Travel Bcs And Minimum Buoyancy Requirements

[2airishuman]

I can't find an example but I know I've encountered dive charter operations in Florida that say they require a minimum BC lift capacity of 30 pounds.

Most travel BCs and some wings are smaller than this, and in tropical waters, 20 pounds is plenty for a properly weighted diver diving a single AL80 in a thin wetsuit (or none at all).

Has anyone encountered a rule like this actually being enforced?

 

[kelemvor]

Never heard of it. Did the charter in question happen to also rent bcd's?

 

[herman]

Never heard of a minimum lift requirement but my minimum is 0, I often dive without a wing. Properly weighted, 20 is plenty for anything other than large steel tanks or drysuit diving. When I do have a wing on, it almost never has any air in it unless I am doing a long surface float.

 

[fmerkel]

I wouldn't dive with that charter.

 

[Crowley]

I've never dived in Florida but Ican't say I've ever heard of this rule - if you have appropriate gear for the conditions and temperatures which gives you proper control over your buoyancy both above and below the water then I can't see why there is a minimum requirement for lift capacity. If a diver is physically small and lightweight than the minimum lift requirement may be more of a hindrance than a help.

The only reason I could think of is that this particular excursion requires that you carry something heavy, or perhaps it's some strange Health and Safety policy regarding steel tanks. If you come across it when booking a dive trip then obviously ask them why - and let us know here if it turns out to be a mandatory rule.

Cheers

C.

 

[mikeb21072]

I do about 30 dives a year in South Florida, I have never been asked about the lift capacity. My wife has a travel bcd that is less than 30#, and I just sold my AL Dimension BCD and switched over to a UTD bp/w setup with a 23# wing. All that really matters is if the wing has the capacity for your setup.

 

[StefinSB]

I can't find an example but I know I've encountered dive charter operations in Florida that say they require a minimum BC lift capacity of 30 pounds.

Most travel BCs and some wings are smaller than this, and in tropical waters, 20 pounds is plenty for a properly weighted diver diving a single AL80 in a thin wetsuit (or none at all).

Has anyone encountered a rule like this actually being enforced?

Florida ;-)

 

[wildbill9]

How do they verify/check? Never been ask or ever had an inquiry like that. If I was ever ask I would probably respond "and what is the airspeed velocity of a unladen sparrow?" But that's just me.....

 

[certified in 1976]

There is no logic to this at all. My AL Zuma travel BC is 22 lbs lift and is perfectly adequate for a 150 lb guy or 120 lb woman in 3 mm wet suit with 6 lbs of weight. The larger size Zuma's have 30+ wings but they'd be too big for us.

Makes no sense whatsoever.

 

[REVAN]

I have dove no BC in Florida, several times. So, far I haven't had a problem, but then I also have contacts that I was diving with that could vouch for me not being an inexperienced dork in the water. I know things can get pretty lame down in the keys with how they treat divers, with so many tourists passing through; but up around W Palm Beach, everyone has been pretty cool so far.