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Carl

Good points, but I think a bit of time and engineering could yeild a 
usefull piece of equipment.  A fully streamlined SCUBA unit would be 
much easier to swim with, and the flotation would assist with heavy 
tanks.  Perhaps not usefull in a tight situation due to the added bulk.  
But think about it for open water.  How much farther a scooter would 
take you (and how much easier the swim back when it died:-).

If you hit a rock and penetrate the shell, you still have the foam or 
Balsa core for flotation.  Both of these materials will compress, but 
depending on depth would still offer significant lift.  By building it 
with multiple compartments ala the unsinkable Titanic, you avoid a 
breach of the whole vessel.  The bulkheads would also add strength to 
the structure (credit to R. Bell).

At this point I think I could come up with a practical design.  The real 
question is:  is it usefull?  Most of the responses are sceptical.  But 
the arguments seem to center around materials and failure thereof.  The 
materials questions certainly need to be asked, but for every question 
there will be an answer.  The questions of safety also need to be asked, 
but for every one of them there will be an answer.

Is this something that is already being done?  Has it already been 
determined a failure?  Or is it an idea worthy of consideration?

ttfn
David Pearson

In message "Rigid Foam Flotation", cgh@ma*.ai*.mi*.ed* writes:

>
>All this talk about rigid foam/etc is interesting but...
>
>What happens if you're relying on this for floatation and you hit it
>against a sharp rock or object on a wreck??? Once the outer shell is
>penetrated and water can enter you're hosed.
>
>This is good mental masturbation but, in the real world, will have
>little practical value.
>
>After all, motorcycle fairings don't have to hold potentially 150psi
>(and that's *static*) pressure OUTSIDE an empty core...  Remember too,
>statis pressure is a LOT different than dynamic pressure (anyone who
>has had a "50 meter watch" flood on them knows about this!!!).
>
>-Carl-
>
>                        

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