scuba it's breathing in and out with never a force packed lung full of air, so that means less weight on your belt.
I weight myself light enough that I can float on the surface and surface swim out, then I have to kick down head first just like freediving to break neutral at about 15 feet. My range with depth and a 7 mil is probably 50 feet max but so far I have only backpack dived with no BC from shore, so the bottom is a gradual increase and decrease with depth and very manageable at the sites I pick. When the tank empties I begin to feel light at 20' so I have the option to select a suitable rock to hold onto to hover at 15' for a few minutes, or if the dive was short and shallow and way within NDL, I blow off the safety stop and just come up.

 

[REVAN]

I have been diving without a BCD for the past 2 years, albeit in warm waters between 26-30 deg. It's very liberating.

I think I may have that same backplate. The one I first started diving looks just like yours. Mine is a Seac back plate.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I don't know what the water temps are in Scotland but if they're anything similar to Northern California then it is possible to dive sans BC in a 7mm wetsuit. The temps here range from 45 to 55 degrees farenheit .

I must be missing something. That's a rather bold, generalized statement. I have been diving with a 7 mm (1/4") wetsuit (along with hood and booties) without a BC since 1969. The water temp here doesn't get quite as cold here (Southern California) but almost. I wear 20 pounds of lead when using an aluminum 80 and 16-17 pounds if using a steel 72. I have no problems snorkeling out through the waves and my "safety stop" is accomplished by returning to shore in gradually (usually) shallower water. It's true that I am slightly negative at maximum depth but when necessary I can take a deep breath and attain neutral or slightly positive buoyancy.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I must be missing something. That's a rather bold, generalized statement. I have been diving with a 7 mm (1/4") wetsuit (along with hood and booties) without a BC since 1969. The water temp here doesn't get quite as cold here (Southern California) but almost. I wear 20 pounds of lead when using an aluminum 80 and 16-17 pounds if using a steel 72. I have no problems snorkeling out through the waves and my "safety stop" is accomplished by returning to shore in gradually (usually) shallower water. It's true that I am slightly negative at maximum depth but when necessary I can take a deep breath and attain neutral or slightly positive buoyancy.

We're in perfect agreement.
What are you missing in my statement?

 

[Shotmaster]

Hey at least people are waking up and can think for themselves instead continuing to drink the koolaid! The first jacket style BCD was introduced by Scubapro in 1978. Before that they were pushing the Horse collar BCDs which looked like a pregnant "Mae West". I think I bought my first real jacket BCD in 1993 when I bought my first LP95 steel. Prior to that I didn't see the need for one as I was very comfortable in the water free diving to 70 feet.

 

[drbill]

Dove 27 years without a BCD. First time I used one (1989) it was required equipment on a dive with a Cousteau team. I put it on and tried to descend. It inflated by itself. Tried again, same result. I told the DM about it and she said it couldn't happen. I said "Watch me." She agreed and asked what we should do now. I said I'll disconnect the darned thing and dive without it. She was shocked but I did it. Wouldn't dive without one today although I often employ my lungs to alter my buoyancy.