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Thomas A. Easop wrote:
> Jason:
>
> I get around these problems of malfunction-uncontrolled inflation by not
connecting
> the inflator to the hose. The right side inflator is always stowed under a
tire tube
> strap on the right tank, behind the wing. The lp hose is tied to it with cave
line
> when I use a suit inflation system (argon tank and reg).
Tom, to me, the above is unnecessary and adds to an already gear intensive
sport. I
believe in getting the job done safely with only the necessary items. I
accomplish this
with a wing and a dry suit.
> When not using the suit
> inflation system, the lp hose that feeds my suit is used (disconnected from
the suit
> and connected to the inflator if needed - no dedicated lp hose.) Since if
your wing
> has failed, won't hold gas, you are aborting the dive and you will only be
venting the
> suit on ascent. You probably will be only venting the wing too but as I said
before
> using the siut for all your bouyancy is not the way to go. If this happens as
soon as
> you reach depth, with most of your gas unused, you will be heaviest.
Using a dry suit to abort in an emergency is very acceptable to me. I rely
on this
system while doing mile cave penetrations at 240'. If it works here, and it
does, why do
I need to add more gear?
> Later in dive,
> after breathing some of the gas out of your tanks, I may be able to get away
with
> using just the drysiut for bouyancy.
>
With full Steel PST 120's, a back plate (no v-weight), and a tls drysuit
with 400g
type B underwear, I can get out of any inflation related failure quite
comfortably. I am
not too heavy to overcome the early weight of a bc failure and full tanks.
> When I dive wet, no matter what tanks used, I need a second bladder /
inflator / on a
> different reg. Steel tanks that are nuetrally bouyant empty are essentially
the same
> thing as aluminum tanks with a v wieght so they are nuetrally bouyant empty.
I am not suggesting the use of a v-weight with aluminum tanks in open
water. Use a
small weight belt to obtain the weight needed (diving wet of course) and a
crotch strap.
With the crotch strap, you can mitigate the accidental disconnecting of a
weight belt by
keeping the weight, yet in a weight ditching scenerio, you can totally ditch
the weight
should your bc fail. With no weight, you should be able to do a 20' stop to
survive.
Take note, I do not perform many open water dives (nearly all cave), so
someone may have
a better method here. In cave, it's steel tanks, wing, and drysuit. Simple,
quick, and
effective.
> I think
> the real advantage with aluminum tanks is that they are more corrosion
resistant to
> salt water, and are less expensive. Any other advantage is lost on me.
>
Aluminum tanks are absolutely necessary for stage diving caves. It is
really the only
way to go for that. Deco bottles (mainly O2) should be steel, though. This
gives you
additional weight during shallow deco.
> And using a lift bag for emergency bouyancy does not demonstrate thinking it
through
> planning. I doubt you will be able to hit your stops right using a lift bag,
not to
> mention avoid task saturation. And if you are using a low 02 high He mix
(which is the
> smart gas to breathe) hitting your stops right is even more important.
Hittiing your stops at any point is important. I use a lift bag for a deco
platform.
If diving deep trimix in open water, I don't use the aluminum set, it's back to
steel,
wing, and drysuit. Shallower o/w is best for the AL set.
> The lift bag
> idea will get you to the surface. But basically, I have been told on good
authority
> that if you spend more than 20 minutes past 200 ft and omitt your stops the
DCI will
> not be survived.
I never had a lift bag idea. I will say that I don't rely on it for a
backup bc.
200' for 20min is not survivable on a blow up regardless. Fact is, it should
not happen
and by adding 2 sets of wings, I believe you are perpetuating just that; an
uncontrolled
inflation type failure. Tom, I have done it your way. Will you try it my
way?(not just
my way, but the other way) I am asking as I really believe you should give it
a try. I
can speak objectively on this because if there was ever a way to do it wrong,
I've done
it.------Jason
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