Inflators

??>> Disconnect the DS and I am still in the same position.

V> Now imagine the same scenario without a convenient hard bottom...

OK prior to disconnecting I was figuratively plummeting towards wherever the
bottom happens to lie. Granted this is probably not the best time to be
dicking with connectors. In this case I am probably going to reach for a
DSMB whilst doing everything else to slow the descent.

It appears to me there is a fundamental difference between how you got to be
descending in open ocean over an unknown bottom with nothing to hang onto
and being nailed to the bottom finding that you can't ascend? The first
case is fairly easy to predict and the problem is progressive. In the
second case you unexpetedly find you can not ascend; maybe I went negative
to clear the shot and lost gas in one side of independants.

V>>> But to promote hose-swapping in preference to oral
V>>> inaflation in the absence of any qualification is ludicrous.

??>> Hold on, where exactly have I promoted hose swapping in preference to
??>> anything particularly.

V> You didn't. Someone else did - which is where I came in. You replied to
V> my post, remember?

Now either I am missing part of the thread or you have a different idea of
what promote means or maybe you have inferred more into NickRs comments than
was there. I guess you could have deliberately used emotive language to
make your point appear more valid, but you wouldn't do that would you?

What I read was NickR commenting that he personally thought hose swapping
had benefits over oral inflation based on his own limitations. I am not sure
how you could read anything else into it. On the other hand your responses
could simply be a terse attempt to educate, or a zealous attempt to
'promote' oral inflation by making NickR look inadequate.

??>> In the context of my reply to you I was pointing out that an
??>> individual may have a legitimate reason for their choice which you can
??>> not possibly assess across the internet.

V> That's always possible - but as I've said, to promote hose swapping in
V> preference to oral inaflation in the absence of any qualification is
V> ludicrous.

I think we differ on our views of who is promoting what.

??>> So when you have scared off all but those that agree with you, are you
??>> more or less likely to learn?

V> If asking questions scares people off, then I would be wary of accepting
V> advice from them anyway. Whilst confidence does not imply correctness, a
V> thesis that cannot be examined is worthless.

A suitably academic answer.

I would be wary of accepting advice from anyone I don't actually know. When
it comes to diving particularly so. I am quite happy to consider anything
someone wants to forward, whether they can debate it to conclusion or not.
But my decisions are made after practicing in progressively deeper water.
Where it comes to escape and rescue skills I personally think your better
off using a non-optimal technique which you are confident and practiced with
than a technique you are anxious about or have not practiced recently.
IMVHO underwater confidence should be based purely on practical experience
and not on academic soundness.

There was a thing about Marconi on the box last night. Apparently he wasn't
an academic as such. His peers ridiculed him because he could not explain
his instincts. The clever physicists of the time were certain that Marconi
was chasing the impossible...He set up his radio and did it anyway.

Regards

MattS
P.S want to go diving Saturday?

"matts" <matts@nospam.org> wrote in message
news:MPNPb.18270$tQ6.812532@wards.force9.net...

<snipped>

> I am comfortable
> holding a stop with 30bar at 3m with no gas in the suit or wing. On a
> normal dive my wing is empty by the time I get to 10m and there is just
> enough gas in my suit to keep me warm at 5m.
>
> I don't think this is a weight issue, possibly more to do with how
realistic
> I think swimming up 10 to 20m with everything full is. I know a guy who
> shredded his wing entering a wreck at 48m. He managed to get off the
bottom
> using his suit but redescended from around 40m. The attempt cost him
quite
> a bit of gas. He winched up a lift bag in the end. Maybe he was
> overweight, I don't know.
>
> Regards
> MattS
>

Fairy snuff, doesnt sound like weighting then. This is a bit grannies and
eggs, but I'll say it anyway. If you're ascending on your suit and possibly
overweight, you'll have to ascend horizontally, with the dump screwed down,
or you're going to blow all that gas out of your neck. Maybe thats what
caught your mate out.....


/Z