Donning and doff your integrated bc??

[caver]

The best way to remove your BC and keep yourself from floating is to put the tank between your legs. However, if your a cave diver and plan on taking your BC on and off to squeeze into tight spaces, the ideal way is to wear a weightbelt.

I have been diving caves for years. Never, have I seen a cave diver wear a weight belt. Not ONE of the cave agencies promote using a weight belt. In fact ALL of them say NOT to use them.

 

[don Francisco]

Don't throw away those weight pockets yet, this question isn't as simple as it looks

Generally, most or all of your ballast is for you and the exposure suit, since BC's and tanks run from negative to close to neutral bouyancy. A typical warm water diver with an AL80 might need 2#s or so to ballast his near empty tank, the rest being for him. Cold water divers' steel tanks already make their rigs negative so they might prefer a belt and not add any weight to the BC except for trim.

What happens when you doff your rig varies with depth. As you descend your exposure suit compresses and you compensate by adding air to the BC. This is essentially a transfer of net bouyancy from the rig to you, narrowing the differential. It's entirely possible that at depth the difference is fairly narrow, or even that you're now negative with a floaty BC.

If you're total integrated weight is less than 12#s or so, you shouldn't have much of a problem doffing the rig at any depth. In any case go slow until you have a feel for what will happen.

If you're floaty and the difference is greater than you feel you can manage, consider removing a weight tucking it in your wetsuit at the neck or up a sleeve.

 

[bart73]

ok the other day I watch some students take there BC off and place in on one bent knee with the tank butt facing away from there body. but they had weight belts on so they did not float away..
Now..how do you take off you BC underwater with the weights inside the pockets? cuz I would just start floating up up and away?
Now the insturctor said you need this skill cuz you may have to take off your bc to untangle something ....So how does one do this task without floatin away?

As long as they keep there rig's on their bent leg, there should not be a problem of floating I think. (Iv'e done this only in the pool).

 

[fyrdyvr]

I liked the idea of all of my weights in the BC since the belt seemed like it would be bulky and uncomfortable and I was comfortable with removing my BC, with all of the weights in it, until I read some of these replies. As a new diver, I only know MY training and never thought about getting separated from my BC. I performed the doffing and donning underwater without any problems and thought that I had it covered if the situation of removal ever presented itself. I may have to reconsider my original thoughts on weight belts now. I am glad that I found this place to continue my training. Thanks to all of the knowledgeable people on here who take their time to share their experience!

 

[don Francisco]

As a new diver, I only know MY training and never thought about getting separated from my BC. I performed the doffing and donning underwater without any problems and thought that I had it covered if the situation of removal ever presented itself. I may have to reconsider my original thoughts on weight belts now.

This thread is an example of how "a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing"

The OP posits the premiss that when doffing her weight integrated BC, she would be floaty and her rig heavy. While true near the surface, it doesn't necessarily apply at depth where her wetsuit would be compressed and less bouyant, while the added air in the BC would make it less negative or possibly positive.

In any case, other posters said that the problem would be resolved with a weight belt vs. carrying the weights in a BC. I think this assumption needs a closer examination.

Divers carrying all their weight on a belt would be near bouynacy parity with their rig at shallow depths, but at greater depth will find themselves negatively bouyant, while their rig is now positively bouyant.

I'm not making a value judgement as to which is safer, bouyancy parity in shallow water or at depth (which might vary with circumstances), but want to point out that having only half the information can lead one to move from a safer arrangement to a less safe one.

Whether it's doffing a rig or any other aspect of diving, it's important to understand all the implications of ones actions, and not draw snap conclusions based on incomplete information. dF

 

[clint@uniquescuba.com]

All of our OW students learn to begin and complete this skill from a Neutrally Buoyant State.

It takes a bit longer and requires a more practice and pool time, but the end result is quite worth the effort.

Truth is, this should be rather easy by the time you do your check out dives.

 

[ronbeau]

This thread reinforces (other threads helped me make) my decision to stop at my LDS today & buy a weight belt rather than having it all in the BC. After my conversation with the store owner I'll diving with 8 lbs on the belt and the rest in the BC trim pockets.

You might want to check out the DUI Weight and Trim harness in addition to looking at a weight. The harness is a much better option than a weight belt in my opinion.

 

[catra8104]

I did my pool sessions with a wt belt.. I then bought all my gear (including integrated BC) before my first OW dive.. Didn't even consider the difference and my instructor knew about my change in gear & didn't say anything... When I had to doff & don the BC at 15' the main problem I had was getting it in front of me.. So I turned to it.. Then I couldn't lift it above my head like I practiced in the pool.. So I somersaulted into it after placing my arms right.. I'm sure it was a sight, but it worked..

I've only had 2 dives since I passed OW so haven't had the need to try this process again.. Can anyone give me an example of when this technique would be needed except for possibly cave diving?? Any OW situations??

 

[don Francisco]

Can anyone give me an example of when this technique would be needed except for possibly cave diving?? Any OW situations??

In low viz. diving especially along busy coastlines, there's always the chance of not noticing a line in the water - such as to a lobster trap - swimming under it and snagging it on your regulator. They can get pretty tangled up there, and if your buddy can't free you, you'll have to doff the BC and untangle it yourself.

That's just one example. The fact is that other than diving in tropical marine parks, entanglement is a real hazard. Naturally it's always behind you (Murphy's Law), so it makes sense to be equiped with both the skill and tools to deal with it.

 

[spectrum]

I liked the idea of all of my weights in the BC since the belt seemed like it would be bulky and uncomfortable and I was comfortable with removing my BC, with all of the weights in it, until I read some of these replies. As a new diver, I only know MY training and never thought about getting separated from my BC. I performed the doffing and donning underwater without any problems and thought that I had it covered if the situation of removal ever presented itself. I may have to reconsider my original thoughts on weight belts now. I am glad that I found this place to continue my training. Thanks to all of the knowledgeable people on here who take their time to share their experience!

Doing it in the pool with little or no neoprene is no big trick. As your wetsuit gets to be more significant in colder open water your personal buoyancy soars and the complexity and risk when out of the suit goes way up.

Keep in mind that the real life objective is not to execute a doff & don. Rather to doff, solve a real problem and don to continue the dive. You need to be able to work a cutting tool or manage a situation while staying with your rig.

Pete