Zeagle Ranger LTD BC

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togreenfeet

togreenfeet

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I recently purchased a Zeagle Ranger LTD. The front is very versatile for my type of diving. I am not use to an air bladder on the back. No matter what I did this weekend, I floated on the surface almost face down. i was in Key West, 3mm wet suit shorty, and dog gone almost 22 pounds to get my head underwater......anyone else have this problem with BC's with the bladders on the back? I am going back to the dive shop and spending a few hours in their pool until they make the weights right and make sure I dont float face down anymore...........I have always used a jacket type BC. Any comments are welcome
 
Put some of your lead in the trim pockets by the tank and don't over-inflate the BC. You only need your head and shoulders above the surface. Put too much air in and you'll be flat on your face.
 
togreenfeet:
I recently purchased a Zeagle Ranger LTD. The front is very versatile for my type of diving. I am not use to an air bladder on the back. No matter what I did this weekend, I floated on the surface almost face down. i was in Key West, 3mm wet suit shorty, and dog gone almost 22 pounds to get my head underwater......anyone else have this problem with BC's with the bladders on the back? I am going back to the dive shop and spending a few hours in their pool until they make the weights right and make sure I dont float face down anymore...........I have always used a jacket type BC. Any comments are welcome
Click to expand...

tgf,

It sounds like you must be wearing far too much weight, and not getting the BC deflated.

Draw (suck) the air out of the BC's deflation valve, carefully as there may still be some water in there, until the bladder is totally flat/empty. Do a proper weight check: (Wear your full system with a 500 psi tank. Hold a full breath at the surface while vertical and see if you float or sink. Keep your regulator in your mouth because I think you're going to plunge for the bottom. You will need small increments of lead. Take weight off until you float at eye level. That's all the weight you need. This is best done in salt water, if you're diving in the Keys.)

Practice descending and ascending and enjoy your new BC!

Chad
 
Had the same problem years ago when I first started diving Zeagles.

First, see if you can reduce your weight. I'm a 225lb guy and when I dive salt water with a full 3mm and Ranger, I use 6lbs of lead so I think that 22lbs sounds a bit much. Cutting down the lead REALLY helped. If not, put some of it in the rear trim pockets.

Second, don't over-inflate the BC on the surface. If you are not overweighted, it should take only a little air in the BC to keep you afoat. If you put too much air in, then it will be forced down into the lower part of the bladder and you will face plant.

Bring your knees up and lean back. Not sure why this works, but it does.
 
WileEDiver:
Put some of your lead in the trim pockets by the tank and don't over-inflate the BC. You only need your head and shoulders above the surface. Put too much air in and you'll be flat on your face.
Click to expand...
Excellent.......I did I have 8 pounds, four pounds per trim pockets. I guess I am use to floating more out of the water, than just my face, must take some getting used to. Thanks all
 
Thanks friend, I will do that
 
Darkstar I too am 225, how much weight are you diving with? if you dont mind my asking, sounds like a lot more pool time with this new Zeagle before my next dive. Tell you something really funny. My Air 2 started leaking at the surface. i was aggravated so I decied well 30 feet is the most I will do on this dive. I couldnt sink. I sucked out all the air and WHOOSH I was free falling to the bottom.........on the bottom, I blew a few breaths in the BC, leaned over expecting to at least get off the bottom, nope, a few more breaths, nope one more breath and Whoosh I lifted off the bottom and started to the top...I quickly dumped all the air I had blown into the BC, and darn it if I didnt hit the surface anyway, yes exhaling all the way up, right arm above my head like I was taught...............aborted the diving and decided well, snorkeling will do for now hahaha
 
togreenfeet:
Darkstar I too am 225, how much weight are you diving with? if you dont mind my asking, sounds like a lot more pool time with this new Zeagle before my next dive.
Click to expand...

In a full 3mm, Zeagle Ranger, AL80, I dive 6 lbs (8 lbs if I'm not carrying light and camera) in salt water and 4lbs in fresh. I think when I started I was using 12 or 14 lbs.

Quite frankly, I spend most of my time diving in a dry suit or 7mm and so when I get to strip down for warm water diving, it's so much easier.

I find that Zeagles work best if you do what is taught in open water classes and lift your inflater hose up with your left arm to dump air at the beginning of the ascent. This tends to lift your left shoulder and will drain the air completely from the BC. It's a good practice because it reduces the amount of water getting into the BC and also works with PB/Wing setups (many of which don't have pull dumps on the inflater hose).
 
darkstar:
In a full 3mm, Zeagle Ranger, AL80, I dive 6 lbs (8 lbs if I'm not carrying light and camera) in salt water and 4lbs in fresh. I think when I started I was using 12 or 14 lbs.

Quite frankly, I spend most of my time diving in a dry suit or 7mm and so when I get to strip down for warm water diving, it's so much easier.

I find that Zeagles work best if you do what is taught in open water classes and lift your inflater hose up with your left arm to dump air at the beginning of the ascent. This tends to lift your left shoulder and will drain the air completely from the BC. It's a good practice because it reduces the amount of water getting into the BC and also works with PB/Wing setups (many of which don't have pull dumps on the inflater hose).
Click to expand...

I am sorry I forgot to mention I did just that. What I usually do is put enough air, so when I was swimming (from the beach) I wasnt sinking, then when I got to where I wanted to be, I did exactly that, raise left arm over head, and dump
 
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