Do I "Need" a BC

[The Chairman]

Let's face it: most of us plan our dives thinking nothing could go wrong. Perhaps we would be better served to plan for the caca hitting the fan. I carry 3 light in a cave, on night dives, and at least one on OW dives during the day. When I dive heavy doubles, or my rebreather, I dive a double bladder. Fun dives close to shore, I really don't have a problem with no bladder, but not normally in OW. I've been surprised with many an anchor while diving. Without a BC, they would not have been collected.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

I've been surprised with many an anchor while diving. Without a BC, they would not have been collected.

What do you do with your anker collection? You've a museum display?

 

[The Chairman]

What do you do with your anker collection? You've a museum display?

I've sold them and even given them to the boat or crew. I still have one on my now dis-used boat.

 

[The Chairman]

What do you do with your anker collection? You've a museum display?

There was one dive on Conch Wall in the Keys, that I found three anchors. I had two buddies, so we all carried one. I brought up a 55# stainless steel anchor which really stressed my BC's capacity.

 

[USdiver1]

Back in the early days of scuba diving, almost all diving was local, and divers knew the conditions of their locales. Because of where I live and have lived, I dive sans BC in the lakes and quarries of the mid-west and southeast, plus where I can in the Florida springs. In the past I did so in Honduras and Belize as well. I would not dive without a BC in Lake Huron, or the other areas I have been in the Great Lakes, because I do not know the local conditions or I do know them and I know that they are not conducive to diving without a BC. For ocean sites with current / drift diving I would use a BC; likewise Great Lakes sites that have a tendency to get blown out are all BC required.

BCs were developed for a reason, to make diving safer, and they certainly can help do that. Still if you know your locale, and consider it safe to dive without a BC, then work on your watermanship and skin diving skills and have a go.

 

[Nemrod]

In olden time pre-BC common era, it was not unusual to pick up a rock near the end of the dive to get a little ballast. Picking up anchors might just be a little bit of overkill, maybe not .

 

[USdiver1]

The flatter the rock the better to fit in your weight belt.

 

[The Chairman]

The flatter the rock the better to fit in your weight belt.

In Florida all we have are light rocks and sand. ... and anchors. We gots lots of anchors.

 

[Nemrod]

BCs were developed for a reason, to make diving safer, and they certainly can help do that. Still if you know your locale, and consider it safe to dive without a BC, then work on your watermanship and skin diving skills and have a go.

Nay, BCs were developed to do what they still are for, account for buoyancy swings due to suit compression and gas consumption. Then, quickly, the marketing departments realized they could now sell scuba diving to non-swimmers by marketing the BC as a safety device. Now, all ensconced in a padded floating life jacket, all warm and fuzzy, anyone could be a scuba diver. None of them are USCG approved and with the possible exception of the old horse collar type, cannot be counted upon to keep an unconscious person's air way clear of the water. This one might (actually a SeaTec military HD unit with a USD patch sewn over):



But, to use a horse collar BC, we really had to dive as if we had no BC because the air bubble goes to the collar and the resulting trim is awful.

 

[jadairiii]

Nay, BCs were developed to do what they still are for, account for buoyancy swings due to suit compression and gas consumption. Then, quickly, the marketing departments realized they could now sell scuba diving to non-swimmers by marketing the BC as a safety device. Now, all ensconced in a padded floating life jacket, all warm and fuzzy, anyone could be a scuba diver. None of them are USCG approved and with the possible exception of the old horse collar type, cannot be counted upon to keep an unconscious person's air way clear of the water. This one might (actually a SeaTec military HD unit with a USD patch sewn over):



But, to use a horse collar BC, we really had to dive as if we had no BC because the air bubble goes to the collar and the resulting trim is awful.

I hated horse collar BC's! Bought a SP BCP my 2rd year of diving (77) and never regretted not using one ever again!