Review Diving the Avelo System

[lowwall]

That makes it a hard sell. There's absolutely no way many divers are going to shell out money to take a course of something that simplifies buoyancy on a single tank. It has to be a throw and go solution.

They have to do it that way because there's very little reserve buoyancy. Correct weighting thus becomes critical.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

They have to do it that way because there's very little reserve buoyancy. Correct weighting thus becomes critical.

And how long does it take to dial in weighting? 5 minutes should do it.

 

[EdMcNeill09]

People trying to sell this keep comparing it to someone using an AL80 plus a bulky BCD. If system weight is super important to you, then the appropriate comparison is an HP80 and a backplate with streamlined wing. My rig with a steel plate and regs weighs 10 pounds, add 29 for a HP80 with valve and I'm at 39 with no need for additional lead in warm water.

So I'm 3-5 lbs lighter out of the water. Meaning the only advantage of the Avelo is you don't have to think about managing the air bubble in the wing as you change levels. But if I'm properly weighted, the only time I ever have to think about this is at the beginning of an all-shallow dive. Something like Blue Heron Bridge.

I can't see trading all the flexibility and relatively low cost of a rig like mine for this minor advantage.

That's a nice setup, but I think you've forgotten the weight of air. an HP 80 is 29lbs empty. So figure on another 6-7lbs for gas. You're about the same or a little heavier than Avelo in warm water. Still very nice. And you have more gas.

What price do you put on a better more relaxing dive? Clearly that is a question everyone has to answer for themselves. Perhaps the next generation of tanks which will lighten Avelo even more will be of more interest to you. Happy diving.

 

[EdMcNeill09]

Anybody can declare themselves a certification agency. The problem is getting insurance. Especially if the whole purpose of creating the agency is because your product can't meet the WRSTC standard because it doesn't use a low pressure inflator to modify buoyancy.

Avelo will not declare itself an Agency until WRSTC recognizes Avelo as one. This will take a while I'm sure. Avelo does modify buoyancy by adding water. The tank is the BCD. But instead of adding lift Avelo adds ballast.

Please note I'm not saying this makes the product unsafe. The intent of the standard is for the student to have a method other than manual inflation for modifying buoyancy. Avelo does have this, but it's by adding or removing ballast water from a tank instead of gas from a wing.


I agree it will be better underwater. But what are you going to do on the surface with only a pound or two of positive buoyancy available and students who may have no snorkeling skills?

Avelo Divers enter the water with swimmers buoyancy. Just as if we jump in the pool in a bathing suit. They are not dragged down. They are slightly positive. If they are comfortable swimming in the ocean they will be comfortable with Avelo. Of course some people are not comfortable in the ocean and they probably shouldn't do a DSD whether it's Avelo or Standard Scuba.

This would be attempting to reverse the history of scuba instruction. Once instruction was formalized, the rudimentary buoyancy control devices of the day required a lengthy period of snorkeling and watermanship skills practice before the tanks and regs were handed out. It was the invention of the stab jacket that allowed all of that to be eventually dispensed with. This was because with a jacket BCD, students could just hold down the inflator button until they became little buoys serenely floating with their heads well out of the water. No swimming skills required.

I don't think of this as a reverse as much as an evolution. Yes there will be changes to Scuba Instruction. But the point of Scuba Instruction is to help people learn to dive safely and enjoy the world underwater. Avelo is safer and easier to learn. Of course some specialties like Peak Performance Buoyancy will disappear as irrelevant or become a specialty on trim position rather than Buoyancy. That's way above my pay grade.

 

[EdMcNeill09]

And how long does it take to dial in weighting? 5 minutes should do it.

Correct weighting is critical to enjoy the optimized buoyancy. On the first dive we dive with an estimated weighting based on a calculation. During the dive we test this and adjust it if possible. Typically on the second dive we nail it.

If we're not dialed in it's not critical. We can still dive. We just don't get blissed out the way we do when it's perfect. If you're a few pounds heavy, which would be a huge amount, you will likely need to swim in a slightly heads up position during your dive. You'll also probably not run the pump at all. Not a big deal. Not optimal though.

 

[EdMcNeill09]

If you're neutral with a 5mm suit after taking on 2 lbs of water, you would be quite negative without that suit. Purging that 2 lbs doesn't fix the problem, and you've said there's no lead to remove.

I'm greatly appreciative that an Avelo instructor has offered their insights, and I'm hopeful that you can resolve my confusion. What changes must be made to use this wearing board shorts instead of a 5mm wetsuit?

Hi Inquis, I apologize for not adequately answering your concerns. You might find this webinar useful. It's long but interesting.

 

[lowwall]

That's a nice setup, but I think you've forgotten the weight of air. an HP 80 is 29lbs empty. So figure on another 6-7lbs for gas. You're about the same or a little heavier than Avelo in warm water. Still very nice. And you have more gas.

Avelo's system weight is given without gas as well.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Correct weighting is critical to enjoy the optimized buoyancy.

Agree 1000%

On the first dive we dive with an estimated weighting based on a calculation. During the dive we test this and adjust it if possible. Typically on the second dive we nail it.

I had my students dialed in during OW2. Didn't matter if they were in dry suits or 7 mil wetsuit. I would expect with the Avelo system you'd have a rough calculation but fine tune it at the start of the first dive as the buoyancy doesn't change by design.

If we're not dialed in it's not critical. We can still dive. We just don't get blissed out the way we do when it's perfect. If you're a few pounds heavy, which would be a huge amount, you will likely need to swim in a slightly heads up position during your dive. You'll also probably not run the pump at all. Not a big deal. Not optimal though.

I don't get why one's trim would be off, as trim is all about weight distribution.

 

[inquis]

I don't get why one's trim would be off, as trim is all about weight distribution.

You would have to intentionally be somewhat heads-up so propulsion compensates for the overweighting / negative buoyancy (at least until you consumed enough air to become neutral).

 

[Wibble]

And how long does it take to dial in weighting? 5 minutes should do it.

For an experienced diver who knows how their buoyancy works and how to check their weighting.

For less experienced people it may take longer; like a couple or three dives, especially if their training was "quick".

Hence people err on the side of taking more weight...