BCDs - Jacket Style vs Wings - Scuba Tech Tips: S04E13 

Hope you're finding some ideas. Take care. Alec

I know right..... Ive learned so much from him. He doesnt do like some folks do and go off on all this technical lingo, he keeps it plain talk, but that comes with ha ing the years of experience he has too. Very humble man.

Low key?

As a bigger guy myself, I'm really curious just how big kevin actually is. Are there any videos that show him?

The "Scuba People's Love Award". I like that. Screw the Oscars. Take care. Alec

Agreed.

Thanks for watching. Alec

That's my plan Wendy. Thanks for watching.

Thank you for sharing Pierre and Costa Rica is a beautiful place to retire to. As FYI, at the ranch right now its a warm -11C with a wind chill of -15C. Have fun diving and glad to help make your experience safer and fun. Take care.

My pleasure! Lots more to learn about this great sport. A

Wow, thanks John. A.

I try for one take because Kevin complains the editing he has to do to make me look pretty. If there is cuts, it's probably because I either dropped something or was interrupted. We shoot it stores and customers love yelling out their love. A.

@@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter I’ll be following your advices! Good job!

Thanks Mike. It was way too long but it's not a subject that can be shortened easily or it leaves more questions than it answers. Thanks for watching. Alec

Thank you!

Awesome, thank you! Lots to watch and laugh at, maybe even learn something too. Thanks for watching. A

Glad you enjoyed it. A

No need to hit folks with specs they don't understand. Good you can lead the conversations now. Lots more to watch and learn about Barbara. A

It's all a matter of weight placement and judicial us of air. Any BC filled to the max is going to a problem. Glad it's working for you. Alec

Glad it was helpful! TC. A

You and millions more were drawn to scuba diving by Mike Nelson and his exploits. I'm glad you're enjoying my vids. Take care. Alec

Nice to hear from an experienced diver who know what works for himself and not what marketing or others expect. Safe diving my friend.

I have used both and they are excellent for their designed purpose. They are NOT suitable for normal recreational diving. Look carefully at their purpose. Don't be sold by "they work better all the time"-type statements without questioning it. Alec

@@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter thanks for the response!

Wow, thanks! A

Thank you very much.

Thank you (again) Brad for your thoughtful and kind comments. If mistakes I've made and tips I've learned help just one diver, I'm happy. Re the chest strap, too many stores just sell the item but don't explain (or don't know!) hwo to use the various components. They leave it up to the diver to find out on his own - not smart! Alec

I'm glad I was able to help Martin. Take care. Alec

Do so for sure Rowan. You should float face up at the surface. Suppose you were unconscious? It works. It just takes parctice to get it right. Alec

Thanks for watching Jim and for your input. Alec

Thanks ol'-timer. They do make diving a lot easier. Maybe safer too LOL. Alec

I did but have been selling off my collections (need the space). I remember when horse collars were standard and BCD's just showed up in magazines. Look in my Vintage Scuba series for old backpacks and diving systems. Should bring back memories. Alec

Thanks for watching Rachel. Alec

Thanks for your support Mark. Take care. Alec

Go for it Allen. Lots of tips to get you back up to date with gear and my Vintage Scuba will make you laugh at the stone age diving days. A

Thanks! 😃 A.

You are quite right of course. Assuming you are close to neutral at depth and don't need extra air to start an ascent, a few fin kicks or even taking a big breath and holding it for a few seconds ought to be enough to get an ascent started after which you will be dumping air as you rise. The amount of weight needed is a personal thing Cody. Regardless of the tank used, each diver will need weight to suit his body. It's not possible to look at a diver, or even weigh a diver and say with any accuracy how much weight he'll need. You may come close, but that's not good enough. Having said that, an aluminum tank (we call them aluminum here, not the more accurate aluminium) has a different buoyancy than a steel tank and that will affect your weight requirements. At 9-12 pounds using an 8mm suit I'm guessing you're using a high capacity steel tank. Particularly since you are probably in salt water. With an 80 aluminum tank and a 6.5mm wetsuit most divers here would be using 18-20 pounds even in freshwater. There are so many factors that affect weight requirements including interestingly the diver's experience level and even gender that it's foolish to think you can guess what a diver will need. Take care. Alec

Thanks for responding, I think weighting is something so critical for a new diver to get right. It can improve safety and even more importantly it makes the dive so much more enjoyable! Just a follow up, a majority of people here dive 12L 232 bar steel tanks. These have a buoyancy of -4.25kg (-9.4 lb) when full and -0.75kg (-1.7lb) when empty.

It's funny but sometimes has to be said for some divers.

No argument here Bill. Good points. Alec

Bill Schellerstrom " For the typical recreational diver, the BCD should never be inflated until your head breaks the surface of the water." If I wear enough weight to be able to descend from the surface in my 7mm two-piece wetsuit, by the time I get to 30 feet and my suit is compressing I'll sink like a stone if I don't add some air. My head will never break the surface, because I'll be stuck on the bottom.

