Stab Jacket

A stab or "Stabilizer" jacket is an essential piece of diving equipment. It has three very important functions:

• buoyancy control
  All types of diving dress compress underwater, leaving the diver in a state of negative buoyancy which, at depth, can be excessive. While drysuits can be inflated to overcome this , the wetsuited diver should use his or her stab jacket to regain a state of neutral buoyancy. The normal method of inflation is by the use of a direct low pressure feed from the regulator. All buoyancy aids must also be fitted with at least one dump valve for deflation of the jacket.
• surface support
  Use of the stab jacket to increase buoyancy at the surface before or after a dive is normal practice and should be encouraged. However, the life jacket should not be used to compensate for over weighting. A check for neutral buoyancy should be carried out initially with the life jacket vented.
• supporting the air cylinder
  The diving cylinder normally attaches to the jacket by a cam band system. It is important to check that the cylinder is firmly attached before use.

Additional features

In addition to the functions mentioned above, the stab jacket can be used as handbag, rucksack, and for carrying straps for all those extra items of dive kit. Another useful feature of the stab jacket is a set of quick release buckles at strategic points allowing for easier removal of the jacket.