Tried a back buoyancy BC yesterday

[kalvyn]

ZoCrowes255 once bubbled...

[snip]

I do most of my diving with students and I am usually the victim in rescue scenarios. Once a student hits the surface they usually LAY on my inflator. In a Classic this is not a problem since that forces me on my back but in the KH it will force me forward and make it very hard for them to tow me.

[snip]

In my OW class pool sessions, I was taught to get the victim on their back first, then fully inflate their BC. Is this not the norm?

My instructor had a back-inflate BC. During my OW checkout dives, when it came time to do the diver on the bottom rescue, I had no problems whatsoever with getting him on his back once we got to the surface. Towing him in while simulating mouth to mouth, the hardest part was getting my hand between his BC bladder and his neck.

Jimmie

 

[MikeFerrara]

During a rescue ther is no need to fully inflate. Over inflating the bc can make other tasks harder by floating the victem tooo high.

 

[ElectricZombie]

If the back flotation is pushing you forward, just lean backwards. My Halcyon 27lbs Pioneer wing doesn't push me forward in the water at all.

Also, if you like the SP KH, you might like a BP/Wings setup even better.

 

[leadweight]

ElectricZombie once bubbled...
If the back flotation is pushing you forward, just lean backwards. My Halcyon 27lbs Pioneer wing doesn't push me forward in the water at all.

Also, if you like the SP KH, you might like a BP/Wings setup even better.

My 30# Dive Rite travel wing does not push me forward at all.

Also, if you like the SP KH, you might like a Transpac II/Travel Wing setup even better. And you might like the TPII even better than a BP/Wing.

 

[ZoCrowes255]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...
During a rescue ther is no need to fully inflate. Over inflating the bc can make other tasks harder by floating the victem tooo high.

Try telling that to a student who does it anyway. It's not a common occurance but there always be one or two people in each class.

 

[MikeFerrara]

ZoCrowes255 once bubbled...


Try telling that to a student who does it anyway. It's not a common occurance but there always be one or two people in each class.

I do tell it to students all the time. One of the main reasons to take a rescue class is to try different techniques with different equipment to see what works the best. Over inflating the bc of both the victem and the rescuer is a common mistake. Practice is what's needed to polish the technique. Any piece of equipment is likely to introduce it's own twist for a rescuer or a buddy. That's all part of the game

 

[Ari]

Back inflated BCD's are very convenient UW. They pose some different issues above water.

I am not sure it makes sense to use different equipment in training and in actual diving, as it is opposite to the idea of training.

Anyway, you make you own choice and try to stick with it. I like the back inflated and I think that its advantages overcome every of its disadvanteges.

Ari