Posted by mike on August 18, 2002 at 20:58:01:
In Reply to: Re: huh??? posted by Steve on August 17, 2002 at 12:20:27:
Swim up full, get down empty works fine for the single steel '72 i usually use, but obviously, some places on the ocean floor require a little more hardware than a sunlit algal garden on the frontside of Cat.
In a pinch, the tools could go to Davey Jones locker. In your above scenario, the 90# closed circuit liftbag gets deployed on a spool ASAP and i'd have to haul myself up (assuming super-duper negative buoyancy, like -40#. However, the nature of the damage to drysuits and wings that i've seen indicates that a simple puncture or small tear is more likely. A punctured drysuit or wing can still hold plenty of air to ascend. Even if the drysuit or wing has a big tear, there may still be enough room for plenty of air for an ascent.
Since i don't have a whole lot of "slow tissue" i'd swap SS BP for a lighter one, say a 2# aluminum or ABS one. A Halcyon Helios 4.5 is a lot lighter than any of the old EE series and an Argon Bottle can be ditched. In the event of a catastrophic failure, i'd have say, -25# (-12 (tanks) + -2 BP, + - 5 regs & stuff plus 6 lbs for say, 500 psi). With my crushed neoprene drysuit intact and airless (could be ripped wide open, but will still be buoyant and that Weezle undergarment (lofty to the point of being a problem), i'd still be just about spot on at 15 fsw- maybe i'd need a full set of lungs if the drysuit was seriously leaking.
Of course, none of this has even mentioned that other very important piece of DIR safety equipment...the rest of the team!