Buoyancy issues...

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tstormdiver:
Typically when technical diving I wear double steel cylinders. They are super negative & I do not need any lead when wearing them.
Click to expand...

You might want to follow the link... LOL
 
Thanks Steve. Good little read and just reinforced my need to use no weight with dbl 85's and a drysuit but needed to add 4lbs between the plate/ wing and tanks for the 72's. And just for the reason you noted. Too light at the end of the dive when they were down to 500 or so.
 
We recently had an extremely serious accident in Puget Sound. Among the several causes of it were a technical diver who emptied his backgas tanks, and found himself inadequately weighted to stay in the water to complete his deco obligation, even with full deco tanks. He survived, but barely.

I have gotten significant static from a number of people, including two cave diving instructors, for weighting myself correctly -- and by that, I mean actually being IN the water with 500 psi in my tanks, and finding out how much weight it took to hold a 10 foot stop. Twice, I've had instructors INSIST that I remove the weights I had so carefully calculated. That's fine when your tanks are full . . . but it's the time when you've USED that gas reserve that you don't want to find out you're too light to function.
 
In my cave classes in Mexico with floaty Al80s I had the strong feeling that the instructors wanted me too light. We never got them empty enough to find out for sure, but it's something I'm going to do here at home.
 
If I am boat diving, at anchor/mooring, I can enjoy 2-4 lbs lighter than 500 psi safety stop. Most drift and/or shore diving I prefer neutral at surface with empty tank.
 
I'm with TS&M. With twin steel 12lt X 232bar (100 cft) tanks I need some weight on a belt for the worst case scenario of no back gas, or I won't be able to maintain shallow stops.

Any instructor who told me otherwise would be laughed at & told where to go & what to do when they got there, if they told me to remove the belt.
 
Jim Lapenta:
Thanks Steve. Good little read and just reinforced my need to use no weight with dbl 85's and a drysuit but needed to add 4lbs between the plate/ wing and tanks for the 72's. And just for the reason you noted. Too light at the end of the dive when they were down to 500 or so.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jim... appreciate the feedback.

I believe you and I agree that the foundation for correct weighting (and buoyancy skills) begins in primary open-water courses regardless of which flavor cert card the punter carries.

Most divers -- certainly the majority of new technical divers -- arrive in class with no true idea of what their specific needs are. The little gismo that I talk about in my blog is SUCH a cool and easy way to find REAL WORLD numbers on which to base future action. Am surprised that more instructors and interested divers have not cottoned on to what is truly a simple fix. Twenty five bucks my friend!

Hope to see you soon, mate. Take care and dive safe!:coffee:
 
TSandM:
I have gotten significant static from a number of people, including two cave diving instructors, for weighting myself correctly -- and by that, I mean actually being IN the water with 500 psi in my tanks, and finding out how much weight it took to hold a 10 foot stop. Twice, I've had instructors INSIST that I remove the weights I had so carefully calculated. That's fine when your tanks are full . . . but it's the time when you've USED that gas reserve that you don't want to find out you're too light to function.
Click to expand...

... that's cuz cave divers never see their tanks at 500 psi unless something's gone terribly wrong ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
 
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