Sea Elite Horse Collar BC

[Paladin]

As anyone who has read some of my posts already knows, I am not a fan of buoyancy compensators. In fact, I had never even used on until a few weeks ago when I went over to Twin Quarries and discovered that wearing a BC was mandatory. I rented a jacket type and tried it. It was basically a disaster. I finally just deflated the d****d thing and just dived as if it didn't even exist.

But it got me to thinking. Now that my sons are interested in diving (my oldest started his OW class today) and I will probably be diving more places where BCs are required. So, the other day I ordered a Sea Elite horse collar BC from Divers Supply. The price was low and it had a couple of good reviews, so I bit.

I got it last Wednesday and took it down to the river for a test drive yesterday. It worked flawlessly. It filled quickly both by inflator and orally. Four and a half breaths fills it to capacity and it provides 40 pounds of surface buoyancy. It empties fully and quickly as needed. It is well constructed and easy to put on and take off. At 30 feet, two or three quick bumps from the inflator put me at perfect neutral buoyancy and the BC emptied instantly when I wanted to ascend.

In all, if I have to use a BC, the Sea Elite horse collar does the job effectively and economically.

 

[Nemrod]

The basic horsecollar is way underestimated by modern trained divers. True, it may not be ideal for dry suits or other diving were large buoyancy shifts might occur but it can be a very streamlined rig for simple scuba. N

 

[AfterDark]

Welcome to the world of Bc's. Like you I dove without one or one of those gray UDT
horse collars that was inflated orally while underwater. I thought the LP air infaltor was the bomb! I use a late 80's seaquest jacket. It worked well until today. I went to the ocean Monday AM to adjust my bouyancy and pratice a few basic skills, and maybe if things went well and quick make my 1st dive in 15 years. Well no that didn't happen. Things went well until I tried to infalte my BC and the air wouldn't shutoff! I guess I need a new infaltor. Or wings! My wife would shot me in my sleep!
It's good you found something you like, BC's makes diving easier and safer IMO. Hope it lasts a longtime for you.

 

[Stijovic]

I'm bit late for this discussion but felt like wanna post something on this one as have been using horse collar (Mares MODULO) since bought it, in 1988 till 2004 when it was stolen together with some other stuff. Just now ordered a new one, !
I can elaborate endlessly all benefits of using it in any diving configuration, as did it personally.
Really looking forward that feeling in water with steel back plate and simple (hogarthian) harness on a steel 10l single tank with 3mm suit...no weight to break my back...balance and drag it produces is closest to natural we have (chest and abdomen) and with streamline you can achieve gives a feeling that is almost like free diving, even better,

 

[knowone]

Dude, you can take that combination to the Eurovision song contest and
archive it with all the other European crimes of fashion against humanity

 

[elmer fudd]

This may seem to be thread highjacking, but I've been contemplating making a very small wing that would be mostly concealed between the backplate and tank. Of course a little would stick out, but nothing like on most wings.

Here in Washington, I find it's kind of hard to regulate your buoyancy beyond a narrow range of depth when you dive with doubles, (suit compression plus tank swings), plus some places like Edmunds require a BC. You get out to 90' or so and you can't stay off the bottom, then at the end of the dive you're juggling rocks to do your stop. Such are the hassles of trying to dive vintage alongside modern divers. So I've been thinking of making something like a very skinny 10# wing that would hardly show. Just enough air to control buoyancy and nothing more.

 

[knowone]

dromedary msr images - Google Search

 

[elmer fudd]

Good idea!

Another one I've been contemplating is putting the bladder inside the wetsuit. Inflatable breasts? Something like one of those camelbacks stuffed inside a wetsuit would allow buoyancy manipulation while still appearing to be vintage.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Instead of a BC I used to use drysuit for balast lnstead. I had a Teknodiver commercial drysuit that I bought from a Seattle dive shop. It was a very well fitting neoprene suit that was streamlined like a wetsuit.
I used to back pack dive with it and just give it a shot of air when there was a little suit squeeze, that usually was in tune with getting heavy so the two components generally went together, suit squeeze and heavy - give it a little shot and it cured both equally.
I got rid of the suit because it didn't fit well anymore and it needed a new zipper at $300. Besides I was always too hot in it and it made me sweat, then I would get cold because I was wet. Plus I couldn't pee when I wanted to.
So I went back to wetsuits.

 

[Aigtbootbp]

I have been trying to find a reasonably priced modern horsecollar. The Sea-elite is out of production so is the aquatech. Anyone know of any out there now?