RE: Wings and back plates

[Nevil.N.J.Adkins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

>>oh and before anybody ask what about wetsuits, you need them then
> >>****ocks, provided you are correctly weighted and not pinned to the
> >>bottom by the excess lead around your middle.

Sorry to disappoint you but I have seen one of the techies in my club 
testing his kit in the swimming pool.  If I remember correctly he was 
in a wetsuit (5mm?) with 2x7ltr 300bar cylinders on his back and 2x9ltr 
232bar cylinders slung as stage tanks, had NO weightbelt and still had 
to have some air in his wings to achieve neutrality with full tanks.

I reckon he must have had nearly 8m3 (8000l) of air with him which 
would weigh in at say 7kg, so if he was correctly weighted for 
neutrality at the end of the dive he would have to have about 7kg or 
15lb of lift.  On an average wings this would probably mean that it had 
to be about a third full at the beginning of the dive, even if he was 
perfectly weighted for the end.

Of course we can all swim in a 7kg overweighted state (remember the old 
A- and C-tests? OK only 5kg for those but same idea) but I wouldn't 
like to do it for a deco stop or through a wreck or cave....  Redundant 
bladders do have a place, but not everywhere!

Regards
Nevil

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FROM: Nevil Adkins  AEY/24    Tel +968 673306    FAX +968 673062
Petroleum Development Oman LLC, PO Box 81, Postal Code 113, Muscat
Sultanate of Oman
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