Question regarding emergency removal of SCUBAPRO Classic Unlimited

[vladimir]

I have a ScubaPro Classic and a BP/W, and I am pretty indifferent between the two, for the warm-water tropical diving that I do. The Classic is more comfortable on the surface. When I first came to ScubaBoard we scheduled an epic BP/W-vs.-vest debate every few months, and one of the standard arguments was: "Don't select your BC for how it works on the surface." I don't know, sometimes the surface can be the diciest part of the dive. But I certainly wouldn't select my equipment for how rescue-friendly it is. I'm just going to continue with my strategy of not drowning or near-drowning, whichever BC I use.

 

[MarineResearch]

Jim,
As you can imagine, the class, and Kevin and my follow up practices and discussions, and this thread have REALLY gotten me thinking. (Oh, and thanks for the compliment) I am not going to JUMP to make a change, but I am seriously thinking about getting a second BCD. This Saturday I will try this BCD out with my drysuit in the pool and that will give me even more information about a decision. I also purchased both titanium EMT shears and the EEZYCUT trilobite. I might use the classic when I wear a 5 mm or less and use my new BCD for 7 mm or the dry suit ... though I am thinking once I get used to the drysuit, I might not use a 5 mm wetsuit or thicker very often. The point is that this class really woke me up. Do I feel stupid for never having really considered these issues prior? Yeah, kinda. But, so it goes. I am very glad to be alive and learning. Let me add that another BIG thing that came out of last week's practice was that I did not know how to manually inflate Kevin's BCD b/c the deflate button on his Zeagle has to be pushed right in the very center (and it is a large button) or it doesn't seal and the expirations just vent right out. We tested it in our house, after I failed to do it in the water, and was initially completely baffled and felt like a failure, only to learn that it is a little nuance that I had to discover, and that I did best pushing it with three fingers instead of one. That gave me confidence to experiment without writing myself off as too small/weak/incapable and I believe I will do a way better pre-dive check on both my own gear and Kevin's (or other buddies) than I ever had. That alone was worth the price of admission. I have a fantasy that someone will let me try and cut an old classic with the shears or trilobite. Any takers?
Amy

Sorry, I'm married.

In addition to the various idiosyncrasies associated with different gear, you will eventually encounter gear that has been modified/repaired; buckles that don't work, zip ties holding broken buckles together (a dive shop rental), etc. I've done a little work as a professional rescue dummy and more often than not my rescuers would have killed me faster trying to save me. It takes a lot of practice with different people and gear to become really good, but you have obviously learned that already.

 

[fnfalman]

or a BC with front buckles, or a BI with a similar harness.....

Honestly, it boils down to personal preference as well as whomever is potentially involved in an aid scenario doing what they need to do....

Yep. Regardless of what gear you're using, you need to be proficient with it AND so does your regular buddy. Vice versa too.

Also, Amy, if the Trilobite doesn't impress you, then check out the Benchmade No. 7 Rescue cutter. It even has a nitrogen impregnated steel version with bright orange handle for marine work (7H2O). I am not impressed with most cutting implements offered by various dive companies or dive accessories companies. I prefer my serious cutting tools to be made by the people who do cutting tools for a living. http://www.benchmade.com/images/pr/pdf/7_npa.pdf

As far as trauma shears go, I have yet to find a high quality version, so I am pretty much stuck with the generic one that I'd throw away after it gets rusty and fall apart.

I buy them in the bunch from CountyComm - EMT Shears and they should last my lifetime's worth of diving. I picked the orange handle one for high visibility, of course. If somebody were to need to use my shears to cut me out of my rig, I don't want that person have to go and fumble to find the cool black handle that is chic with the "serious" divers.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Thanks for mentioning that. Actually, that is a consideration, as well. The thought already ran through my mind. I need to educated myself about the pros and cons and see if that is a good fit for the diving I do and will be doing.

As i and atleast one other person in this thread have said.. the Classic BC is NOT a good BC if you are going to change from one exposure suit to another. They are designed to fit well and be streamlined, but the lack of adjustability is a problem if you think you are gonna wear it with a skin or a 3 mm short in the summer and a dry suit in the winter.. You just aren't going to be happy with the fit. That is my opinion anyway. I can use mine with a 3 mm and 5 mm suit.. but the 7mm would be uncomfortable