diver-repairs(Offline)

If its been covered elsewhere please direct me to it.

Standard configuration Right post:- Primary with 60" long hose
Wing inflation
Left post:- Secondary 24" bungied
SPG boltsnapped to L waist D link
Dry suit inflation

My question if diving "wet" with no need for suit inflation then the wing is the "primary inflation" should this go on the right or the left post?

When diving "dry" should the suit be the "primary" with the wing as the "secondary" and as such does that change the priority from where it is fed?

I've dived Dry and used to just dive the suit, keeping the wing/stab/Ablj empty. I've also dived a neoprene with just the nip taken off the suit and then flew under the wing (most cumfortable) but you are then faced with having air in 2 places.
I was wondering which was Dir compliant and why?

Thanks in advance,

BrianC

Jack(Offline)

Primary is 84" hose. If diving wet , Ali cylinders and hose routing is the same as dry suit routing ( wing on r/h post, suit on l/h post /argon inflation). Use wing to adjust buoyancy, not suit.

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Jack
www.dublinbaydiving.com

Icediver182(Offline)

Brian C,

To explain WHY:

First of all, a 60" hose is fine as long as you're not in an overhead environment. Some smaller divers feel that a 60" hose fits nicer to their torso length and such. Also there is the fact of no tucking required. If you were in an overhead environment, you might consider the 84" hose, so you could go single file out while sharing air.

The difference between diving wet and dry would just be the drysuit hose. Buoyancy control is always a primary concern, so it is always on the right side. This is because the right side cant be accidently rolled off if you came in contact with something while moving foreward. The left post has the unfortunate problem of possibly rolling off. A drysuit is NOT used for buoyancy, as more air floating around in the suit will mess up trim, and it will require much more venting on the way to the surface. The reason it is not on the right post is because it is not AS life threatening if the air supply is momentarily cut off to the drysuit. But, IF there was to be a tremendout failure of the BC, if the air supply was turned off, this could be a HUGE life threatening problem. See the difference?

Just to say again, use the BC for buoyancy control, not the drysuit. More air in the drysuit will just cause problems in the end.

For all DIR diving, the setup would be: Right Post: primary long hose, BC inflation. Left Post: SPG, secondary reg on necklace, and optionally a drysuit hose. I myself use an argon bottle mounted onto the backplate, so there isnt a need for a change of hoses while changing from drysuit to wetsuit.

I hope this clears up a few things,

-Alex

diver-repairs(Offline)

Thanks Alex,

Thats the way that I'm actually diving at the moment but in the past I've had some stick from both BSAC and SAA instructors/divers to keep the wing empty and dive with normal bouyancy adjustments with the dry suit. I'll continue to do it right (without the capital letters) and preach the gospel.
My gear/config is not yet 100% compliant but money and fitness/exercise willing we're getting there.

Ty BrianC

jb2cool (Online)

Tell em to naff off and that you'll dive how you want to dive.

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vid(Offline)

quite agree

PLUS BSAC does not state whether to use the suit or BC device for buoyancy purposes - this is just individual instructor prejudice - the important issue is that you can control your buyancy during the dive

vid

jb2cool (Online)

I'm having second thoughts about this comment.

Rather than taking an offensive tone, it might be worth talking through this with the instructor and seeing why he does not agree with how you want to do it. See what his reasons are and try to show them your point of view.

We need to get people to realise that just because it's different, does not mean it's wrong.

Education is better than anger.

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Joe Hesketh(Offline)

Actually the BSAC drysuit lesson kind of does, though it's a little contradictory, stating on one slide:

yet then on the very next slide:

They also keep on banging on about emergency surface bouyancy, etc and only using the BC for this - the inference is that the BC shouldn't be used for anything else, though that's not really what the material means. There's also a misplaced (in my view) emphasis within the BSAC teaching materials on having to control two sources of buoyancy being somehow too difficult for a student to manage.

However, I agree with Vid, it's mostly down to the instructor and a lot of BSAC instructors fly the suit, because they in turn were taught like this.

There is also a lot of rather pathetic, if innocent, egotism with a lot of club divers (I've found). At the point they finally buy a drysuit, it's such a "big thing", they feel that they're a proper grown-up diver now, and that somehow using this device, which a mere wetsuited diver cannot, is big and clever. I think this is subconscious (ie its the fault of the system, not the average diver). However, the phenomenum is neatly illustrated by a passing remark I remember being made by a friend of mine (a BSAC OWI) a couple of years ago on a Red Sea trip. Diving wet, and as a passing remark he (unwittingly) 'boasted' that he was so used to a drysuit that he'd almost forgotten how to use a BC. It was a facetious remark, but sadly telling nonetheless.

For me, diving just on the suit is a bit like being able to ride a unicycle. It's entirely possible and a nice skill to have, but if you've got access to a bicycle (which is easier, safer and more stable) then what's the point...