Cheizz
Contributor
There have been a few gear threads lately that had me thinking about objective, factual measurements of dive gear. And that they’re very hard to find. For example: what are a specific fin’s buoyancy characteristics underwater? How floaty is a certain wetsuit?
These are things a manufacturer or reviewer could easily measure and record, I would say. Sometimes, the dry weight of a product is mentioned (for a reference size), but buoyancy characteristics are rarely mentioned. And they are very relevant in scuba diving. With fins, with suits, with everything really. When you read about products and want to make an informed choice before purchasing, you want to know this stuff, right? I know I do.
So why don’t manufacturers or reviewers measure and report these things (especially these - maybe sponsored - mass reviews in magazines; they apparently have all the stuff right there, they say they measure stuff, but they don’t publish their measurements)?
In your swimsuit, establish your own personal buoyancy (can you float with lungs full of air? Do you get negatively buoyant when you exhale? How much weight does it need to get you under? - this is your reference and something that's nice for you to know, as a diver). Then put on a wetsuit and jump in. How much weight does it take to become negatively buoyant in that suit A? And how much weight does it take to get another suit (B) negatively buoyant? Shouldn’t be too hard, should it?
So why do only some brands measure and publish this kind of information that seems so relevant for people researching gear? Judging by the many gear threads on Scubaboard, many of these new gear purchases are inspired by a need for something else with different characteristics. So why don’t they just measure and list those?
These are things a manufacturer or reviewer could easily measure and record, I would say. Sometimes, the dry weight of a product is mentioned (for a reference size), but buoyancy characteristics are rarely mentioned. And they are very relevant in scuba diving. With fins, with suits, with everything really. When you read about products and want to make an informed choice before purchasing, you want to know this stuff, right? I know I do.
So why don’t manufacturers or reviewers measure and report these things (especially these - maybe sponsored - mass reviews in magazines; they apparently have all the stuff right there, they say they measure stuff, but they don’t publish their measurements)?
In your swimsuit, establish your own personal buoyancy (can you float with lungs full of air? Do you get negatively buoyant when you exhale? How much weight does it need to get you under? - this is your reference and something that's nice for you to know, as a diver). Then put on a wetsuit and jump in. How much weight does it take to become negatively buoyant in that suit A? And how much weight does it take to get another suit (B) negatively buoyant? Shouldn’t be too hard, should it?
So why do only some brands measure and publish this kind of information that seems so relevant for people researching gear? Judging by the many gear threads on Scubaboard, many of these new gear purchases are inspired by a need for something else with different characteristics. So why don’t they just measure and list those?