diving without air cell (wing)

bigbassballin · Apr 22, 2011

Has anyone else noticed while watching any nature documentaries that it is very common to see divers with just back plates and tanks? no wing.. I've noticed that they are usually in shallower waters and diving with dangerous animals like great white sharks and nile crocodiles. Does anyone know anything about this type of rig?

it_mike · Apr 22, 2011

Believe it or not, divers went for decades without a BCD (wing). A BCD makes the dive easier when dealing with compression at depth, but when properly weighted a BCD is just drag.

Bob DBF · Apr 22, 2011

Thats how I learned to dive, back in the day. I had a "snorkle vest" for more floatation on the surface, it was filled by mouth through a modified car valve stem. Still the best way to dive under the right conditions.

Bob
---------------------------------
I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

DrunkenParrot · Apr 22, 2011

I haven't used wing in almost two years, but its due to my type of diving shallow springs and medium depth warm water dives. If I dive deep i will use one but i have not in a while. I really enjoy being properly weighted and no wing. Most of my dive buddies have never used a bc or wing and have been diving for over thirty years. It all depends on where and how you dive.

craracer · Apr 23, 2011

A couple of years ago I dove with a DM in Aruba who only used a plastic back plate. He said he'd been diving that way since the beginning.

LeadTurn_SD · Apr 23, 2011

Bob DBF:
Thats how I learned to dive, back in the day. I had a "snorkle vest" for more floatation on the surface, it was filled by mouth through a modified car valve stem. Still the best way to dive under the right conditions.

Bob
---------------------------------
I may be old, but Im not dead yet.

1+. No BC's when we learned to dive. We used "Safety Vests", just like Bob describes above... similar to today's "snorkel vests".

My first true BC was not until 2007. I still rarely add air to my current BP/W

Best wishes.

knowone · Apr 23, 2011

I was almost tempted on a flight recently

olice: But situational awareness kicked in and the expectation of an
inexplicable delay, suggested the plan stay in my head :jail:

and the dive called, traded instead for a smooth, goalless landing.

So there it sits still, hopefully, for the next guy who won't need it.

LeadTurn_SD · Apr 24, 2011

knowone:
I was almost tempted on a flight recently

olice: But situational awareness kicked in and the expectation of an
inexplicable delay, suggested the plan stay in my head
and the dive called, traded instead for a smooth, goalless landing.

So there it sits still, hopefully, for the next guy who won't need it.

So glad you didn't (give in to the temptation)....

It would be difficult to arrange a breakout for you.....

Files baked into cakes would be tough, since I'm not a good baker....

And what would you tell the other inmates when they asked (what you were in for).....

But they do look like the old safety vests....

Best wishes.

naick · Apr 24, 2011

I guess it's possible under good circumstances. With a thin or no wetsuit and a single cylinder it shouldn't be too hard with a little practice. I wouldn't wanna do it wearing my doubles and a stage though

britishtq · May 1, 2011

naick:
I guess it's possible under good circumstances. With a thin or no wetsuit and a single cylinder it shouldn't be too hard with a little practice. I wouldn't wanna do it wearing my doubles and a stage though

It would actually be more possible to dive without a wing wearing a thicker wetsuit because there is more buoyancy in more neoprene.

diving without air cell (wing)

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