Jackets Jacket-style BCs are the most popular buoyancy compensators. These BCs are designed so that the bladder wraps from your back around to your waist (figure 2-33). These BCs are comfortable to wear, provide good trim under water, and float you upright on the surface when your BC is inflated. Horse Collars The older horse collar design encircles your neck. You can use a horse collar for both skin and scuba diving. The adjustment of the harness is critical to keep the BC from riding up when it is inflated. You must don and remove the horse collar separately from your cylinder. Always remember to detach the low-pressure inflator hose when removing your cylinder. Integrated Weight Systems Some jacket-style and back-flotation BCs enable you to integrate or add your weights directly to the BC instead of wearing them on a weight belt. The BC must have a means of allowing you to quickly release the weights in an emergency. Some integrated-weight systems use pockets that you load with weights and then secure in your BC with Velcro™. In an emergency, you pull the entire pocket out of the BC and drop it. Other integrated weight systems have pockets that are secured at the bottom with a threaded cable. You load your weights directly into the pockets in the BC. In an emergency, you pull the cable and the weights drop out of the pockets. The advantages to an integrated-weight BC include: • The need to wear a weight belt is eliminated. • The weights cannot slide around your body. • The weight is not supported solely by your lower back. One disadvantage to an integrated-weight BC is that once it is assembled, it can be heavy and awkward to handle. If you need to carry the system for any distance, you must either remove the weights or wear the system. A potential major hazard is that it is impossible for a dive supervisor to tell at a glance approximately how much weight you are wearing (for example, whether you are obviously overweighted). Selection The best way to select a BC is to try on different models and see which one is the most comfortable for you. Also, the features and design of the BC should match the type of diving you will be doing. For example, if you are going wreck diving, rugged material is more critical. If possible, try on the BC with a cylinder attached to the backpack and try the unit, or a rental like it, in the water. Ensure that you inflate the BC to see how it feels when full of air. The BC should not interfere with your body movement when it is full of air. The controls must also be easy to locate and operate. Maintenance You should rinse your BC internally and externally after each diving day (figure 2-34). Salt water, dirty NAUI Scuba Diver 34 Diving Equipment FIGURE 2-33. JACKET-STYLE BCS ARE THE MOST POPULAR STYLE OF BC.
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