Dumping air on ascent with a new Zeagle Ranger

[Bazzer69]

I have just completed my PADI OW and I have a question on controlling my ascent rate by dumping air from my Zeagle Ranger with a remote exhaust valve and two lower dumps as well as the normal inflate/deflate hose. My instructor taught to ascend looking up with one hand on the deflate button held above my head. Fine, no problem with that, but when I asked on land, he told me to keep the hose velcro'd to my shoulder strap. With it in this position would all the air would not vent from my BCD? Or should I dump by pulling on the air hose and use the remote exhaust? Or should I detach the hose from the shoulder harness?


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[TSandM]

If you hold the hose so that the opening in the end is higher than anyplace in the air bladder, the air will come out, even if it has to "duck under" the Velcro.

 

[hroark2112]

The Ranger has a pull dump as well. If you pull the inflator, it will dump out the shoulder dump.

 

[Dr Dog]

You could always try and learn to ascend in trim and use the dump valves....good skill to learn!!

 

[Hawkwood]

The "bridge" behind the neck between each side of the bladder is quite narrow. You may have to twist a bit to the right or shrug your shoulders a couple of times to get the air across it.

 

[Bazzer69]

Thanks for the help. My problem in my last dives was that I was underweight with a full tank. At the beginning of the dive with a full AL80 I was positively buoyant and had some difficulty getting down the first few feet until my 7mm suit compressed a bit. My own tank is a steel HP80 3500, so I'm hoping I might be a bit closer to the ideal weight


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[fisheater]

You'll likely find that, with the Ranger, it'll be best to raise your left shoulder to get the last bit of air out of your bladder.

 

[scubaphidoux]

With the Ranger you should be able to raise the Velcro closure up one 'notch' on the shoulder strap to give you a bit more lift with the inflator hose. Perhaps that will help you a little.


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[tbone1004]

You shouldn't ever raise the inflator button over your head. That puts undue strain on the hose and does absolutely nothing to help your ascent rates. What you should learn to do is when you are doing a vertical ascent you hold the button, and raise the inflator until the air bubble equalizes and the air just starts to flow out. Leaving the button open, as you ascend the air will automatically equalize maintaining your ascent rate. If you need to slow the rate of ascent down, lower the valve, if you need to accelerate the rate of ascent you raise the inflator. This takes a bit of practice, but there is never an excuse for raising the inflator over your head unless you are trying to accelerate the wear on your corrugated hose. Not a great idea and unfortunately this is the widespread idea taught in most classes on how to dump air out of your BC but is entirely unnecessary. The best solution is to only use the inflator hose as a dump on your initial descent from the surface, at 5-10' of depth trim out and then you're adding air anyway. At all times during the dive, use your rear dumps as needed then on your ascent stay in trim until you are 15-10' of depth and then turn vertical to check for anything over your head and use the dump method prescribed above. If you do it the way your instructor taught you, you will have no choice but to have a slinky effect on your ascent because you are constantly changing your state of buoyancy instead of maintaining a steady level of ever so slightly positive to keep your 30ft/minute ascent rate