Bada, I'm assuming when you say that you "managed to step in a pile of unsavory stuff" that you're saying I'm shovelling a pile of crap. And that you're also saying that I'm the one that is not being specific or logical. With that, I'll defend my position.
Your position was that you "must" use a butt plate to dive steel tanks with the Stealth and that it wasn't enough lift to dive Worthingtons. I presented both the theory (Archimedes principle) as well as the practical application (video of actual people diving without butt plates using steel tanks and Worthingtons) to refute that. I think that was specific and logical.
You then altered the argument into implying that I had no knowledge of overhead environment, manipulating tanks and you introduced trimming al80s. I think you are also implying that I have no knowledge of Hogarthian rigging.
So you have the same amount of air in your wing at 10 feet as at 100 feet? And without using your drysuit as a buoyancy control device (i.e., putting in just enough air to alleviate squeeze and add a bit of warmth)?
Thanks for posting the video.
I'm getting the sense that some of the confusion stems from "open water SM" that may not fully consider that the myriad of drills should be doable in horizontal trim. It's not about looking pretty while gliding along when not task loaded. If that were the criterion, you could solve the AL80 tail floating problem by tying a rope between the cam bands across your belly and the cylinders will stay put when gas gets depleted. That's not considered an adequate solution since the rope attachment itself becomes a potential safety factor when the cylinders need to be manipulated under water. Hence other Hogarthian solutions are preferred. Keep these factors in mind when stating that you have solutions to this and that.
To defend my position, I posted video of myself in a overhead environment, task loaded, manipulating tanks, diving with al80s. I still think I'm being specific and logical, and that I'm responding to the criteria that you yourself have set out.
You've used the term"Hogarthian" more than once, so I'll answer in this way: What is more hogarthian about the way you dive as opposed to the way I dive? Is a butt plate hogarthian? Is swinging tanks forward hogarthian? Because from my cave and tec courses, I was taught hogarthian was a streamlined way to dive backmounted manifolded doubles. Nothing at all about butt plates. I do strive to ensure that I follow all the tenets of tec diving though.
Let's back up for a moment though. Why did I ask how much 200 cubic feet of air weighed?
If you remember from your open water course, how does one check for proper weighting? Holding a normal breath, with an empty bcd, you should be floating at eye level. When you exhale, you should slowly sink. If you do this at the beginning of your dive, you need to add 5 pounds to account for the air that you will use from your tank. This 5 pounds was based on the assumption that you're diving an al80.
If we apply this concept to diving with two hp100s: Others have answered that 200 cubic feet of air weighs approximately 16lbs. So, if I'm floating at eye level, holding a normal breath, with an empty bcd at the start of my dive, I need to add 16lbs to account for the air that I'm going to be using. I will therefore need a minimum of 16lbs of lift in my bcd to offset this extra weight.
The Stealth 2.0 has 35lbs of lift. You should be able to dive properly weighted with 200 cubic feet of air. You should still go through all the procedures to ensure that you're properly weighted though. The open water course lays the foundation to safely continue your dive career. We shouldn't ignore the principals from it just because we have a cert card from a higher level. For me, that's complacency. And complacency is a very dangerous thing when we are diving in the water.
One GIANT disclaimer: Do not dive in overhead environments, or remove your tanks to squeeze through anything, unless you have received the proper training. One needs to know the proper responses for silt outs, being stuck, and equipment failures that have a higher chance of occurring.
The "ex-wife" comment was a joke saying that you're not staying on point in the argument. The "lift bag" was to say that even manufacturers are applying the same criteria for calculating lift that I'm using. I apologize. Sometime humour and sarcasm don't translate well over the internet. My bad!
