Use of lift bag when bc fails

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I did my OC tech training in Florida, in a wet suit. The way we trained with redundant buoyancy in case of wing failure wasn't to shoot a bag and reel yourself up. We basically used the SMB as a replacement for the wing. Clip it to the crotch strap D-ring, inflate it the same way you would inflate the wing (little bit at a time), and if you overinflate you pull the dump valve. You also usually need to dump on the way up, just like a BC.

Other training agencies stress the idea of a balanced rig, and say that you don't need redundant buoyancy and that you should be able to swim your rig up in case of a wing failure.

I used a double bladder wing the few times I used doubles and a wet suit. Easier than using an SMB or a lift bag.
This is exactly what I wanted and expected to hear. But it was not found in the 5 pages posted 4 years ago. Just more of the same ....
 
I am going to try as you suggest doctormike, and see how well I can ascend with just a lift bag clipped to my BC. And if diving doubles, trying to support the full rig on the surface with an empty BC.
 
Yeah, it's a good way of doing it. Personally, if you were going to be doing a lot of tech diving in a wet suit, I would consider avoiding steel tanks.

Also, I would probably get a double bladder wing. For some reason they have a bad reputation, but I think that it's a much easier thing to use if you have a wing failure than trying to ride up an SMB. The bad reputation comes from people who hook up the second bladder to an inflator hose, which I would never do. I just bungee the second wing inflator out of the way and if I ever needed it I would just orally inflate. You are going to have at least one, possibly two SMBs with you anyway, so you have that as backup.

Between staying close to a balanced rig, having a double bladder wing and having two SMBs, you can probably find some way up!
 
Task overloading is something I can not handle. And to mentally map my skills first before trying something new. I dove drysuit about 20 times over 10 years ago, and getting that suit out in 90 degree weather not very attractive. But just to see if you can ascend safely and doing multiple stops with nothing more than a bag, a high mounted dump valve and an octo is a challenge that I must try.
 
Nasty comments kept me from sb.
Many people see challenges as being nasty when it's not. It's an attempt to make you think. If all you want are "attaboys", then Facebook is your friend.
I just bungee the second wing inflator out of the way and if I ever needed it I would just orally inflate.
That's how I dive mine. Frankly, the only time I've ever needed the second bladder was during a training scenario. I used to dive the infamous 100 lb lift BWOD with a double bladder. I tore a rather large hole in it on a wreck and never had to switch over to the second bladder. I made a few more dives, yes even with bungees, before I realized that I had torn the bladder and not just the outer bag. Tire patches did a wonderful repair.
 
Between staying close to a balanced rig, having a double bladder wing and having two SMBs, you can probably find some way up!
I am glad someone also carry 2 smb’s and I am not a nerd in a dive boat. Started when I clipped it to the reel and it slipped off after stripping nearly 20 ft of lines out. Pissed off reeling in the mess, boat waiting nearby with motor running, and me without any marking device. Never again will I clip anything to a string loop!
 
Why would anyone need hard bottom to shoot a bag?
That was the whole point of the discussion, the ease and safety of managing a failed wing with a very negative rig that is dragging you faster than you can swim upward. Besides, the first time one deploy a smb, it is good to understand the physics, pull, and difficulty positioning oneself in a current. It is easier to untangle from a mess, or deal with a stuck reel when you are safely anchored with your bc emtied in the bottom of the sea or pool. First time deployment of a new reel should be in a controlled environment.
 
or deal with a stuck reel
I only use spools when I shoot anything. Reels are not a good option in this scenario.
 
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