This is new stuff to many divers. If you already know or understand what I'm trying to say, please be patient. If new divers get some good diving ideas, we all benefit. Take care Wally. Alec

I think that’s what I said, I agree with you. And I’m a long way from knowing it all. Thx Alec.

Glad you like and are learning something new from them Ruiel.

Ahh! The 'Good 'Ol Days. Actually they weren't all that good but it was fun. For the uninitiated, suiting up went like this: 1. put on your 2 piece wet suit with Hi-pants, Beavertail and zipper wrists and ankles; 2. assemble your tank and regulator (no BCD); 3. put on your Horsecollar BC with waist and crotch strap (ouch!); get into your tank harness (sometimes with it's own crotch strap!) and pull the shoulders tight; 4. hike the weightbelt up under the tank and buckle it up in front. Ready to dive! Today it's assemble the tank, reg and WI BCD, put it on and dive.

I remember it well - and the suits felt as if they were made of armour and were as stiff as all sin.

The backplate helps to achieve good trim without having all of your weight on a belt around your waist. But you do need to find the best placement of the weight by trial and error. There is no "set" process for this. Each diver and dive circumstances is different. The plate will replace some of your weight requirements and also move that weight to the center of your body mass. Additional weight can be on a weight belt, via tank weights, hook-on weights or other means. As you practice and try various set-ups, you should keep in mind the importance of being able to dump some, if not all, of your weights. Of course, you would never drop your pack (which also includes your tank and reg) but the backplate would usually be just a small amount of your total weights. Alec

Appreciate the feedback from a PSD pro Estevan. Hope this helps others in you field make a better selection. A

We just completed an episode on the benefits of a backplate. Watch for it. Alec

Thanks for watching. Alec

It's just the way I am. I'm not here for a long time (no one is) so I'm determined to enjoy myself. Thanks for watching. Alec

+Alec Peirce Scuba Yes your humor is a real treat for the dive community. Glad you're making the most of it! I'll definitely share this channel with my friends and check out the rest of your videos.

Right. Two 2-pound weights either in the front ditchable pockets or on a small weight belt would be best. A diver must always be able to drop his weights, or most of them, if needed. Alec

Thanks for watching Piotr. Alec

Sorry. My loving wife won't let me dive with anyone but her. Not really a hardship - she's beautiful and a VERY good diver. But thanks for the thought. Take care. Alec

@@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter Don't worry, I live in a totally different continent!

The Mares MR12 was one of the most reliable regulators ever made. It's been around for over 25 years but it's been completely ruined now with a lot of extra junk. The Trieste was an odd arrangement - a double hose reg built from a single hose. But it works. Most vintage divers shun it.

Good to know you found an excellent fit. I know several divers who love the Biolite's light weight just for travel. Safe diving my friend. A

Freshwater lakes are the best place to learn to dive. Cold water, low visibility, currents, dark bottoms, buoyancy problems, boat traffic, etc, etc. If you enjoy diving there and gain experience, you will become an excellent diver. Good luck Willis. Alec

Pull dumps are something every diver needs to remember is there. In cases where a fast / big air dump is needed, pull and hold. If a smaller dump is needed, short tugs work fine. Not as smooth as the power inflator/deflator but still a standard safety item on BC's. A

Once you try a wing you may be hooked Alain. I shunned them for years because my experience with them goes back to the At-Pac which was a very heavy, bulky, cumbersome affair and turned me off. But the new ones are excellent. See if you can get one to try. Just realize that it will be odd at first. You will feel like your missing something and your buoyancy control will be way off. A bit of practice and re-adjustment of your weight trim should do the trick.

You're on your points Steve. I may do a BCD Trim video. Alec

i think DIR/hogarthian set ups are becoming more popular with recreational divers! they really have the edge on reliability, design and the ability to be used in many situations (singles, doubles) would be great to have that on the show!

Thanks Gerrit. I may get to the many other setups. Most will be in my Vintage Scuba playlist because most have gone by the wayside. Alec

Most alternate systems are designed to address a problem or circumstance that simply doesn't arise in recreational diving. Hence their limited appeal. That doesn't diminish their value, just their popularity among divers in general. Thanks Oliver. Alec

The At-Pac was way ahead of it's time. It was the first weight-integrated BCD and quite good although a bit of a bother to set up. We spent a lot of time getting the right amount of lead shot and then mixing it with marbles so it didn't move all around in the pack. I have a couple in my vintage stuff. NASDS, commonly called NASTY because their course was so militaristic, was bought by SSI. I think they wanted the list of names more than anything. Yes. NASDS had an arrangement with Scubapro. I don't know the details of the it but an NASDS store sold Scubapro only. Another reason why it finally failed.

Well welcome to another 'stone age diver'. Anyone who casts their own lead weights knows what DIY means. Thanks for watching Doug.

