Buoyancy Compensators ? - Gold Prospectors Association of America

Last Post 01 Mar 2015 11:32 AM by Ted Tupitza

Buoyancy Compensators ?

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DAN WALKER

Greenhorn
Posts:

10 Feb 2015 08:28 PM
Has anyone used buoyancy compensators (bc) such as the ones for scuba? I have been contemplating the best approach for a dredge site i have in mind where their are vertical walls on both sides and fairly deep water. To get to the site i would have to set upstream and float in. was thinking this would make an easier way to come up for a break or to check the box. scenes scuba is a high presser system would you have to modify the way the BC inflates? just throwing it out their i alway shave crazy ideas for the difficult places i go.

William Hall
Buzzard

Buzzard
Posts:649

12 Feb 2015 04:09 PM
hmmm, usually one uses lead weights to stay on the bottom. Your talking buoyancy ? Have you dredged before, or just thinking out load ? Bill

DAN WALKER

Greenhorn
Posts:

15 Feb 2015 03:18 PM
mostly thinking out loud, i have a hole in the river bed thats 20 feet deep and has no sloping ground into it just straight cliffs under water basically with a a gravel bottom. i was thinking that it would make it easier to come up from the bottom without dealing with a weight belt since its apart of the bc.

Ronald Peterson

New Member
Posts:97

15 Feb 2015 05:37 PM
Dan, my belt has 25 lbs of lead on it. That keeps me at what I call neutral, in other words I do not float up or down from the depth I dive to. I weigh 205 lbs and wear a farmer johns wet suit. If you weigh more , you will need more weight, if you weigh less than 205 lbs you will need less weigh. Just add or subtract weight until you get it right. Also if your diving down 20 feet, I highly advise you to study a decompression table. Ron

William Hall
Buzzard

Buzzard
Posts:649

16 Feb 2015 10:05 AM
I weight 230ish pounds and use a farmer john style wet suit. In our dredging days, I needed 45 - 50 lbs of lead to stay on the bottom in what I will call light water current. We were down about 10 feet. As Ron suggests, do some research on diving, maybe taking a dive class or two. You usually only get one chance under water. A lot of variables on your body when under water. Bill

DAN WALKER

Greenhorn
Posts:

16 Feb 2015 06:56 PM
thanks for the advice every one. looks like i got some studying to do, or just move past this spot for somebody to figure out other then me.

Justin Woodall

Greenhorn
Posts:

22 Feb 2015 11:58 AM
Dan, I'm a diver with over 1500 logged dives, most between 65 and 160 feet so I understand what your thinking. I am not yet an experienced dredger but my thoughts would be that using a full BCD would be too cumbersome while working the nozzle. They make very slim ones for skin divers that you can get and then use a weight belt with pockets that hold the soft weights. Either way you go I wouldn't plumb one into the air line, all you need to do is inflate it manually with your exhaled breath and you'll come right up, it doesn't take much. If you are shallower than 32 feet you don't have to worry about nitrogen loading, you'll freeze to death before that'll ever happen. You really should at least read up on diving even though surface supplied air is not scuba, some of the safety precautions are the same.

Ted Tupitza

Greenhorn
Posts:1

01 Mar 2015 11:32 AM
Been diving since 1969 and dredging since 99. The BC will just be another piece of equipment to get in the way. Just throw a weighted rope into the water to assist entry and exit. I use about a third more weight on my belt than I need to. That makes it easier to anchor into a good spot and you can control the hose better. I use a 5 gallon bucket with holes drilled into it tied to the rope. That way if I find a rock I want to keep I just put it into the bucket.

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