Lift question: Will I experience a horrible death?

WoodyLompoc · Jul 16, 2012

Sorry, I just dont get some things. I just got a travel BC, and I am no fan of taking a trip with untested gear, so I want to dive it before a trip next week. (I also have no interest in soaking my new BC in chlorine for a pool dive to test it.)

This BC is said to have 38 lbs of lift, but I have read nothing but warnings about it NOT being for cold water because of the lack of lift.

I am often slow on the up take :idk:

, but really, if I am properly weighted, wont I be fine with 38 lbs of lift?

Just for the math: I am 170 lbs, HP-S80, 16 lbs lead (shore dive (salt water)) LT 7mm wetsuit, 5/3 hooded vest.

Thanks

danpass · Jul 16, 2012

.............

BUDMANOK · Jul 16, 2012

Will I experience a horrible death?

maybe but not from this

LowDrag · Jul 16, 2012

Why would you be afraid to give it a try in a pool? The chlorine? As long as you rinse it real good after trying the gear out it will be fine. I used mine in the pool for training when I first got it and so did my wife. Our gear worked just fine for OW cert weekend. I just completed three dives this last weekend and my gear performed as well as I expected it to. Go try it in the pool so you can see what it acts like before you go. Have fun.

TSandM · Jul 16, 2012

38 pounds of lift ought to be more than adequate for cold water single tank diving, and is more than you need for warm water single tank diving.

A BC needs to be able to float your gear on the surface, and compensate for the loss of lift from your exposure protection at depth. You can lose up to 20 lbs or even a bit more from thick neoprene at 100 ft, and a dry suit can have even more lift -- but even in a complete flood, you rarely lose ALL the lift from a dry suit. I use 31 lbs of total ballast in cold water, which, with a steel tank, might be pushing the capacity of a 38 pound lift BC to float my gear at the surface, but I use a weight belt, so it's not a problem at all.

spectrum · Jul 16, 2012

WoodyLompoc,

That BC is very adequate for most cold water diving and in warm water with less neoprene to compensate for, almost certainly an AL80 you have twice the lift that many choose for such diving. So from a lift perspective you should have PLENTY of lift.

Depending on the construction you will want to get comfortable with fully venting since you will be working the low end of the capacity where a little trapped air can get squirrely.

Pete

wedivebc · Jul 16, 2012

Are you not carrying any ditchable weight?

Danseur · Jul 16, 2012

But, how much buoyancy loss will you experience at the depth you plan (including accidentally exceeding planned depth) due to the compression of your neoprene? Not that it's beyond what you can likely swim up, ask yourself that question wherever calculating exposure and lift requirements, and deciding what weight is ditch-able and when/if you'll ditch it.

captain · Jul 16, 2012

Remember there wasn't always BCs and divers didn't die horrible deaths without them. Being properly weighted is more important then BC lift.

spectrum · Jul 16, 2012

WoodyLompoc,

Just to be clear, when you say a vacation BC most of us think warm water. If you're heading off to dive steel doubles in Iceland the answer will differ.

Pete

Lift question: Will I experience a horrible death?

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