Water in BCD

[Frosty]

The other is to grab the front neck of the wet suit to bleed any trapped air also the back of the BC can trap air....

Jim...

Hey jim---given its a male instructor and female pupil I reckon if he was to be playing around with her chest region he might end up in a power of hurt. -just a thought

---------- Post added May 11th, 2013 at 05:27 PM ----------

No offense taken. I log every dive and by now I am getting it down quite well. But I travel and dive by myself so you realize that I often get to a place, get on a boat with other divers, buddy up, guess the proper weight given the water temp, exposure suit etc and get in the water. In my experience with now a number of dive shops, they really don't want take time to weight check everything.

I'll give you a 3 month example.

1, Cuba, salt 85 degrees 3mm shorty, steel 80
2. Italy. salt 60 degrees 5mm full, Steel 100
3. Alberta fresh full 7mm booties hood and extra vest 14mm on core 45 degrees, Al80
4. San Diego straight 7mm, Al 80, 55 degrees

As I said, I log every dive and now am getting pretty good after about 35 or 40 dives but when the shops push you through, what I log in my book is the gear, the weight and comments like a little overweighted, little under" and adjust for the next time.

Another thing you said was "That gives you a baseline for the next dive in the same conditions." Being slightly "ha ha" older than 10, I do refer to my log and equip properly if I have dove in the same conditions before.

I know... I should demand to do a weight check but there is peer pressure when you got 6 or 7 in the water wanting to go down, especially when you are the junior diver. BTW, have I said I believe I got it by now. Still learning other stuff though. Thanks.

Matey sound like you and i followed a similar path -different locations but similar eclectic mix of dive conditions.
Hey and the cool thing about diving is you NEVER stop learning something new.

 

[Searcaigh]

I'll give you a 3 month example.

1, Cuba, salt 85 degrees 3mm shorty, steel 80
2. Italy. salt 60 degrees 5mm full, Steel 100
3. Alberta fresh full 7mm booties hood and extra vest 14mm on core 45 degrees, Al80
4. San Diego straight 7mm, Al 80, 55 degrees

As I said, I log every dive and now am getting pretty good after about 35 or 40 dives but when the shops push you through, what I log in my book is the gear, the weight and comments like a little overweighted, little under" and adjust for the next time.


I know... I should demand to do a weight check but there is peer pressure when you got 6 or 7 in the water wanting to go down, especially when you are the junior diver. BTW, have I said I believe I got it by now. Still learning other stuff though. Thanks.

Hi Panama,

Looking at your data above I would suggest looking at using steel tanks instead of AL80s with the thicker wetsuits in order to offset weights on your belt (or BC), if this is a option.

Glad to see that you are still logging your dives too, this is the best way to measure your progress, at some point all the weighting / exposure suit options become second nature and automatic

 

[drbill]

About the only way I can think of that adding water to a BCD would "increase weight" is by decreasing the volume of gas that can be held within the BCD... and that would take a fair bit of water.

Of course I always get water in my BCD since as a videographer I fill and empty it frequently. I just have to remember to get the water out when I pack up my gear for the airplane ride home or I get extra baggage charges!

 

[oldschoolto]

But officer.... I was only trying to get the air trapped by her boobies .....

Jim...

 

[johnatabc]

Little bit concerned about the discussion about the effect of having water in a tank.
Hopefully this is just a theoretical exercise.
Personally, if I know that a tank has water in it, I do not want it strapped to my back!

John

 

[TMHeimer]

About the only way I can think of that adding water to a BCD would "increase weight" is by decreasing the volume of gas that can be held within the BCD... and that would take a fair bit of water.

Of course I always get water in my BCD since as a videographer I fill and empty it frequently. I just have to remember to get the water out when I pack up my gear for the airplane ride home or I get extra baggage charges!

If your BC was completely inflated (for whatever possible reason) and you had a little water in it you would be a little heavier if on the surface. If not fully inflated I guess it would vary according to your position in the water. Now that's splitting hairs.

johnatabc, yes theoretical of course.

 

[spectrum]

Anywhere in the water column water in the BC will delpete your lift capacity. The water is of course neutral to ambient so it is neither heavy nor light. The effect in the end is that of a smaller bladder.

So, let's say you reach the surface with a 1/2 full BC ( I know, that's a lot) and your OPV is at the bottom of the wing/jacket. Would over inflation while bobbing vertical clear most water through the OPV as in clearing a mask?

Pete

 

[eponym]

Little bit concerned about the discussion about the effect of having water in a tank. Hopefully this is just a theoretical exercise. Personally, if I know that a tank has water in it, I do not want it strapped to my back!
John

Mostly theoretical, yes. When I first saw TMHeimer's question I wanted to answer, "doesn't matter, your regset has now failed, you're now breathing off your buddy's tank."

But in reality, if the dip tube is present on your valve you may be able to make one or many dives with water in the tank -- until tank corrosion sets in and invades the regset. I have seen this.

 

[Frosty]

Mostly theoretical, yes. When I first saw TMHeimer's question I wanted to answer, "doesn't matter, your regset has now failed, you're now breathing off your buddy's tank."

But in reality, if the dip tube is present on your valve you may be able to make one or many dives with water in the tank -- until tank corrosion sets in and invades the regset. I have seen this.

View attachment 154509

YUP--Recent thread I started on that subject .Theres no experience like starting to take a breath and your cheeks (mouth and backside) puckering inwards as you try to suck air. NOT a nice feeling.

---------- Post added May 12th, 2013 at 10:29 AM ----------

Anywhere in the water column water in the BC will delpete your lift capacity. The water is of course neutral to ambient so it is neither heavy nor light. The effect in the end is that of a smaller bladder.

So, let's say you reach the surface with a 1/2 full BC ( I know, that's a lot) and your OPV is at the bottom of the wing/jacket. Would over inflation while bobbing vertical clear most water through the OPV as in clearing a mask?

Pete

PURELY theoretical -BUT what if you did a bunch of salt water dives and had half a gallon of salt water in your bc then did a fresh water dive??

But basicly I agree totally -silly comment.