Comfort vs. risk

Hanssing

So going out on a limb here.

I know the likes of DrMike and Dave Sutton, will shake their heads and someone (?) will tell me to harden the **** up, but I only have had limited experience with BOVs and I hated it (as I do with BO-stages).

It was heavy above water, and sucked while doing even a short prebreath, and it was *not* comfortable under water. The drag on the jaw when not facing the BOV into the current was terrible.
Yes going off loop was excellent, and so was OC-ascent, where releasing gas was easy. But somehow we all balance risk vs. reward, and I like my bungied necklace much more than the BOV.

But I was wondering if someone has any really usefull tips on the BOV's out there today:

* Wich are better in regards to weight, boyancy, drag?
I'm guessing the Pelagian and the Golem, as they dont extend out as far (2nd. stage below), and therefor doesn't cause that much of pull. At the same time they dont get exposed (as much) to the current when not looking directly into the flow-direction.

* Besides getting the right BOV, I'm thinking a good neck-strap to retain the thing, as you now dont need to get off it quickly.

* Chin-rest

* Or a FFM - wich is not for me.

So anyone have experience with multiple BOV types?
* What made them comfortable
* Which was best in regars to comfort, maintenance, etc.?

Nicolai

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Nicolai
I have a Golem and really like it. I use it with a seacure mouthpiece and find it comfortable. I cannot detect any difference in swimming resitance and its neutral in the water. I've used the OC part at 75+m doing drills and it breathes fine.
Steve

Mdemon

I use two extra things on my BOVs.

Mantabites to keep it in my mouth and gag straps for comfort.

I use a gag strap with clips at both sides and rear.

The straps help a little. In water, the mantabite keeps it in place and frankly I don't notice the BOV much. I do get sore gums from the manta sometimes though. It's not comfortable, but neither is diving with a ton of equipment on so I just lump it.

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"Once the agenda-monkeys and perfect-worlders have moved on, perhaps we can do some diving?"

Dave Sutton

It all depends on the BOV

KISS? Feels a bit heavy out of water (use a GOOD mouthpiece), but U/W they feel fine. Not totally confident for really deep stuff, but it's a good econo-grade one if you can find one used.

Halcyon: With the chin-rest you don't even know it's there either in or out of the water, in high current, etc. Just top quality. Good luck getting one.

Golem: Have dived them, don't own one (yet), but it balances fine. Them's that know say an easy to add bit of hose as a chin-rest helps in high current. Be my first pick to buy today.

CIS Mk-5P: Man... I wish someone would build these from scratch and sell them. The original BOV (Stone patented it originally) is still the best.



All in all...... just get one.


Dave

lizardland

Yep a BOV is heavy on the surface but do you buy your dive kit based on how it performs on the surface?

Adding a Mares reg to the KISS BOV changes it completely, it becomes a lot lighter in the mouth but at the expensive of increasing its profile. Scootering... I haven't noticed it a problem. I have a Seacure mouthpiece on which has really stopped jaw fatigue.

I've had a few minor incidents, a couple with CO2, a couple my inattentiveness whilst getting caught up in tasks, where the inconvenience of the BOV was more than made up for by the ability to bailout easily. One of the very minor CO2 incidents I've had (when I still had a Paragon that didn't work) really shocked me at just how difficult bailing to an offboard 2nd stage was whilst fighting the urge to breathe.

It's an old saying but you don't need anything until you need it.

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Azerbaijani Association of Technical Divers Publicity Officer and Goat Wrangler

Dave Sutton

You could VERY easially spend the last five seconds of your life trying to do exactly that... and if you have not been there, you WILL NOT understand how desperate the situation can be. NOBODY can really viscerally understand it without experiencing it.

Agreed that the Mares transforms the KISS BOV. The additional bouyancy as compared to the "Paragon of Unreliability" really helps.


Dave

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mempilot

I bought the Golem and agree that it is heavy out of the water, but not too bad in the water. I also got a Drager FFM, and the BOV disappears weight wise. The five point harness really distributes the weight and forces well, making side to side head movements easy. The Panorama retains a mouth bite which keeps the loop closed and makes the whole setup very comfortable. It takes some getting used to, but once you do, it's very operational and useful. The Golem BOV is top notch. I've used it down to 200 fsw since buying it, and plan to keep diving it deeper.

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kybrt

my peligian showed up today. man it is tiny!! i cant wait to see how it breathes.

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lizardland

I remember thinking quite clearly and calmly "I'm going to drown and it happened so easily". I'm not trying to make a joke of it but the following thought was "I'm not having people take the piss out of me for dying so stupidly". It was a VERY sobering experience and what's more it was a very minor hit. Ironically I was practicing bailouts, swapping between DSV and offboard 2nd stage, practicing blowing offboard gas into the loop, practicing SCR from offboard, etc. Lots of swapping between DSV & regulator and I accidentally left the DSV open when I swapped to offboard in all the task loading. I instantly realised what I'd done and closed the DSV. It was hardly any water, only a few bubbles, went back on the loop and blew it down the hose. Seconds later I was aware of something not being right and it went to instantly "I must get off the loop", the most overwhelming compulsion you can imagine. It took seconds to get the bailout reg but it felt like minutes and I was fighting the urge to breathe anything, I'd happily have tried breathing water. I freedive regularly, I can do over 6min statics but I couldn't cope with a few seconds of breathold.

Until you experience the need for a BOV then the discomfort/expense is hard to rationalise. When you have had the need for one then you'd put up with it being machined out of lead.

__________________
Can you imagine drifting along in the sea with your mouth open and a load of f***ing plankton going in? You'd like it, would you?

www.westons-cider.co.uk

Azerbaijani Association of Technical Divers Publicity Officer and Goat Wrangler

Dave Sutton

EXACTLY.... and EXACTLY what I was thinking too. Funny how your mind works. The fear of being slagged here for dying is a powerful motivation!

Folks, get with the program: You cannot hold your breath when you are hypercapnic.

Hypercapnia is THE physiological trigger to breathe... and you will drown before you ignore it. (which is *exactly* what happens when someone DOES drown, BTW: The hypercapnic breathing trigger over-rides your ability to hold your breathe and you inspire water with predictable result).

I freedive too... and can spearfish breath-holding in 15 meters of (North Atlantic Cold) water. I regularly hold a 2 minute bottom time there, not static, but after an open water freedive. I could not have held my breath 5 SECONDS more during my C02 hit. It was *that* close.


BOV's? Yes. Next subject.


Dave.

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