No BCD - Kona Shore Diving

I am a very new diver. I am going to Kona for "a while" and expect to do much shore diving. I can be very happy at 15-20 feet forever (sometimes). Is it practical (possible) to do shallow scuba without lead or a bcd (utilizing the weight of the full tank)? I don't know if this even makes sense as I don't know how I would wear my tank. I was just thinking, if I wanted to stay shallow do I need a bcd? It would be nice

Rambo2:

I am a very new diver. I am going to Kona for "a while" and expect to do much shore diving. I can be very happy at 15-20 feet forever (sometimes). Is it practical (possible) to do shallow scuba without lead or a bcd (utilizing the weight of the full tank)? I don't know if this even makes sense as I don't know how I would wear my tank. I was just thinking, if I wanted to stay shallow do I need a bcd? It would be nice

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It's certainly possible to dive with nothing but a mask, fins, tank and a regulator. If you're really old-school and macho, you can actually dive with just a tank.

The problem is you weren't trained that way and a number of the emergency procedures you learned in your open water class rely on the existence of a BC, ditchable weights and an alternate second stage.

For practical purposes, if you want a reasonably safe dive, you will need all the equipment you used in your open water class, as well as a buddy.

Later on when you have your skills really nailed, you can certainly try what you're talking about, however I wouldn't recommend it at this point.

flots.

No, you don't. You don't really need a BCD at any depth, especially if you're not wearing any exposure protection. One option for this is to wear a Razor-style sidemount harness with a single AL80. This is relatively popular, and people that dive this way seem to like it a lot. If you want a really cheap BCD option, you can get an MSR Dromedary bag up to 23# lift (if I remember right) for VERY cheap. That's like there's nothing there. Another option is a backplate/harness with no wing. If you're asking just because you hate the clutter of a BCD, a BPW with a good, simple harness might be worth considering....that way you can keep the BCD capabilities without the hassle/size/clutter of a jacket.

However, since you're asking the question, I have to ask if you really feel ready for that. It takes a bit of discipline and skill to dive sans-BCD and not destroy the sea life below you.

---------- Post added December 4th, 2013 at 04:56 PM ----------

flots am:

Later on when you have your skills really nailed, you can certainly try what you're talking about, however I wouldn't recommend it at this point.

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Everything flots said, but especially this.

The short answer is yes.

The however part is, that type of diving is not taught anymore. Check over on vintage diving, and/or get a '60's vintage scuba manual for more help. If you use an old steel 72 and wear a snorkel vest for emergency surface flotation it will work, as that is how I learned and dived for many years.



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

Not only is it possible, some of us do it often. It is my prefered way to dive. Because it is not taught these days, there are a lot of divers who have no clue you don't need a BC for many diving conditions. You will no doubt get comments that is is difficult or dangerous from those who have never done it. Within reason, neigher are true, they just do not understand any other way to dive than what is taught today. If you have large tanks, thick wetsuits or water conditions that may require you to float on the surface for long peroids of time, BCs are a good idea but with a reasonable size tank, thin to no wetsuit and water conditions, it is very easy IF and its a big if, you understand how to properly weight your self. Again, something that is not well taught today. Do a search on no BC diving. It has been discussed several times over the years. Myself and others who dive that way have described how it's done.

I went diving on Canada's east cost and almost all the local divers there dove with no bc the just use a plastic back plate. There some of them dive dry but many dive wet full 7mm with a jacket and they use big free diving fins. Properly weighted they have no problems

flots am:

It's certainly possible to dive with nothing but a mask, fins, tank and a regulator. If you're really old-school and macho, you can actually dive with just a tank.

The problem is you weren't trained that way and a number of the emergency procedures you learned in your open water class rely on the existence of a BC, ditchable weights and an alternate second stage.

For practical purposes, if you want a reasonably safe dive, you will need all the equipment you used in your open water class, as well as a buddy.

Later on when you have your skills really nailed, you can certainly try what you're talking about, however I wouldn't recommend it at this point.

flots.

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I thought it might be a lot less of a deviation than it turns out. Thanks to all. It is clearly beyond my capabilities. I waited until my golden years to begin scuba but have been snorkeling for years. It just seemed like it would be "nice" especially shore diving.

Rambo2:

I am a very new diver. I am going to Kona for "a while" and expect to do much shore diving. I can be very happy at 15-20 feet forever (sometimes). Is it practical (possible) to do shallow scuba without lead or a bcd (utilizing the weight of the full tank)? I don't know if this even makes sense as I don't know how I would wear my tank. I was just thinking, if I wanted to stay shallow do I need a bcd? It would be nice

Click to expand...

Many of us learned to dive this way and still do whenever possible. The skills taught in the often long and arduous classes were different from today. Being a waterman and a strong swimmer where considered important. Your lungs make an excellent BC for no or minimal exposure suit diving. With knowledge and skill we dove with 1/4 inch full suits without a BC. I still prefer shore diving without a BC and have made swims offshore of several miles and not think twice about it. But, should you do it? I do not know the answer.

Here is an example of differing approach, today, shore divers may (often by law) carry a small surface flag float but in the days before a BC we might would have a truck inner tube or a paddle board as a surface resting platform.

But, yeah, people were scuba diving for years before there were BC, spg or any of today's common and required safety gear.

And, unlike today, we swam down, we swam around and then we swam back up.

And I might make a point, while it is commonly thought so, a BC is not a life preserver. If you think it is please show me the tag indicating such. A buoyancy compensator is just that and nothing more. And, as I said, your lungs can do that job quite well. And, you could wear a "snorkel" vest as a surface floatation assist device, but those neither are life jackets. Get an old pre-70s scuba manual and read it, something like the "New Science of Skin and SCUBA Diving" for example. Yeah, another difference, then it was a science and an adventure sport, today it is a relaxing hobby. Well, I will relax when I am dead, meanwhile, if relaxing is your thing, never dive with me.

So, just how good are you as a swimmer?

N

Rambo2:

I thought it might be a lot less of a deviation than it turns out. Thanks to all. It is clearly beyond my capabilities. I waited until my golden years to begin scuba but have been snorkeling for years. It just seemed like it would be "nice" especially shore diving.

Click to expand...

Its not beyond your capabilities at all. Here is how I suggest you start. Dive your current rig as is except get your weight perfect. IMO, perfect for no BC diving is dead on neutral at half a tank. For an 80, that puts you about -2 at the start and +2 at the end. This assumes no or very little wet suit, heaver wetsuits require more thought. Next remove ALL of the air from your BC, make sure is ALL gone, then just dive practicing using your lungs to ascend and descend. If you get part way through the dive and just can't cope, you have the BC to turn back to. Once you can easily do entire dive without touching your BC, you are ready to try it without one. When I do dive with a BC, I use a very small bladder, it is totally deflated before I hit the water and never touched unless I want to float high in the water while waiting for a boat or a long surface swim, otherwise the inflate or deflate button are never touched....no need if you are properly weighted.

Very possible with experience. Lookup member: Alex777, he's got it mastered. Check out his site: http://www.angelfishphotography.com/TropicalMinimalistDiving.html


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