Floating face down

[Ber Rabbit]

Thanks people. Sounds pretty easy. Can't wait to use it.


Devils Den March 18th,,,,St. Lucia for a week in July and then Bonaire for a week in Oct. !!!!!!

Looks like we'll just miss you at Devils Den, planning to be there March 23. Enjoy your gear!
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Damselfish]

It's all about weight distribution. My Ladyhawk will rotate me forward on the surface with even a little air in it, which quite logically can happen when the flotation is behind you, simple physics. Leaning back doesn't help and I don't like floating on my back. I use the rear trim pockets or a weight on the tank strap to stay upright easily.

 

[Daxter]

Laserdoc, I have a Seaquest Balance, it does have weight pockets in the back which might help, but remember you are just keeping your head above water. As stated above if you try to over inflate and to get your body out of the water you might tip foward, I have never tipped or felt like I was going to tip over. Good luck, relax, and have a blast!!

 

[DivingCRNA]

It will not float you face down. Just dive it and do not lean forward with all your weight on the front of your belt and the bladder fully inflated.

Truthfully, the floating face down thing is a big myth. Just have fun and don't think about it.

 

[Kim]

I would also have to say that in my experience this is not a problem (6 years using back inflate wing). The only time that it *might* be a problem IMO is if you were actually unconscious at the surface. That said I have never heard of an accident or death because of ending up facing face down due to a back inflate system. I'd be curious if anyone else has.

 

[ZzzKing]

What seems to help is correctly positioning your weight. I put about 60% in back, next to the tank and the rest in front. I never have the slightest tendency to float face down even when the thing is overinflated.

This concern is usually voiced by folks that don't have much experience using a back inflate bc. Most of those that have much experience with them seem to like them a lot.

 

[scubajoh44]

Does that leave mostly undumpable weight? Is that a concern to most?

 

[Bratface]

actually, quite easy to accomplish. put only enough air in to float, and lean back like you're in a recliner.

i think the main problems come when folks pump up to maximum and try to float perpendicular - that would tend to tilt you forward.

I have a Scubapro LadyHawk which is a back inflator. I agree totally with Baby Duck. Just don't put so much air in it and you won't go forward. You will be a little lower in the water than if you were wearing a jacket-style.

 

[MSilvia]

Does that leave mostly undumpable weight? Is that a concern to most?

Actually, I prefer minimal dumpable weight. I wear a few pounds on my belt (which I wouldn't bother with if I didn't need it), but since I'm neutrally bouyant at 15' with no air in my wing, I can swim up if I need to. I can only imagine dumping it if I was on the surface, had to go farther than I thought I could swim under my own power, had a total BC failure as well as a drysuit and SMB failure, had a buddy with similar problems, and felt that a few pound of extra buoyancy would mean the difference between surviving and not. Really, if it got that bad, I'd probably ditch the whole rig.

Except in a few circumstances that can be prevented with minimal good planning, I don't think ditchable weights are particularly necessary for a properly weighted diver with redundant buoyancy. I'd actually prefer not to have any ditchable weight at all, and I think a new steel tank and different drysuit boots might be enough to get me there.

 

[crpntr133]

Within the past two months I have found out that the type and amount of suit that you are wearing can make a big difference. I normally wear a 6.5mm semi dry, no problems. Then I went to a dry suit. Slight problem but then remembered to not inflate as much..no problem. Last week I dove in FL and wore a skin and 2mm shorty and went through it again.

I tried to dunk myself and even fully inflated I couldn't do it but if I had a wave coming from my back, things might have been different.

If you ever get in the position then simply roll over and you will be in the "recliner" postion as mentioned before. I love my back inflate and wouldn't switch back.