Buoyancy Cruise Control

[Ken abucs]

It's already been done, five years ago;

Aquapilot - DIVE BCs

The article reference a web site - aquapilot.de which is now parked. Looks like they didn't survive. I wonder why.

Could you imagine trying to buy product liability insurance for such a gizmo.

 

[J.R.]

... if man were ment to be a submarine he'd be equipped with a snorkel...

 

[Randy43068]

REAL scuba divers don't use snorkels.

 

[J.R.]

REAL scuba divers don't use snorkels.

EXACTLY!!!!

 

[Sundiver]

I tried out a hardshell BC backpack in the mid or late 70's. I can't remember the brand. It was gray or black. It had @3" vent valves on the top and flood valves on the bottom. To operate it, you had to adjust it to neutral at some depth, I think at least 20'. Then it would vent on ascent with the top overpressure valves and add air as you descended with a device that was probably an adapted scuba regulator. It worked ok. If you were good at breathing buoyancy control it worked pretty good. Anyone remember it?
The biggest problem was how much air it used. It would activate at a 2' or 3' differential, which was probably adjustable.

 

[Thalassamania]

I think you are referring to the Dacor Nautilus. I don't think that it'd add air as you descended, it relied on it's stiff walls to resist compression.

 

[String]

The article reference a web site - aquapilot.de which is now parked. Looks like they didn't survive. I wonder why.

Could you imagine trying to buy product liability insurance for such a gizmo.

Look at the date of the article: 01-04-03

April the first. April fool joke.....

 

[Hickdive]

Look at the date of the article: 01-04-03

April the first. April fool joke.....

No. It wasn't an April Fool joke.

 

[naclydogg]

I tried out a hardshell BC backpack in the mid or late 70's. I can't remember the brand. It was gray or black. It had @3" vent valves on the top and flood valves on the bottom. To operate it, you had to adjust it to neutral at some depth, I think at least 20'. Then it would vent on ascent with the top overpressure valves and add air as you descended with a device that was probably an adapted scuba regulator. It worked ok. If you were good at breathing buoyancy control it worked pretty good. Anyone remember it?
The biggest problem was how much air it used. It would activate at a 2' or 3' differential, which was probably adjustable.

Yes i remember it, never tried it out. I was just trying to find out what the name of it was after reading about another auto bc

 

[boliver_69]

I'm a noob, and have a lot to learn, but isn't bouyancy one of the big skills divers aquire through practice and experience? Sounds like a product for someone too lazy to work on their skills... I am still working hard on establishing bouancy, but I would much rather attain it on my own rather than have a product do it for me.