Removing BC for long surface swim

[CBulla]

A question to clarify... what are your water conditions like? I'm guessing your not out in rolling surf

I'm with Walter.. I'll have to check it out sometime. I've thought about it on the longer swims..

 

[Santa]

I guess there is distance travelled per calorie spent to gain. Obviously there's less drag involved when you take it off but you also get better aero - or is it hydro? - dynamics from being a longer object.

I can't exactly remember why it is that longer is better, if I can say so without completely vicimizing myself retorically ;o) but it has to do with the way water travels along a longer object. It's probably about backcurrent somehow lessening drag.

Maybe someone out there can explain it better. My old swimcoach sure couldn't but it worked like a charm when applied to crawl.

 

[Sjassi]

Have your buddy drag you if it's too hard You could allways fake a tired diver and have him do the hard stuff.

 

[Walter]

I find it much more comfortable to just lie back and casually fin, at least in water surface conditions I'd dive in.

How do you catch the sharks? Where do you sell the fins?

 

[rottielover]

The Ran Dive Cart: http://www.randivecart.com/

That's the thing you were thinking of, I saw it in an issue of Sport Diver mag...

 

[Drewski]

I think it's entirely up to you and depending on the conditions. I've swam like you described using a jacket BCD before without difficulty. I've also shucked my doubles, attached a float, and made a long swim back to the boat in wetsuit, mask and fins followed by coming back and getting my doubles.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

If you're wearing a weightbelt, then consider what would happen if you suddenly became separated from your BCD ... most likely you'd sink like a rock, and your breathing supply wouldn't be with you. Chances are that you'd be able to jettison your weightbelt ... but we don't live in an ideal world and that kind of situation can easily lead to a panic situation. That's something you want to avoid at all costs.

If your BCD uses an... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Are you serious? If the guy is at the surfce and is properly weighted, then wearing a weight belt at the surface should present very little or no problem. At the very worst case I can imagine, the weight belt would have the diver 5 lbs negative and we all know that all the people with non-ditchable weight can easily swim a rig that is 10 lbs or more negative from 100 feet. So how hard is it to maintain yourself on the surface being 5 lbs negative. Obviously if the guy is using a neative steel tank his weight belt would be even less.

Lets put it another way, Which is harder to swim 10 lbs negative from 100 feet to the surface? OR drop a freaking eightbelt at the surface?

 

[oly5050user]

Are you serious? If the guy is at the surfce and is properly weighted, then wearing a weight belt at the surface should present very little or no problem. At the very worst case I can imagine, the weight belt would have the diver 5 lbs negative and we all know that all the people with non-ditchable weight can easily swim a rig that is 10 lbs or more negative from 100 feet. So how hard is it to maintain yourself on the surface being 5 lbs negative. Obviously if the guy is using a neative steel tank his weight belt would be even less.

Lets put it another way, Which is harder to swim 10 lbs negative from 100 feet to the surface? OR drop a freaking eightbelt at the surface?

Exactly right ..been there ,done that many times...weighted correstly you would not sink like a rock ,should be real close to neutral..I was waiting for someone to come up with this..

 

[jonesbf]

I wouldn't do it just to get to a dive location. I'd probably just lay back and kick. I don't like the idea of potentially being separated from my BC in the event of a swell.

 

[Nemrod]

I have used a wing BC like that when I first got it, about 1978. I would inflate it and put the tank down and I would slide up on it and kick it like a paddle board.

OK, here is the deal--it is not really a good idea and I quit dong that because I very much prefer to roll over on my back and swim. With most all wings, old and new, you can inflate them and roll on to your back putting your head well above the water and this puts you into a position to swim powerfully--you can really dig your fins in and make good speed--or bob around and rest as you prefer.

The back swimming method I just descrobed only works with a wing/BP. Larger horsehoe type wings seem to lift me best but I just got a super sleek Mach V and it very suprisingly does quite well--better than expected for t his type of surface swimming. I know it is just words so it provides no mental picture but one of the big advantages--to me--of a wing is the ability to swim on my back with my head clear of the water--so I can see boats, jet skis etc. Surface swimming face down with a snorkel will only get you run over. I know this for a fact.
N