Review Diving the Avelo System

[scubadada]

How do you do negative entry dives with the Avelo system?

I have only done shore dives in Bonaire, so have not had to do any negative entries.

I would ask Avelo
diveavelo@avelolabs.com

I would imagine you would start swimming down and immediately start to pump.

 

[ABay Diver]

I have only done shore dives in Bonaire, so have not had to do any negative entries.

I would ask Avelo
diveavelo@avelolabs.com

I would imagine you would start swimming down and immediately start to pump.

Thanks. I will and advise.

 

[ABay Diver]

Thanks. I will and advise.

Avelo’s answer below. Not that helpful.

Hi John,

Thank you for your question about negative entries. Yes, it’s absolutely possible to begin a dive negatively buoyant while using the Avelo System. I’ve personally tested this extensively, including during my dives at Tiger Beach this year.

I’m excited about your interest in diving Avelo and would love to know where you’re located and whether you’ve had a chance to dive the Avelo System yet.

As with any system, dives are planned with proper weighting. During the Recreational Avelo Diver (RAD) Specialty Course, you’ll learn correct weighting techniques as part of your training. You’ll also see how little weight is needed to achieve slight negative or positive buoyancy.

With some experience on the system, you’ll find that special-case dives, such as beginning negatively buoyant and finishing with positive buoyancy—are both intuitive and easily managed with Avelo’s design.

Thank you,
Jennifer Idol
Marketing Director

Dive Avelo
jidol@AveloLabs.com

On Wed, 15 Oct at 7:05 PM , Le Moyne LPP <lemoynelpp@icloud.com> wrote:
How do you recommend doing these with Avelo? It would seem you can’t be negative when you hit the water. That you have to wait till you’re in the water then start the pump. How long would that take to significantly “get negative?
John Clark
Sent from my iPad

4062:2179266

 

[ABay Diver]

I have only done shore dives in Bonaire, so have not had to do any negative entries.

I would ask Avelo
diveavelo@avelolabs.com

I would imagine you would start swimming down and immediately start to pump.

On another note, Im 70 and my legs are not what they used to be. Im considering Avelo which it says can lighten your kit by 30 pounds or so. Would you agree or is that just hype? Thanks.

 

[Ukmc]

I think 30 lbs is an exaggeration for most of the divers who weighed correctly. I dive with no weight in fresh water and 6 lbs in salt, with AL80.I highly doubt I would see a significant reduction for my kit….
Others, clearly see a reduction but I have not heard of anyone dropping 30 lbs.

 

[ABay Diver]

I think 30 lbs is an exaggeration for most of the divers who weighed correctly. I dive with no weight in fresh water and 6 lbs in salt, with AL80.I highly doubt I would see a significant reduction for my kit….
Others, clearly see a reduction but I have not heard of anyone dropping 30 lbs.

No weight in fresh and 6 in salt, is that with or without Avelo?

 

[Ukmc]

No weight in fresh and 6 in salt, is that with or without Avelo?

That is my regular setup. I dive warm water, so very little weight required for my conventional hydros/AL80 setup.
Early in the chain someone commented about “blissing out” with Avelo. Well I bliss out every time without Avelo and have such a minimal weight with a conventional setup that I am skeptical it would have a significant kit weight reduction in my case. I think Avelo training aims for proper weighing the divers and they emphasize that in the e-mail response again. That is obviously important for any divers - Avelo or not. Years back I worked on getting my weight down to a minimum comfortable, I have little weight and very little air in the BC. With such a setup I do not see big advantages to Avelo (buoyancy changes with depth and weight reduction) for me personally. It sounds like it can be impactful for other divers. I have not found a desire to pay extra for training or rental of Avelo. I think I understand pretty well how it works, and wouldn’t mind to try it, but it is crazy to pay as much as it was described being charged for a “course”.

 

[ABay Diver]

That is my regular setup. I dive warm water, so very little weight required for my conventional hydros/AL80 setup.
Early in the chain someone commented about “blissing out” with Avelo. Well I bliss out every time without Avelo and have such a minimal weight with a conventional setup that I am skeptical it would have a significant kit weight reduction in my case. I think Avelo training aims for proper weighing the divers and they emphasize that in the e-mail response again. That is obviously important for any divers - Avelo or not. Years back I worked on getting my weight down to a minimum comfortable, I have little weight and very little air in the BC. With such a setup I do not see big advantages to Avelo (buoyancy changes with depth and weight reduction) for me personally. It sounds like it can be impactful for other divers. I have not found a desire to pay extra for training or rental of Avelo. I think I understand pretty well how it works, and wouldn’t mind to try it, but it is crazy to pay as much as it was described being charged for a “course”.

I dive colder freshwater in a 7 mil, with an HP steel 100 (46 pounds full plus BPW weight) and 4 pounds of lead. Im guessing i could shed the lead and additional weight savings with the composite Avelo tank but don’t know what that savings would be. Maneuvering on land and climbing boat ladders is tough for me so shedding out of water weight is my primary motivation. Any idea what the Avelo standard tank and jet pack combo dry weight is?

 

[SouthernSharktoothDiver]

@ABay Diver I believe their website says 45 lbs? However, I think that estimate is based off a three mil shorty, since tropical warmwater is the most common application of the system. You'd doubtless need more lead to achieve "swimmers neutral" in a 7mm. Additionally, Avelo holds significantly less than an HP 100, and, under certain configurations, less than an AL 80 (depending on how much "room" one leaves for water ballast.) Some divers have reported improvements in SAC to offset this, but not all.

I know sidemount has become very popular for divers in your position, since you can wear a light BCD and then have someone hand you the tanks once you're already in the water. Have you considered giving that a try?

 

[scubadada]

On another note, Im 70 and my legs are not what they used to be. Im considering Avelo which it says can lighten your kit by 30 pounds or so. Would you agree or is that just hype? Thanks.

Hi @ABay Diver

I have only dived Avelo in a 3 mm full suit and have posted my weight savings with Avelo previously.

The Avelo Jetpack, Hydrotank and ballast weight are about 15 pounds lighter than my BC, an AL80 and ballast weight. The weight saving would be a little greater with a 5 or 7 mm wetsuit