What Happens when you Take your BCD off at Depth

[MMM]

I guess that you dive wet.

I dive dry, with pretty heavy undergarments. Even if my belt is almost uncomfortably heavy, my rig is noticeably negative underwater. I wouldn't enjoy having to ditch underwater, because I'm pretty certain I'd be hanging vertically, feet up and head down, desperately clinging to my rig to avoid corking like a Polaris missile.

When I have done this (not often, admittedly) I slide one shoulder off and straddle the tank with my legs. That keeps all the weight together. Best done where there is a bottom but it is possible to do with no hard bottom. Like I said...have only done it a few times, just for practice.

 

[IncreaseMyT]

Also just FYI sitting on the bottom happens a lot when spearfishing, like in these pics of Sharks Hole where I am about 3 ledges down in the hole sitting on it:

So sitting on the bottom can be useful in a variety of ways.

 

[diversteve]

In SoCal where we dive in the Kelp, we were taught to remove our gear to clear tangles.

What you do is vent the BC so it's as negative as possible then while keeping a tight grip - reverse it and wear it on your chest - i.e. the tank in front - while you clear it.

Just don't let go, in a 7MM layered suit you're going to rocket to the surface if you do.

I dive weight integrated so all my weight is in the BC pockets.

 

[IncreaseMyT]

I

Just don't let go, in a 7MM layered suit you're going to rocket to the surface if you do.

Thank you for this accurate statement, someone had tried to tell me otherwise! I totally agree, don't let go.

 

[MichaelMc]

Thank you for this accurate statement, someone had tried to tell me otherwise! I totally agree, don't let go.

It really depends on your circumstances!!

I dive a 15/10/5 wet suit and can take my BC off and set it on the sand in front of me, and hold position beside it with a little bit of downward frog kicking.

Remove and replace underwater is a basic required OW, Padi, skill these days. How you do that with thick drysuit thermals I don't know. But with a range of wetsuits it is very feasible, if you set up for it. (ETA: by keeping weight on your body)

 

[IncreaseMyT]

It really depends on your circumstances!!

I dive a 15/10/5 wet suit and can take my BC off and set it on the sand in front of me, and hold position beside it with a little bit of downward frog kicking.

Remove and replace underwater is a basic required OW, Padi, skill these days. How you do that with thick drysuit thermals I don't know. But with a range of wetsuits it is very feasible, if you set up for it.

There is not a person that dives that will not be positively buoyant with a breath of compressed air at depth, with no weight. Most really good free divers are super lean, and they need weights too.

Without some type of weight, you will ascend, and as you do you will become more positively buoyant, unless you did not go down on a scuba tank and your lungs have collapsed, and you have then became negatively buoyant because of that. No wetsuit and yes you would be less positively buoyant, but you would still be positive.

 

[MichaelMc]

If you set up for it by keeping weight on your body.

Actually a buddy in very negative in just swim trunks, makes rescue towing him back and forth lots of fun.

 

[IncreaseMyT]

If you set up for it by keeping weight on your body.

Actually a buddy in very negative in just swim trunks, makes rescue towing him back and forth lots of fun.

Yes but that is different because he is not breathing in compressed air at depth, he is on the surface.

 

[MichaelMc]

Yes but that is different because he is not breathing in compressed air at depth, he is on the surface.

Huh? The difference in weight of 'lung of air at surface' vs 'scuba lung of compress air at depth' is trivial. And in the direction of the diver at depth being heavier. But trivial.

 

[IncreaseMyT]

Huh? The difference in weight is trivial. And in the direction of the diver at depth being heavier. But trivial.

It's actually a huge difference, because his lungs are full at depth with compressed air. He will no doubt be positive, and become more positive as he ascends.