RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Buoyancy Options During Escape

["Jay K. Jeffries" <bottomgun@mindspring.com>]

Brent,

You want the collapsibility of a typical horse-collar of buoyancy control vest to be able to get out of the sub with it on, then inflate once outside or standing in the con clear of all potential snags.  Nothing is gained by going to Kevlar or carbon fiber wrapping a tank.  Firemen use this type of tank to decrease weight due to all the equipment they must carry in a trying environment.  In the water a regular aluminum or steel tank is neutral or near neutrally buoyant.  Depending on your set-up inside your PSUB, you may want the tank stowed inside so you have something to breath off of until flooded down and out side of the sub.

 

Both of your solution add quite a bit additional cost and do not simplify the escape evolution.  KISS!

R/Jay

 

From: owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org [mailto:owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org] On Behalf Of Brent Hartwig
Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 3:45 AM
To: PSUBSorg
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Buoyancy Options During Escape

 

If one is not using a Steike hood for buoyancy, one thing comes to mind, perhaps syntactic foam inserts for a vest might be a option. The other option I was asking a SCUBA instructor about, was the use of the carbon fiber or Kevlar high pressure tanks that firemen some times use, and are used for a variety of other applications that require very high pressures in a light tank. This tank could be the one you leave the sub with, and hang onto for dear life.  The other use I had for them is to mount them under my stern deck, which will give me some more interior room, and not be heavy higher up on the sub.

Do you guys think those ideas will sink or float?  ;}   

I think that's a bit Letterman does.


Szybowski