Look Ma! No stink/n BC!

[Nemrod]

Here I am checking my computer, military harness, 16 pounds shot, 5mm Rubatex two piece suit, about 70 feet, completely neutral within the tidal volume of my lungs. To carry my camera I had to leave two pounds at the anchor.

Most of us dove the entire trip without a BC (or octopus or any thing but what you see and a big knife). One long, unexpected surface swim when the boat broke from the mooring in high seas left me wondering if a snorkel or BC might be handy, nah, banish the thought.

N

 

[Poogweese]

Neutral at 70' in warm water with a double hose reg...you just described my "Happy Place"

Looks like you guys had a great time

Poog
Chillin' in 41F water

 

[Nemrod]

Well, it was not all that warm just yet, thus the 5mm Rubatex. Water temps were around 74 to 75 degrees. Tolerable but not quite bathing suit temps just yet. It was a good time, great to watch our vintage double hose group swimming along, no BC and suspended perfectly above the coral as a group of other divers invaded our space, crashing and flopping in their poodle jackets and then tried to board our boat. They were lost I guess. Boats all do look alike I suppose.

Two of our group suspended at about 90 feet, true 3D diving:

And my wifelet in her poodle jacket:

And the wreck:

Sharks don't need a BC and they have no swim bladder either:

A pro photographer that sometime accompanied the group, an excellent diver and superb photographer and nice person:

Hanging for the safety stop:

All pics by N.

N

 

[Drewpy]

Very Cool!!
The last pic brings back memories of Thunderball!!

 

[Slonda828]

Nem,

Your pictures rock! I had to go back to class today, it was a sad event. That last picture is awesome...who is that dapper yellow diver? Oh wait...it's me!

 

[Doubler]

Nemrod,
I've said it once and I'll say it again, You pull a Huge Vacuum, quit torturing me man! All kidding aside, great shot's, Mike Nelson would be proud. One of these days I am going to find the vintage regulator of my dreams. I don't believe I would go as far as you have with the vintage equipment. I want one for photography. This may be a silly question but can you dive Nitrox with a vintage rig?

 

[Nemrod]

Nemrod,
I've said it once and I'll say it again, You pull a Huge Vacuum, quit torturing me man! All kidding aside, great shot's, Mike Nelson would be proud. One of these days I am going to find the vintage regulator of my dreams. I don't believe I would go as far as you have with the vintage equipment. I want one for photography. This may be a silly question but can you dive Nitrox with a vintage rig?

Hmmm, well, OK.

Yes, you can dive nitrox or mutiple mixed gases. Of course it would be prudent to use appropriate o-rings and grease formulations. Yes, we dive nitrox with our twin hose regs.

N

 

[Slonda828]

Nemrod,
I've said it once and I'll say it again, You pull a Huge Vacuum, quit torturing me man! All kidding aside, great shot's, Mike Nelson would be proud. One of these days I am going to find the vintage regulator of my dreams. I don't believe I would go as far as you have with the vintage equipment. I want one for photography. This may be a silly question but can you dive Nitrox with a vintage rig?

Bear in mind that in many doublehose regs there are usually only one or two o-rings so it's a simple matter to swap those to Viton, and even then many people still use the regular rubbber ones with no ill effects. These regs are all over Ebay, or availible on www.vintagedoublehose.com for purchase in ready to dive condition. Why keep waiting when you could be diving?

 

[Timoblue]

Tons of up your own - However i do admire the vintage scuba take.

 

[covediver]

Nemrod:

Nice pictures, total control, very nice.

Moments before checking scuba board I had read the following from the opening passages of Deep Dive a 1988 mystery novel by Doug Horning that I picked up at a used bookstore a few weeks ago.

"The primary function of the B.C. is to stabalize you under water. After your weight belt pulls you below the surface, you simply let air in or out of the B.C. until you achieve the near-weightlessness that you want. This, plus its potential as a life-saving device, makes the B.C. one of the most important pieces of equipment. Yet most people have never seen one. In the movies and on T.V. divers just strap their tanks right to their backs. Why? Becaus B.C.'s are not "photogenic", meaning that you can't see a woman's curves when she's got her B.C. on. I love Hollywood."

Your message was one of the first I saw. The juxtaposition of the passage that I had just read, the title of the post, your message and excellent photos, and some of the replies to it was just too much to credit to chance and I burst out laughing.