Back Inflation BC is SUICIDE!!!

[Albion]

is this the guy you have chosen to train you for your 200ft dive?

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=60261

Thats what my new instructor says!

I love back inflation BC but my instructor advises against them very strongly. His argument is as follows:

SCENARIO A - If a diver looses consciousness underwater, his dive buddy inflates his BC he will rise up to the surface. If he has not dropped the reg from his mouth there is chance of him surviving - provided he is wearing a jacket style as that would keep his head way up the water once on surface. If he is wearing a back inflation nstead then the BC will keep his head tilted below the surface raging surface water will beat the reg away from his mouth and Guaranteed drowning!

SCENARIO B - If you get drifted away into the ocean (like the characters in the movie OPEN WATER) and you are stranded in the ocean for hours you would not want to be wearing a back inflation BC. Unless you deliberately float on your back the back inflation BC will kill you just like in scenario A!

Who agrees / disagrees with this logic and why?

 

[Tampico_ED]

It is just very simple. Put some XS Scuba weight pockets on the tanks strap and you will always be vertical no matter what !!

p.s. XS Scuba pockets are $8 vs. Halcyon $50 !!!
Ed

 

[RiverRat]

I've been diving for over 35 years. Of those I used a back inflate or wing for about 25 of those years. In that time I've come back to the cut end of an anchor line which resulted in a +20 mile swim back to the beach, been parylized by a neurotoxin at 160' and been "left at sea" out of contact with the boat a great many times for various reasons. Given a choice in all conditions I prefer a back inflate, preferably with a steel tank. The ~ 10 years I used a jacket was simply because I couldn't find a wing bladder until the DIR crowd started developing them.

FT

When I took my OW I was told a BP/W would drown me at the surface and I would need to dive double steels to stay upright. The LDS was pushing a new stab jacket on me. I took my new FredT 9# SS plate to G. Cayman. Although a little nervous on my first BP/W dive, I popped up straight as an arrow on my first giant stride in and dispelled that LDS BS real quick. I'm still ridiculed that I "brag" about not wearing much ditchable weight, or told my Jet Fins are "baby fins"...blah.......blah......blah...........
Glad I found Fred early on, thanks Fred!