Neutrally Buoyant gear?

[nimoh]

My twin 50's and Selpak manifold were more negative than I liked, so I added a piece of 4 inch PVC pipe with closed ends to act as a buoyancy tank. It means that I had to wear more lead, but now my rig and I are each closer to neutral.
I like my Viking dry suit because it has no inherent buoyancy. Once I have compensated for squeeze, it is neutral. But I do have to adjust my weight belt to the underwear for warmer or colder water.

---------- Post added September 24th, 2013 at 11:36 AM ----------

A student in a certification class had a novel idea. Instead of wearing lead on a weight belt, wear sponges. When the sponges get wet they are heavier, but when you get out of the water, the water drains out and they are not heavy anymore. Apparently, he was not acquainted with Archimedes.

there was a similar claim a while back on ScubaBoard where someone indicated that they add water to their BC to be more negative.

 

[CT Sean]

The goal of every diver is to be neutrally buoyant.

Our tanks are negatively buoyant.

Our immersion suits are positively buoyant. So is most of our other gear.

Although I have not tried, I think I would need about 5lbs or less to become neutrally buoyant. Yet the weight I must dive with is around 40lbs in a dry suit in the cold waters off the west coast of Canada.

Diving on the weekend got me thinking: Why does someone not make dive gear that is neutrally buoyant?

They make metal thread. You can add metal to a plastic mold. There is really no need to have to add weight if it were neutrally buoyant.

Thoughts?

Have you considered chain mail undergarments?

 

[knotical]

Fleece wetsuits (e.g. Polartec) are neutrally buoyant. Doesn't solve the drysuit issue, but are fine for warmer water.

 

[ams511]

Do you have a new material in mind that provided the thermal properties required without bouyancy swings?

If they are able to perfect this, then the answer is yes. New space-age insulating material for homes, clothing and other everyday uses

 

[eelnoraa]

A student in a certification class had a novel idea. Instead of wearing lead on a weight belt, wear sponges. When the sponges get wet they are heavier, but when you get out of the water, the water drains out and they are not heavy anymore. Apparently, he was not acquainted with Archimedes.

Sounds like someone failed high school physical class.

 

[Tortuga68]

The goal of every diver is to be neutrally buoyant.

Our tanks are negatively buoyant.

Our immersion suits are positively buoyant. So is most of our other gear

The requirements for being neutrally buoyant vary with depth

AL tanks are negative when full and positive when empty

Fins, masks, manifolds, regulators, cutting tools, lights, cameras, gauges, computers, hoses = usually negative

Struggling to think of anythig except wetsuits and jacket BCs that are positive

 

[spectrum]

Each item has it's properties and that dictates the buoyancy. Insulation is essentially a keeper of gas and will be light. Other items are dense and will be heavy. Still others like cylinders are victims of proportion and material. To me the big nice to have is stable buoyancy. An exposure suit that is what it is, padding for those that must which saturates instantly or never absorbs. An air cylinder by virtue of its contents being depleted will always have a swing unless complicated by a ballast system.

Pete

 

[drbill]

Are YOU neutrally buoyant?

As others have stated, "total" buoyancy is a function of many things including gas remaining in the tank, depth (wetsuit compression), etc. Back in the "old days" when we didn't have BCDs (and, in my case, couldn't afford Mae Wests), we weighted ourselves based on the depth we assumed we'd be diving at. Today, I'm certainly glad I can adjust my "total" buoyancy throughout my dive since my dive plan is to follow and film whatever critter I encounter at whatever reasonable depth.