Why would you want to dump weight?

[Mortlock]

I was just reading a thread in the DIR section and people were mentioning that in anykind of overhead environment (either hard or soft) that dumping weight (to the point you can't help being positively bouyant) isn't something you'd want to do. I was wondering why dumping weights in a rec situation would be anymore sensible?

 

[jonnythan]

It's usually not. Once you commit to dumping weight, you're committing to a possibly completely uncontrolled ascent, which is obviously a bad idea.

 

[Mortlock]

That's exactly what I was thinking. Why then is there so much emphasis on rapid weight dumping systems in weight integrated BC's?

 

[jonnythan]

Because it's a "feature." After OW class, most people are so overweighted that they think having a BC failure means they're going to drop to the bottom like a rock unless they get that weight off NOW. Since that's not really how it is when you're *properly* weighted and diving a *proper* rig, it's not actually that important.

 

[mania]

There are emergency situations that you would have to dump weights and as a result ascend in uncontrolled way. You end up with DCS but with a chance to survive rather than die underwater.
And for this you have to be able to release weights rapidly.
Mania

 

[Phaethon]

Mania's right, but I also think that the word 'rapid' used in describing the weight dumping is a simplification or abbreviation if you like. If you get into a situation where weight dumping is really your only option, the process needs to be as simple as possible - a single tug on a particular buckle or handle(s) which should be large and easy to locate and grasp in what would be a very stressful situation perhaps involving injury and even rising panic. Obviously such a simple process will also be rapid and thus the word rapid is used instead of "easy to locate and operate in an emergency situation".

Just a thoiught...

K.

 

[jbd]

The ability to release weights quickly is for emergency situations. As noted by jonnythan, if the diver is properly weighted dumping weights is not much of an issue.

Where to dump the weights is often more of an issue depending on who you talk to.

 

[Scuba_Vixen]

There are emergency situations that you would have to dumb weights and as a result ascend in uncontrolled way. You end up with DCS but with a chance to survive rather than die underwater.
And for this you have to be able to release weights rapidly.
Mania

The only one that comes to mind is if you're lame enough to jump off the boat without turning your air on and inflating your bc ..... but then you couldn't have done your predive checks or buddy check either , could you !

I think the "being able to easily dump weights" thing is just hype to make newbies feel somehow safer. The truth is that you're a lot safer when they are sufficiently hard to ditch that accidental loss is almost impossible. If you have your gear set up correctly, you can reach your valves.

Darlene

 

[Winton]

ahh...
If I am not mistaken weight dumping is a buddy exercise? The weights are released in a dive emergancy the the "concious" buddy, dumps the "unconcious" budd'ies BCD, dumps the weights, holds the regulator in and controls the assent. Can anyone teach me to juggle as well, I think it may be a useful skill for after I grow up.

 

[mania]

ahh...
The weights are released in a dive emergency the the "conscious" buddy, dumps the "unconscious" buddies BCD, dumps the weights, holds the regulator in and controls the assent.

I'm not a rescue diver yet but according to what I have already learned - not quite. You ascend on the unconscious diver's BC, not on your own. But that's a different topic.
Coming back to weights. I know a person who got deadly scared underwater. This could end up in person's death in fact. But he dumped weights, ascended in uncontrolled way ended up in the hyperbaric chamber and survived. Otherwise it wouldn't be so sure.
Mania