Diving Without BCD

[Sbiriguda]

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[Sbiriguda]

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[JamesBon92007]

I wouldn't bother using any weight, you should be able to control that amount of buoyancy with your lungs. Being slightly positive on the surface at the end of a dive and having a snorkel is quite reassuring. The snorkel vest is a good idea although they don't make them with CO2 detonators, like the ones on the Mae West I had back in the day, any more.


Bob

That seems kinda odd to me, with all the hundreds of snorkel vests for sale, that none have the ol' CO2 thing except the ones on airlines. Way back when they pretty much all had it. Was it determined that they are a safety risk? Or perhaps just not needed for snorkeling? I'll bet the airlines replace them regularly so they must be available somewhere. I know a couple of guys who work for airlines so I'm going to see if they can find out what happens to last year's vests. As some of you probably know I use a snorkel vest (with inflator hoses and dump valve added) for a wing on my backpack to meet the requirements of a BC on dive boats and to also maintain the next-closest thing to diving with no BC. I'm planning on making a minimal wing when I get back from my trip because sooner or later I'm expecting someone to say something about my snorkel vest BC.

 

[Bob DBF]

My last vest, before the poodle jacket episode, had the co2 detonators. I believe they were probably taken off the newer jackets for cost cutting, and gave the reasons that they could go off inadvertently and someone might try to breathe off a co2 filled jacket. Feel free to add your own reason.

I only used mine once a year to test the old cartridge and replace for the next year.

I did have one go off by accident, however It was the second dive off a canoe that day and deserved what I got.

I miss them but not enough to retrofit my wings.



Bob

 

[JamesBon92007]

I miss them but not enough to retrofit my wings.
Bob

I still have a couple of the CO2 devices that appear to be functional but I've never felt inspired to try to attach them to any new equipment. Heck, I never used them when they did have them. Perhaps another reason why they don't make them any more?

 

[boat sju]

Back in the 80's we never used them as intended but they were fun to pop when trying your new bc on in the living room. They'd inflate instantly.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I will tell you my reason ... the first scuba divers had incredibly poor equipment but they could do many (not all) the same dives we do now. Their technique was mostly better than ours now. Everyone is different but now scuba is a mass sport the average level is lower than in the past. Also, refining the skills by doing no BCD diving should be a good training also for diving with BCD. When diving with BCD we are supposed to dive with little weight on the belt, not more than what is necessary. Inflate the BCD on the surface, deflate it when the dive starts, adjust it slightly and not touch it anymore for the whole dive unless it is strictly necessary. Diving should be based on correct buoyancy and trim, not on the usage of BCD, even when diving with the BCD. I would like to start no BCD diving in order to reach a perfect control of buoyancy and trim

What has happened, is that the BCD has ingrained itself into scuba diving and literally changed the way people dive. It is used a lot as an “elevator” device, and people have developed a dependency on it. It used to be that scuba diving and skin diving were very closely related. The only difference between the two was that with a “SCUBA” unit, you had a tank strapped to your back and you could breathe underwater. Everything else was the same. Gradually scuba diving (and gear) became it’s own separate animal eventually morphing into what you see nowdays - an entirely different sport from freediving. The two now couldn’t be more different.
To me, modern scuba diving and it’s gear is extremely clutzy, non streamlined, very inefficient, cumbersome, over complicated, and too gimmicky. I’ve seen a simultaneous development of more gear that meets the demand to cover for the atrophying skill levels of many people currently getting into scuba diving. With freediving there is no escape from developing physical skill to be able to participate in the sport. With scuba diving there are all sorts of contrivances to cover up for lack of skill.

Like I’ve said, the most natural best scuba divers I’ve seen are people who were proficient freedivers first.
No BC diving, or minimalism, is a return to the basics of fusing freediving with scuba diving in regards to body positioning, finning technique, streamlining/slipstreaming, perfect weighting, comfort in the water, proper breathing, and a high level of physical fitness and confidence.

 

[the_ocean]

One of the firsts posts on diver.net is a treatise of sorts on the way of the California hunter:
A California Diving Culture - Lets start it out right...
There's some mention of no-BC diving as well.

It's certainly interesting to be on a boat with these guys.

 

[EastEndDiver]

The OP being a new diver with limited dive experience and not wanting to use a BC brings to mind all sorts of questions to me.

I am one of those that started diving before a lot of the safety gear was available ,anyone remember J valves, but as diving progressed and safety gear became available I like many others at the time opted to use said gear.
I have done deep air,wreck penetration,deco,ice etc. in the NY/NJ area we were called "Wreck Divers" before the super cool term "Tech Diver" was invented , with over 4+ decades of diving I have always used a Vest/BC/Wing of some sort after they became available.

I just think that a new diver with basically no experience should take advantage of any and all safety devices that are practical to their type of diving.

 

[adrielnicholas]

A BCD is just like any other ‘tool for the job’ in that you should pick the right BCD for the dive you are planning. There are simple solutions and BCDs that will work for multiple types of dives by simply changing out the air cell (adjusting lift capacity). This option allows the diver to get comfortable with one harness system and build the muscle memory of where his inflator, cutting device, lights and safety equipment are attached.