Posted by Chris on October 21, 2003 at 18:21:45:
In Reply to: Re: horse collar BC posted by Paul on October 21, 2003 at 02:02:26:
I believe a horse collar might have helped in this case, if this unconscious diver had floated with face out of the water, he might of had a better chance of survival.
Horse collar BCs, when combined with a steel tank tends to float an unconscious diver face up, unlike most modern BCs that tend not to. That is why most modern BCs come with warnings that they are not to be used as floatation devices.
Back inflate BCs can be very comfortable while diving, but tend to float an unconscious diver with their face in the water, especially when a buoyant aluminum tank is used.
Thus even though your back inflate BC works well for you it will not keep your face out of the water on the surface if you are unconscious.
We all make trade off in convenience, comfort, cost, and safety when we choose the gear we dive with. There is no one right choice everyone or every situation, and each intelligent diver weighs these elements makes these choices for their self.
I use different gear for hunting, decompression diving, and photography because that is what works well for me. I assume you make similar choices for yourself.