Anyone ever have to ditch a BC?

[under water]

OK, I am just thinking out loud here..
I'm not too worried about this, but just wondering.

If your BC got tangled on something and you were unable to free it for some reason, you would need to get out of the BC and get towards the surface safely.

Question 1. Does anyone know of a case where this happened?

On my setup (Zeagle Escape) there is a loop that is put around the tank valve before you attach the reg. This makes it so that the tank & BC are basically tied together without removing the regulator (or cutting the loop). So a maneuver where you quickly grab the tank and swim to the surface with reg seems unlikely.

Question 2. Should this loop be more easily removable by design?

Thanks

PS. I realize that buddy breathing or backup gas are solutions to the predicament.

 

[fisherdvm]

Shakeybrainsurgeon mentioned something that kinda scares me... He said, with weight integrated BC, you can start floating toward the surface as you take the bc off.. I guess I will have to remember that if my BC ever came off.

I had a situation where my tank came loose. My buddy fixed it for me at the surface. But if I were diving solo, I guess I could remove the BC and tank... and try to secure it myself.

In anycase, any task under water seems to burn alot of air.... I would probably not try to fix things under the water, if I can help it.

 

[plwtwo]

Exactly what "loop" are you talking about? The BC carry strap?
If you can remove the BC, you just untangle the unit then put it back on...Why would you have to leave it anyway??
And a tank usually won't slide all the way out very easy and during an entanglement, you'd waste more time and energy trying to get the tank out then just cutting the WHOLE unit free.

 

[DennisW]

I was about to remove my BC on a dive once because my tank had come loose and my wife couldn't get the buckle snapped. Another guy on the trip came over and snapped the buckle, so I didn't have to do it. It was a Scubapro BC and their buckles are pretty much bullet proof, so I have no idea how it came undone on this dive. I had done a doff and don in training, so it really wasn't a big deal. It shouldn't be a hard thing to do.

 

[rottielover]

1) I have not heard of this happening, at least as far as having to leave the BC behind... There was a DM who told me a story about how once he had to remove his BC in order to cut some fishing line away, but he cut the line away and then got back into his rig and finished the dive.

2) I have seen this BC and others like it, If you thinking worst-case (can't do a CESA, etc.) and have to ditch the BC and take your gas supply with you, then I would think you would be able to cut thru the loop with your shears/knife.

As fisherdvm pointed out, the jacket BC's are mostly weight integrated, so you would be leaving your lead behind, thus becoming bouyant. I suppose it would be possible to go into a heads down position and fin lightly to keep a slow ascent rate, but in the case of an emergancy that required you to ditch a bc, I would think you'd be doing a CESA type ascent.

Anyway, all these cases would seem to point to solo diving, since I would think a buddy would be able to free you...

Anyway, this is all just hypothetical anyway. I am curious to see if anyone has ever had to "leave the bc behind"...

 

[Nemrod]

The answer to the OP--YES.

Don't purchase or dive integrated systems.

N

 

[under water]

Exactly what "loop" are you talking about? The BC carry strap?
If you can remove the BC, you just untangle the unit then put it back on...Why would you have to leave it anyway??
And a tank usually won't slide all the way out very easy and during an entanglement, you'd waste more time and energy trying to get the tank out then just cutting the WHOLE unit free.

• Yes, the carry strap. Putting it over the tank puts it at the right level for me. Just wondering if that is an unsound practice?
• Agree that getting the whole unit free would be ideal, but I was wondering about the case when that wasn't possible (knife lost, tangled in metal, etc)
• And about the integrated weights, you would need to remember to grab a few or else you would go flying towards the surface.

 

[Charlie99]

I removed my weight integrated BCD one time last summer to reseat a tank that had come loose. It was in 20' or so of water and me + 3/2mm wetsuit wanted to go up while my BCD with 8 pounds of lead wanted to go down a bit. No real problem, although it got interesting as I fouled myself on the flag I was pulling (my "buddies" were lobstering somewhere ahead of me and not in sight, and I wanted to do it myself as an exercise anyway. One did come back and see me towards the end of my juggling act. )

A couple of months ago, on a solo dive at a shallow site in Maui, just for practice I removed and replaced my BCD with my 5mm wetsuit and 14 pounds of lead. A bit more difficult, but not hard if you realize in advance what is going to happen.

Were I diving with 7mm wetsuit and vest and wearing 20 or 25 pounds, I'd probably move some of that to a weightbelt.

If for some strange reason I wanted to keep my reg and abandon the BCD, I have cutting devices in the BCD pocket, and I could also just loosen up the tank camband and then pull the carry strap over the top of the reg. Just remember, that depending upon where you have your weight, you + wetsuit + reg and tank may be positive buoyant.

Charlie Allen

 

[WeekendDiver]

I'vre removed my bp/w once on a drift dive after something was poking me in my lower back, and i could not figure out what it was. I took off and both the bp/w and myself were individually close to neutral.I had sme weight on my belt. As it turned out somebody else's tank light(!!!!) was hanging off the top bolt and poking me in the back. It was not a big deal to do doff/don u/w.
However.... in a drysuit (in the pool / quarry) it's a very different story. The key is to put your rig on your lap so you don't float up. The first (couple of) time(s) I was floating like a balloon while holding on to a strap. It was barely managable.

 

[Blackwood]

It was in 20' or so of water and me + 3/2mm wetsuit wanted to go up while my BCD with 8 pounds of lead wanted to go down a bit. No real problem, although it got interesting as I fouled myself on the flag I was pulling ...

You did this in mid water? I'm impressed, I think.