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> Redundant bladder BC...  This is in case the bladder malfunctions and
can =

> not provide lift.  How does this happen:  1) puncture in bladder.  =

> 2>Inflator malfunction (or destruction) 3>Deflator malfunction (or =

> destruction).  Now, how much air do you have in your BC to maintain =

> neutral buoyancy?  If you have them inflated more than "just a little =
=

> bit", then you're overweighted.  If you only have "just a little bit"
in =

> the BC, then with NO air in the BC, you can still SWIM up.
> =

> And if you're in a dry suit, then you already have a redundant
bladder...

One comment on this one. Yes, this is true that the dry suit and BC
backup each other in this useage. But, if you happen to fill your dry
suit with water after a major damage, swimming up can easily become a
nigthmare, if there's no other boyancy available.

I and my friend once did a test in a pool were we went to the bottom of
the deep pool, one in a full dry suit gear and the other snorkeling. The=

snorkeler took the octobus and we started to change the equipment
including the dry suit, underwear and everything, only swimming suits
were not changed. I happened to be the one who then got the equipment on=

and surfaced with all wet gear. I can tell you that swimming up is not
easy when you have your dry suit full of water. It's ok in a pool, but
if it should be done in open water from deep depth the way up will be
long... Hopefully there will be rope, buddy, bottom or something that
can assist the ascent. And getting out of the water with suit full of
water weighting a lot was not easy either.

Of course, this kind of damage to your dry suit will most probaply not
happen and there will be air in some parts of the suit, but the
experience was very teaching. I often hear people saying that "yes, you
can swim up with full suit" but after this test I will allways warmly
recommend that you'll stop arguing and jump in the pool and try it - and=

get supprised !

Terho

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