@@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter lots of good stuff on your channel. Thanks. We cast our own weights so that we could use many small weights rather than a few heavy ones. More stable, or at least not so sensitive to small position changes.

That’s what she said

I'm sure you'll be happy. Take care. Alec

i dive with a DIR style backplate and wing which has a dump valve on the left hand waist side. i really like it! it makes dumping air a lot easier as you can stay in a horizontal trim position and dump air. no need to get into any upright position. just lean over to the right so that the valve is raised slightly, and pull the cord! its also easier to dump air if there is very little air in the wing. i don't really have any experience diving with a "normal" recreational wing that has a waist dump. as i have dived the DIR "techy" with for the last few years

Hi Wes. I have a (now discontinued) SeaQuest BCD with the i3 lever system, and I really like it. When I push the lever to release air, both dump valves (right shoulder and left rear) open and air will escape from whichever valve is higher; no position issues. Whether I'm feet down, head down, or horizontal, it just works.The other valve doesn't let water in because they have "non-return mechanisms" -- which are simple one-way flaps, really, but they seem to work just fine. The i3 system is now available on some Aqua~Lung BCDs, and I think we'll be seeing a lot more of them and similar systems from other brands in the future.

Brian, thanks for the insight. I'd love to try an i3 system before buying but I doubt they are a popular choice for a shop to buy for rentals. I'm relatively new to scuba and have had no problems with traditional BCD setups. I have a healthy skepticism of new unproven designs but I try to avoid the "fear of new" syndrome just because something is new. The reason the i3 piqued my interest was for the streamlining it offers by not having an inflator/deflater hose flopping around. I'm getting into spear fishing and lion fish removal, and that also seems like a plus as it's one less thing to catch a line on or get tangled. Like you also mentioned, not needing to change orientation to deflate is very appealing as well. Not to mention the control lever is always in the same place. When I write it all out I guess my biggest question is now which i3 BCD type to go with, vest or wing? Haha

I used a Sherwood Maximus for some time but never got comfortable with it. It didn't seem to solve anything and created other issues - losing it, recovery, slower getting it into yur mouth plus interfering with the safe second hose. Alec

Glad I could help!

Have fun! A.

You're welcome. A funny Canadian, greatly missed. A

Thank you for watching Kevin. Alec

Welcome ND.

Thanks Gabe. Alec

Thanks for waching. I hope you've seen or heard something new. Alec

If your properly balanced with weight in drop pockets and trim pockets, then dropping even 2 pounds (e.g. on side pocket), will start your ascent. As you know once a diver starts ascending it accelerates if BC air is not dumped. In an emergency you don't have to drop 100% of weight to ascend (otherwise its a rocket up). So dropping a little weight gets you going up to do a CESA. Hope this helps explain why weight can be in non-ditchable trim pockets, which most BC's have.

@@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter That makes perfect sense. An emergency ascent should still be a controlled ascent as much as possible. And you still have your BCD for additional buoyancy if needed. Thanks for taking the time to clarify.

Our water are both 'cool' and dark. Like I tell o/w students, if you can dive comfortably in these waters, the rest of the world is pretty easy.

@@AlecPeirceScuba_SeaHunter That's what we said, and have been told I. My former training. If you can dive UK waters they are the most demanding in the world. If you can do this here you can do this anywhere.

A dry suit provides perhaps as much as 30-40 pounds of lift, certainly when inflated at depth. Assuming the diver is intelligent enough to only add enough air to keep himself neutral at all times, he can always swim slowly to the surface with no air added to his BCD!! He sure as heck does NOT need 75 pounds of lift!! Have you even seen a Poseidon missile launched from a submarine?? If he for some unfathomable reason gets so negative that he is in danger of sinking, he can drop his weight belt and rise recklessly to the surface - risky but better than drowning. Sometimes I think "I use a 75 pound air cell" is a bit like "I've got the High Output option on my car so I can go 0 to 60 in 5 seconds!". Use common sense and trust a reliable LDS staff, preferably someone who doesn't brag about his deep dives. Good luck. Alec

ditchable weight is better than BCD lift. Theoretically, you should be able to swim your rig off the bottom in case of a BCD failure. If you can't, you should have enough ditchable to make you buoyant enough to swim up. if you are wearing a dry suit, the drysuit is your redundant buoyancy. Hopefully you never should drop weight at depth.

And NO ads, even better!

I think you'll like it. I've been using mine for a couple of years and quite like it. Alec

Thanks Webby. Alec

Nice BC. Typical USD with too many snaps, clips and fasteners, most of which you'll never use but to achieve "27 different configurations", I suppose they are necessary. As is often the case with manufacturers, they try to design an item that will appeal to every diver. Can't be done. BTW, I wonder if anyone, at USD or otherwise, can name 20 of those 27 configurations?? However, it's small, light and quite capable. You can always modify the clips + to suit your own tastes. If you like it, if it works for you, it's the best choice. Alec

The wing started as a solution to the problems that cave divers experience but it now has features that recreational divers enjoy too. Alec