Diving Without a BC or Wings?

[DavidW_NZ]

Over here in New Zealand when watching TV shows about the National Police Dive Squad we have noticed that they dive with no BC or Wing and just use their drysuits for bouyancy. However they always have full surface cover. I just wonder if other Police Dive Squads do the same?

David

 

[CA Diver]

The BC, like the snorkel are required BY LAW

in Laguna Beach, CA. This to a great extent is irrelevant to your discussion but just FYI in SoCal

 

[ZAquaman]

With all of those laws to keep divers safe, Laguna Beach must be the safest dive site in the world....

 

[Moogyboy]

Since we're on the subject, just how common--in the real world--is warm water diving without BC or bpw or whatever anymore? You know the look: just a wetsuit or bathing suit, tank, and a web harness/backpack. I know it still lives on to some degree in dive magazine/travel brochure photography, but do people really still dive that way?

cheers

Billy S.

 

[String]

I dived with someone last week without a BC but just an ABLJ in case he needed it.

 

[ZAquaman]

I enjoyed diving with just a tank pack in Bermuda last summer (shallow dives, calm seas, warm water). So did Jacqueline Basset in the movie "The Deep" (who could ever forget the shot with her wet t-shirt) And of course, all those James Bond movies. I suppose the tank pack and no BC has a simple look that shows off the model for the movies and brochures.

Diving with a just a tank and pack is as close to freediving as one can get. A very speedy way to travel underwater. But the dangers of diving without flotation devices are serious.

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

The great number of the posts regarding the backpack with wing set up have gotten my attention. Divers who use this setup sing the praises of the simplicity and streamlined nature that this configuration affords.

So, is anyone diving without a BC and Wings, just a tank pack? I'm not suggesting anyone should just curious if anyone does...

Some of the dive boats I have been on in the north channel islands (California) will have a third of the divers diving "backpacks" with no BCs. Most of them seem to be with dry suits (water temperature is about 55 degrees F) but some are diving backpacks wet. When I have asked most people seem to like the backpacks for hunting since they can crawl into smaller holes for lobster.

So I guess a BC is not really absolutely necessary. But I suspect their buoyancy control is not as good as it would be with a BC. My inflator value stuck open on a dive last summer. I disconnected the hose and finished the dive. But while diving without active control worked it was not as refined as with a BC.

 

[String]

What about oral inflation ?

 

[nwdiver2]

I dove a dry suit for 15 years without BC, they were not availible. Its no big deal. The BC give better control than a dry suit alone and it give you a place to get your weights off your waist.

 

[Gary D.]

My first 20+ years of diving was without a BC. For one reason they hadn't been invented yet. All there was available was emergency type of vests adapted to diving.

When we went finally went exclusively to dry suits we still didn’t use them because of poor design for PSD work over the bulky dry suits.

In diving terms, the BC as we know it today is a relatively new tool.

Those of you that think you will sink like a rock with a flooded dry suit need to try it. You may or may not have to drop your weights depending on how you’re weighted. But the real problem is trying to climb out of the water. A knife gets real attractive near the ankles and the hole can be patched later.

I have been flooded numerous times in a MK-5 rig. That suit is 18 pounds when it’s dry and I’ll bet close to half a ton flooded. The new modern suits weigh no where near that.

If you’re diving dry a flood is cold but very survivable. A skill that should be practiced say in a pool.

In my profile pic that was a normal everyday working rig. When the water got to around 65df we would dawn some rubber and lead.

Gary D.