Lift for Drysuit diving

[Irishdiver]

AzAtty once bubbled...
With regard to Usil's comment, the NOAA Diving Program conducted a study on whether to require their divers to use BCDs while using a drysuit. Currently, NOAA does not require BCD use when diving a drysuit, and apparently most NOAA divers do not use BCDs when diving dry.

The study tested the difficulty of swimming to the surface and staying above the water for 30 minutes while wearing a flooded dry suit.

Here is the report.

DISCLAIMER: I advocate using a BCD at all times. I don't care what NOAA says.

Azatty, I finally managed to get that link to work. It's interesting that none of the test divers involved (some of whom were relatively inexperienced) used BCDs in their diving before completing the test: given that was the case, it seems hardly surprising that none of them experienced a change of heart and advocated the use of BCDs afterwards (though three of them suggested that they might be a useful option).
It's also interesting that to stay afloat in a membrane suit seems to require the diver to drop weights and tanks, whereas a BCD would avoid this.

Like you, I think diving without a BCD is foolhardy. However, each to their own, I suppose.