Do I "Need" a BC
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I have a couple of SeaTec horse collars, neither have the Y harness, is it aftermarket, or did SeaTec sell them with their BCs? Looks like I'll have to make a pair.
I do not know, frankly I do not remember. I have been known to modify things
. Mine is military and is heavier material than most SeaTecs I have seen. I got it from Kenlee SCUBA in Houston long ago.Just like with a wing/BP, it is the waist strap I pull snug for stability, the crotch strap does not do a whole lot and neither do the shoulder straps once in the water.
The best horse collar I have used was a Dacor SeaChute dual bladder. The upper bladder was oral/CO2 inflate and the lower bladder was used for bouyancy compensation. Being under the tummy, as long as using a aluminum tanks or a steel 72 it was great. But a negative steel would try to turtle me. Either way, the less air introduced into a horse collar BC the better and the same really applies to a wing/BP.
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The European one inch stiff crotch strap Fenzy system
Hence the stance!
Hence the stance!
No BCDs where I took my classes in ‘77 although a ‘new’ concept. Horse collars were the coming thing and only oral inflators, soon to be replaced by power inflators. Horse collars a P I T A for me. They mostly served to float on the surface while waiting to board the boat or a lazy back float swim back to exit point. I did graduate to a backpack mounted BCD making dives more ‘lazy’ but if weight is adjusted well you really don’t need one all of the time.
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Ok mostly empty but balancing with your chest on top of a sack without falling off is a particular style of diving
Do I need one? no. Last trip I put 6lbs and never inflated it. By mid-dive, I had to pay attention to my breathing to not float up too much. Witched to 8lbs and a bit of air at the beginning and it was more enjoyable. I also enjoy just inflating it and floating waiting for the boat.
A horse collar type BC is not a snorkel vest. When using a horse collar buoyancy compensator it was put on first so that it was below the scuba harness and the weight belt of course went on last.
I have already put this pic in once during this thread but here it is again. Notice that it has a pull dump, an over pressure valve and a power inflator. It also has a CO2 cartrdge for emergency surface inflation. This unit will indeed float an incapacitated diver face up with the airway clear of the water when fully inflated and with the weight belt dropped. The snorkel vests that are given out on snorkel cruises are not a BC. However, way back, my first such device was simply a army surplus purchased Mae West life preserver. This is a military unit from SeaTec, the USD emblem was sewn on for fun:
Do not confuse those snorkel vests with a horse collar buoyancy compensator. My wife is seen here in 1979 with a Dacor SeaChute horse collar BC. it has a twin bladder design where the upper bladder was oral/CO2 inflated and the lower bladder was inflated using a power inflator and LP hose:
When giant striding into the water there was no need to hold the horse dollar BC down as the harness for it was underneath the scuba harness and weight belt and thus quite secure. It was not a universal practice then as it is often thought to be now to inflate your BC before entering the water, think about it! It was only relatively recent at that time that we even had a BC to inflate upon entry! And I still do not no matter how much chastising I get from whomever to inflate my BC upon entry.
I have already put this pic in once during this thread but here it is again. Notice that it has a pull dump, an over pressure valve and a power inflator. It also has a CO2 cartrdge for emergency surface inflation. This unit will indeed float an incapacitated diver face up with the airway clear of the water when fully inflated and with the weight belt dropped. The snorkel vests that are given out on snorkel cruises are not a BC. However, way back, my first such device was simply a army surplus purchased Mae West life preserver. This is a military unit from SeaTec, the USD emblem was sewn on for fun:
Do not confuse those snorkel vests with a horse collar buoyancy compensator. My wife is seen here in 1979 with a Dacor SeaChute horse collar BC. it has a twin bladder design where the upper bladder was oral/CO2 inflated and the lower bladder was inflated using a power inflator and LP hose:
When giant striding into the water there was no need to hold the horse dollar BC down as the harness for it was underneath the scuba harness and weight belt and thus quite secure. It was not a universal practice then as it is often thought to be now to inflate your BC before entering the water, think about it! It was only relatively recent at that time that we even had a BC to inflate upon entry! And I still do not no matter how much chastising I get from whomever to inflate my BC upon entry.
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