Steel vs. Al Tanks?

[jmps]

...Even the most pathetic intro divers I took diving could have managed that, and I had some pretty sorryarsed people on occasion.
...

Now that is a good instructor's attitude.

 

[pants!]

I am curious to know what formula you used to arrive at that conclusion?

Just a guess.. I know my 2pc 7mm wetsuit had on the order of 15-18 lbs of positive buoyancy..

 

[boomx5]

The problem with this discussion is you can't just throw a "sticky" on it and say this is the only way to dive like this. Body types are different, water type is different (salt vs fresh) exposure protection is different, gear type is different. Use the right tool for the environment in which you'll be diving. Oh, and having a balance rig is the right way to do it and it shouldn't be done any other way.

 

[pants!]

Is this the DEFINITION of "balanced rig" -- i.e. balance rig is "a rig that one can swim up off the bottom"?

Seriously, this is NOT a troll. The term "balanced rig" gets thrown around now and then, usually it seems, by someone with a little bit of DIR training, and very often in the context of wetsuits and steel tanks.

I really don't see where the non-ditchable negative buoyancy of steel tanks is any different than any other non-ditchable negative buoyancy, but repeated posts my many different people makes me wonder if there is something that I'm missing.

I guess.. I'm not sure what the 'definition' is... but I understand it as being a rig that doesn't make you so negative at the bottom as not to be able to swim it up if you have a BC failure or ever cause you to be so positive you can't control your ascent.. balanced in the sense that it won't kill you by dragging you down or up uncontrollably..

 

[Charlie99]

Oh, and having a balance rig is the right way to do it and it shouldn't be done any other way.

Another good example of the use the term. Please explain what you mean by balanced rig. Is the same as Pants' "one you can swim off the bottom"?

 

[Charlie99]

It is a smart diving practice that is central to DIR.

That is obviously not to say that DIR has sole ownership of the concept.. any smart diver will dive a balanced rig.

For a concept "central to DIR", it seem to be a pretty slippery concept. Either that, or it's just a fancy way of saying that one should always be able to swim back up, even with a BC or wing failure.

 

[pants!]

For a concept "central to DIR", it seem to be a pretty slippery concept. Either that, or it's just a fancy way of saying that one should always be able to swim back up, even with a BC or wing failure.

That's essentially what it is.. however it also encompasses the concept of being able to swim all the way up...

Not only not too negative, but also not too positive.. hence balanced.

 

[boomx5]

Another good example of the use the term. Please explain what you mean by balanced rig. Is the same as Pants' "one you can swim off the bottom"?

Boy Charlie, that's really a loaded question in that it goes beyond just steel vs. aluminum tanks and encompasses so much more. For what it's worth, GUE is not the only training org that teaches diving a balanced rig. Though, it may be worded different it's still the same concept; and though I believe diving a balanced rig is doing it right it's not solely owned by the DIR crowd. I think if we remove the acronyms "DIR" from the conversation for a minute, it would be apparent that we (those posting in this thread) agree more than we disagree.

 

[Squalus]

Hmm has anyone tried or even looked at neutrally bouyant aluminum 80's?

 

[The Kraken]

You can get an E7-80 PST for about the same price as a neutral aluminum.
Well, at least you can from Divers Supply.
E7-80 = $179.95
Neutral Al 80 = $184.95

the K