I am wanting to find out if a BC should be snug or how it should fit. I was having problems with it all throughout my confined water dives and thought it was just me and have thought more about it since finishing them, I just want to make sure I have something more comfortable for OW in three weeks if that is not correct.
Trouble with BC
- Thread starter scubalobo
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What kind of problems? Without knowing the specifics, I might suggest that you look at the following:
How does it fit without any weights or tank attached? Can you breathe easily? When you manually inflate it, does it compress your ribcage? If so, you need either an adjustment or a different BC.
Next, how much weight are you carrying? If you're overweighted, you'll have to compensate by overinflating the BC. Go with your instructor to the pool and re-do your bouyancy check. Many of us (I was the worst!) overweighted in the beginning because it seemed like an easy way to ensure we got down. With experience, you learn to control the volume of air you inspire, which will dramatically change the way you descend.
Finally, you should make sure that you're completely comfortable with your BC (and your other equipment) before doing your OW checkout dives. You want to be able to concentrate on your dive skills and the novelty of the experience, not spend the time fiddling with poorly fitting or improperly adjusted equipment.
Good luck. Hope your OW experience is a pleasant one. Welcome to the board and the sport.
-Grier
How does it fit without any weights or tank attached? Can you breathe easily? When you manually inflate it, does it compress your ribcage? If so, you need either an adjustment or a different BC.
Next, how much weight are you carrying? If you're overweighted, you'll have to compensate by overinflating the BC. Go with your instructor to the pool and re-do your bouyancy check. Many of us (I was the worst!) overweighted in the beginning because it seemed like an easy way to ensure we got down. With experience, you learn to control the volume of air you inspire, which will dramatically change the way you descend.
Finally, you should make sure that you're completely comfortable with your BC (and your other equipment) before doing your OW checkout dives. You want to be able to concentrate on your dive skills and the novelty of the experience, not spend the time fiddling with poorly fitting or improperly adjusted equipment.
Good luck. Hope your OW experience is a pleasant one. Welcome to the board and the sport.
-Grier
GrierhPharmD has an excellent post. I'd only add that you can tell, on the surface, if your BC is too loose by inflating it fully. If the shoulder straps push up above your ear lobe, then it's too loose.
Keep in mind that your wetsuit will compress at depth, making it feel more loose. You should be familiar with how to tighten the cumberbun (if you have one) and the straps at the waist and chest. Remember that you'll have to loosen them once you ascend ... newbies sometimes forget this and the tightness leads to a panic situation on the surface.
Do you remember what brand/model it is?
Good luck!
Keep in mind that your wetsuit will compress at depth, making it feel more loose. You should be familiar with how to tighten the cumberbun (if you have one) and the straps at the waist and chest. Remember that you'll have to loosen them once you ascend ... newbies sometimes forget this and the tightness leads to a panic situation on the surface.
Do you remember what brand/model it is?
Good luck!
Windwalker
Contributor
When I did my OW course, I used a SCUBAPRO Classic BC. That paticular BC gets real tight when full all the way, and usually stays pretty snug even when at depth. As mentioned above, all your gear will get looser the deeper you go and (if you tighten it) will become tight as you ascend. I found that if the Vest style BC was adjusted correctly at the surface then I didn't really need to muck with it down at 60 feet. Mind that your BOW should not bring you deeper then that. Your gear should not be too loose otherwise you will be constantly repositioning your tank to keep your pitch and yaw right as it slides around on your back. You will be overweighted on your BOW Dives.. I have never heard of anyone not being. Since my BOW dives I have dropped from 40 (8 pound tank, 32 pounds of lead) pounds down to 26 (20 pound weightbelt, 6 pound tank) pounds. This is because, when they try and weigh the student, the student commonly fins for stability, and this provides lift. (I sure as heck did that) As one become more comfortable in the water, sitting still and not finning helps to more accuratly approximate weight.
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