How many would consider using a tether when diving with a loved one?

[Dirty-Dog]

With that much weight wouldn't you be grossly overweighted and create other hazards?

Why would you be? All of the integrated weight BCDs I am familiar with have 4 pockets. Two on the shoulders, and two "ditch-able" at the waist. Do you need 2lbs? 1lb on either side. Losing one isn't going to be any big deal. Do you need 4lbs? Put 1lb in each pocket. Losing 1lb isn't going to turn you into a Polaris Missile. Need 12lbs? Put 4lbs in each pocket. Again, losing 25% is not going to send you rocketing out of the water.

And it seems clear that most (virtually all?) "accidental" weight pocket drops are not so much an accident as they are the result of improper maintenance (worn out Velcro) or operator error (which means more training is needed).
In shooting, there is no such thing as an "accidental" discharge. It's a negligent discharge, because it just doesn't happen unless YOU do something to cause the discharge. I think the same principle may be applied here.

 

[Steve_C]

Finally, I don't like the stress on the buddy being a "loved one" in the OPs question. Do we have different criteria for safe diving based on our relationship to the buddy? Would you adopt a dive plan with an instabuddy that includes the calculation that if he or she dies, it's not such a big deal?

My feelings exactly.

Also, you were given a lucky warning. Pocket came out. If it can happen once it can happen again. If I really loved my wife I would toss the BCD and replace it with one with a very positive locking mechanism. Also one where the two pockets are separate so you can loose one at a time. As I tell my students what you learn from your mistakes is what they will be next time so you can take steps to reduce their impact or correct them sooner.

I forgot my aeris pockets once on a trip to the Keys. Bought two oceanics since they looked the same. First giant stride off the boat I saw both pockets pop out and flutter to the bottom. Was only 20 ft down so I swam down, got pockets and put them back in. Turned out that while the clamps and shape were identical the oceanic had a longer strap so there was more play in my aeris vest. This was with split fins.

 

[C P]

Dirty Dog you might need to go look at more gear, most BCDs only have two pockets. Usually if there are four pockets it is something someone added, or a small pocket mounted near the tank band. Even the fabled SS BP/W add on weight pockets are sold in sets of two. You're right losing 1 lb shouldn't be that much of a problem, 4 lbs while not catastrophic on experienced divers could be on less experienced divers. And using your example of needing 12 lbs, losing half would be a problem for anyone who began the dive properly weighted. Unfortunately most divers are overweighted to begin with, so compensating by adding air to you BCD to achieve neutral buoyancy, then losing half would be a real problem quickly.

 

[plot]

I wouldn't dive tethered to anyone, hold hands or have one person grab your shoulder or bc or something.

Also get a z-knife. Completely safe and extremely effective way to cut lines underwater without fumbling with a blade or a sheath... i recommend always carrying one, but I run into fishing line in lakes often. Others may never have that problem, still a good idea to prepare for it though.

 

[Z Gear]

Dirty Dog you might need to go look at more gear, most BCDs only have two pockets. Usually if there are four pockets it is something someone added, or a small pocket mounted near the tank band. Even the fabled SS BP/W add on weight pockets are sold in sets of two. You're right losing 1 lb shouldn't be that much of a problem, 4 lbs while not catastrophic on experienced divers could be on less experienced divers. And using your example of needing 12 lbs, losing half would be a problem for anyone who began the dive properly weighted. Unfortunately most divers are overweighted to begin with, so compensating by adding air to you BCD to achieve neutral buoyancy, then losing half would be a real problem quickly.

Thanks for pointing that out. I was scratching my head trying to figure out what he was describing did not match any of my BC's. I also wanted to add that her buoyancy was also at high level at the time of losing her 9 pound weight pocket, because we were toward the end of the dive and she was using Aluminum 80.

Frank g
Z GEAR - Z Gear Dive Mounts

 

[phoenix31tt]

Both of my weight integrated bcs had 4 pockets... Both mares... Two pockets are non ditchable (I.e. Just slots inside the bc somewhere with a velcro flap or some other mechanism to keep the weight in)...

Additionally being at the end of the dive still doesn't mean that loosing a single pocket should mean a rocket to the surface...


