Neutrally Buoyant Padding

[sambolino44]

I'm happy with the unpadded webbing on my harness, but I can't help but notice all the discussion about how the padding in BCs adds to the buoyancy, thus requiring more weight.

Aren't there any BCs out there with neutrally buoyant padding? I see this gel stuff in shoes, bicycle seats, etc. Why don't they use that?

 

[Walter]

Padding is worse than useless. Even if you had neutrally buoyant padding (in fresh or in salt?), it would still add drag, especially in current. Even ignoring that, you don't need padding. MOst folks dive with a wet suit most of the time. A wet suit is padding. Even diving without a wet suit (like me for 6 months of the year), padding is not needed. A little on the shoulders might help the sensitive for the walk to the water, but padding is found all along the back. I assume this is to protect you when you're prone during the dive. Air in the BC lifts the weight from your back, making all padding unnecessary.

 

[sambolino44]

Well, I agree with you that padding is unnecessary, and that's why I don't use it. However, that's beside the point of my question.

When Poseidon came out with the Besea BC it caught my attention because it was supposedly designed to address one of the most unpleasant things about the type of diving I do. I live in the North and do mostly shore dives, so my rig is heavy and I have to lug it long distances over uneven, slippery surfaces. They say the Besea is designed with elements from modern backpack designs to address this problem, like a padded waist belt to put most weight on your hips. However, several of the reviews I read said that the BC was significantly more buoyant than others, and the problem was all that padding.

It just seems strange that we can't come up with a suitable material. I'll bet that gel padding is more expensive than foam, but I can't help but think there's more to it.

 

[spectrum]

The dive industry is ripe with opportunities like neutrally buoyant exposure protection or at least a material with constant buoyancy.

Your idea of neutrally buoyant padding in the form of a gel pack is an interesting one. I have a gel computer keyboard wrist rest that is just the right size to make a pair of shoulder toppers! Why this does not exist yet may be somewhere between lack of inspiration and tooling / manufacturing costs. Die cut padding parts that cannot herniate are easy to form and build into a product.

Have you opened discussions with a patent attorney yet?:shocked2:

Pete