What Happens when you Take your BCD off at Depth

[LimitedSlip7]

Why not just hover behind something out of the current? I would think just hovering while neutral would use less energy than contorting yourself into a sitting position...

 

[caruso]

I usually drift the fastest in the group.

Clearly some sort of medal is in order.

 

[IncreaseMyT]

Why not just hover behind something out of the current?

I guess you could, if you have big enough structure. Sometimes I can't get all the way out of the current but mostly, and you would still drift just not as fast. Putting my chest down on the sand allows me to sit in that exact same position.

I mean, I know guys that have 7k dives that do this and suggest to those that are diving with them lol. It is very common.

 

[LimitedSlip7]

Ah, I'm picturing you actually in a normal sitting position, ass in the sand. Sitting up like a sail in the current doesn't make much sense...

I'd be afraid of setting down on a scorpion fish or some other camouflaged critter. I guess I prefer just a couple of fingers in the sand to anchor.

 

[MichaelMc]

I work at keeping some weight, 8-10 lb., on a belt so that between it and some suit compression I can take the BC off and hold it without becoming a helpless balloon above it.

With it a bit but not hugely negative you can hold it below you still in skydiver position for control. Holding its weight about at your chest. For me, its a BP/W, which may be more tidy to hold than a jacket.

 

[IncreaseMyT]

Ah, I'm picturing you actually in a normal sitting position, ass in the sand. Sitting up like a sail in the current doesn't make much sense...

LOL no. Skydiving position. It rarely happens, on my dives in Palm Beach out of 6 I did it 1 time. There wasn't much cover but there was a bank of white sand in between wrecks, or better said what was left of them. It was a great spot to take a break and try to get some footage.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Clearly some sort of medal is in order.

It's because of his depth shrunken lungs

 

[BRT]

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.

I wear a weight harness as well as integrated BCD weights. I like having the weight separated.

 

[Dan]

I surely don’t want to remove my BCD underwater, but if I need to access the back of my BCD, like checking the tank valve position (all the way open or not, whether the yoke connector to my 1st stage is leaking, etc.), I have dive buddy to check on it. If no buddy is around to help, I can always loosen the waist strap of my weight integrated jacket BCD, then unlatch the left shoulder strap, turn the BCD around towards my right shoulder enough to see the tank valve. I’ve done that a few times. No biggy.

 

[Storker]

I wear a weight harness as well as integrated BCD weights. I like having the weight separated.

Me, too. I wear a belt, and then my rig (incl any fixed or ditchable weights). The weight is separated. Problem comes when you need some 15-17kg of weight to stay neutral. There's just so much of that which you can carry on your belt (if you prefer it to be ditchable) or your harness before it becomes uncomfortable. The rest just has to go on your rig.