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---------- Post added October 27th, 2015 at 11:50 PM ----------

Knowing your gear is something else you could probably learn as from what I'm seeing the aqualung maverick (like other weight integrated bcs) does have trim (non-ditchable) weight pockets holding 10lbs max


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[doctormike]

I wouldn't dive tethered to anyone, hold hands or have one person grab your shoulder or bc or something.

Also get a z-knife. Completely safe and extremely effective way to cut lines underwater without fumbling with a blade or a sheath... i recommend always carrying one, but I run into fishing line in lakes often. Others may never have that problem, still a good idea to prepare for it though.

Nah, when you are in limited visibility conditions and closely tethered to your dive buddy, you want a BFK that you can whip out and swing around freely in case of entanglement...!

 

[Littlerayray]

I agree with most change her bcd and get her a new one also maybe do excesses to strengthen leg muscles so if she starts ascending she can find her way back down no problem

 

[KenGordon]

that's why i said if it's to bad the we are AFRAID of losing each other we shouldn't be doing the dive... yes 3-5ft viz is what i'm referring to as maybe so bad that we wouldn't dive. We have dove in those conditions before and never lost each other because of good buddy practices... movement doesn't happen instantaneously in the water... if i'm swimming 2 feet to the side of her i'm not suddenly going to disappear unless i want to... so i have to know not to dart off and she has to know the same, i have to know not to stop unless she knows i'm stopping and vice versa...

looking the other way doesn't mean i stop moving or i change directions... having predictable and deliberately slow movements in low viz, for me, is key to staying with your buddy... i don't know if everybody can do that..

If I didn't dive when it was less than 3ft of vis I would waste a lot of time on boats.

There comes a point where it is not a case of being afraid you might get separated but it is a certainty. Sometimes you literally cannot see as far as the end of your arm. In those conditions you want to concentrate on the small life. It is not so easy and a line to your buddy makes it easier. Another approach is to use the SMB line, but that can be harder. A torch helps too.

As for loved ones vs others...

Diving involves risk. Risks can have consequences. Losing a child or partner IS a worse consequence than loosing the average buddy.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

Dirty Dog you might need to go look at more gear, most BCDs only have two pockets.

Name one? As I said, I don't claim to be intimately familiar with all makes and models, but I have yet to find any modern weight integrated BCDs that don't have two non-ditchable pockets up by the shoulders and two ditchable by the waist. I wouldn't be shocked to hear they exist, but they certainly don't appear to be in the majority.

Usually if there are four pockets it is something someone added, or a small pocket mounted near the tank band.

SeaQuest Balance, ScubaPro LadyHawk, ScubaPro KnightHawk, Sherwood Luna, Sherwood Avid, ScubaPro Seahawk, ScubaPro Gilde... all, as I described, with both ditchable and non-ditchable pockets. Two of each. Four pockets in total. Straight from the factory.

Even the fabled SS BP/W add on weight pockets are sold in sets of two.

Ummm, you DID see that the topic was integrated weight systems, right? Do you know of any BP/W that comes with integrated weight pockets?

You're right losing 1 lb shouldn't be that much of a problem, 4 lbs while not catastrophic on experienced divers could be on less experienced divers. And using your example of needing 12 lbs, losing half would be a problem for anyone who began the dive properly weighted. Unfortunately most divers are overweighted to begin with, so compensating by adding air to you BCD to achieve neutral buoyancy, then losing half would be a real problem quickly.

Which, obviously, is a training issue. You did see that mentioned as being part of the problem, yes?

Thanks for pointing that out. I was scratching my head trying to figure out what he was describing did not match any of my BC's. I also wanted to add that her buoyancy was also at high level at the time of losing her 9 pound weight pocket, because we were toward the end of the dive and she was using Aluminum 80.

Frank g
Z GEAR - Z Gear Dive Mounts

I don't own an Aqualung Maverick. I do know how to use Google, however, and according to the spec sheets, the Maverick does, in fact, have two ditchable and two non-ditchable weight pockets. And apparently the known-to-be-problematic Velcro only attachment was replaced with a more secure system in 2003.
I'm "scratching my head" wondering how a manufacturer of SCUBA gear could possibly not know how many pockets are on their BCD.