Wing Size Advantages and Disadvantages

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

I know I shouldn't feed the troll, but for the benefit of the OP....

My configuration (no lead weights, wetsuit) using steel doubles require none to very little air to remain buoyant. In the real world of scuba diving the all too familiar environment doesn’t exist for most novice recreational divers, hence, so many fatalities, and the culprit has been the lazy instructor who taught students to be over weighted. BCDs are not the problem.

If you drop a 25 lb weight belt at depth, your ascent will become uncontrolled as the wetsuit regains buoyancy. I actually WANT my weight belt to be caught by my crotch strap if it accidentally becomes unbuckled.

If you really want your weight belt caught as you ditch it, why not just have your knife on the outside of your leg instead.

In an uncontrollable descent the novice diver panics and is unable to ditch weights correctly. Read up on novice diver fatalities.

 

[inquisit]

Must... resist...

 

[drk5036]

“Uncontrolled descents” lol. There’s a lot more casualties due to uncontrolled ascents than uncontrolled descents.

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

There’s a lot more casualties due to uncontrolled ascents than uncontrolled descents.

That's called runaway inflation. Entirely different. As long as you don't hold your breath you will survive.


Queen takes bishop in three moves.

 

[drk5036]

That's called runaway inflation. Entirely different. As long as you don't hold your breath you will survive.


Queen takes bishop in three moves.

Lol

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

Pythagoras would definitely consider him to be a mathematical genius: Some of my buoyancies: -1.5 lb (BP/W), -2 lb (regulator), +3.5 lb (AL80 at reserve pressure), +16 lb (7mm single-layer wetsuit). That totals to +16 lb, so I need to take 16 lbs of lead to be neutral at the end of the dive. Where do I put it?

Option 1, Integrated Weights -- the buoyancy of the rig alone (without me & wetsuit) is -16 lbs. If my tank is full, there's another 5 lbs of air I haven't yet breathed, so -21 lbs. If I have an 18 lb tropical wing, the rig won't float on its own.

Option 2, Weight Belt -- that 16 lbs of lead goes on me, leaving the rig buoyancy at a mere -5 lb with a full tank. That little 18 lb wing works just fine in the cold water.

(In practice, I'd probably put 6 lbs on the rig for trim and 10 lb on a weight belt. This would leave me +6 lb at the surface without the rig -- a nice benefit -- and somewhat neutral at some reasonable depth due to wetsuit compression if I had to take it off underwater.) displacement.

I was wondering what Thales of Miletus would propose. I’m thinking he would just put the tank, weights, regulator and backplate on a bathroom scale to determine how much lift was needed and problem solved. The next problem would be actual displacement.

 

[inquisit]

Doesn't take a genius to just measure buoyancy directly with a $10 luggage scale.

 

[Pearlman]

Several of my buoyancies: -1.5 lb (BP/W), -2 lb (regulator), +3.5 lb (AL80 at reserve pressure), +16 lb (7mm single-layer wetsuit). That totals to +16 lb, so I need to take 16 lbs of lead to be neutral at the end of the dive. Where do I put it?

Option 1, Integrated Weights -- the buoyancy of the rig alone (without me & wetsuit) is -16 lbs. If my tank is full, there's another 5 lbs of air I haven't yet breathed, so -21 lbs. If I have an 18 lb tropical wing, the rig won't float on its own.

Option 2, Weight Belt -- that 16 lbs of lead goes on me, leaving the rig buoyancy at a mere -5 lb with a full tank. That little 18 lb wing works just fine in the cold water.

Hi,
I am not sure I understood what you are explaining here - when you are strapped in to your BP/W you are one single system. So what difference does it make if that 16lb lead is on you or attached to your BP/W? The 18lb wing still has to lift the same weight.

 

[James79]

Hi,
I am not sure I understood what you are explaining here - when you are strapped in to your BP/W you are one single system. So what difference does it make if that 16lb lead is on you or attached to your BP/W? The 18lb wing still has to lift the same weight.

The idea of balancing your rig has 2 major advantages. One is that if you have to doff/don underwater (serious entanglement, etc.) you are roughly neutral rather than having to hold desperately to your rig to avoid corking. The other is that it is not uncommon to doff your gear at the surface for convenience (some boat crews will let you pass it up rather than climbing the ladder with all your gear, etc.) and regardless of reason, if you doff the gear at the surface it has to be able to float itself.

Respectfully,

James

 

[Centrals]

Horses for courses.
There are things to consider: type of tank used(capacity and material), thermal protection, body physique etc etc.
Some manufacturers have wing of difference lifting capacity.