L13
Contributor
You are changing scenarios on me. We were rescuing and unconscious victim.I don't know what rescue class you took, but it has been taught to me that, while it's an absolute last-resort solution, you should ditch your weight if you feel you'll become unconscious. Again, better bent than drowned. But i'm always open for advice!
The only time you dump weights at depth is a catastrophic loss of buoyancy in your BC, which isn't possible in this system since you don't have one.
But think: if dumping weight will get you to the surface and keep you there on a loss of BC, it will do the same but better with this system (you start closer to neutral before dumping weights with this system). So this system is safer in this scenario.
By the way, the pump is not used to reduce weight. That can be done quickly by opening the water vent valve. It is only used to add weight. So, increasing overall buoyancy is as fast as a BC and requires only a mechanical valve operates correctly (the same as a BC), only reducing it is slower and requires power.
I can't find it on their web site right now, maybe they eliminated it. It was visible in a video I saw of one of their early classes. So, until/if I can find it, I withdraw that argument.But back to topic:
I can't find any flotation device on this system other than the cylinder. The "jetpack", as they call it, appears to be simply a backplate with the battery and the pump, nothing else.
Legitimate, but as long as hydros and other maintenance is being correctly performed, it isn't a safety issue, just an economics issue.I'm also concerned about sustainability: a properly maintained Aluminium or Steel cylinder can easily last several decades, whereas carbon fibre has its limitations regarding service life, not to mention the membrane that expands and contracts every dive.