Emergency Flotation

[SurfLung]

- Reading my Basic Scuba book, there used to be quite a selection of CO2 activated emergency flotation devices to choose from. From the cheapy "Res-Q-Pac" to those neat Sea Hunt Markers and the Dacor inflatable waist belts. NONE of these are available today... Probably for liability reasons and lack of "Coast Guard Approved" status.
- With single tanks, I've been using a small (18 lb lift) Oxycheq "Traveler" wing BC mainly for it's emergency flotation capability... And planning to inflate it orally since it has no CO2 and my vintage regs have no inflators.
- But since I got my Twin 38s, I've been going without emergency flotation.
- Recently I came upon some actual Coast Guard Approved, CO2 emergency flotation that is not much bigger than the old Dacor waist belt flotation. The labeling is from both Stearns and Coleman and the brand name is SOSPenders.
- I ordered and received one of these. Quality is excellent. It's not bulky at all. The volume of flotation is plentiful. And it re-arms with standard 16 gram CO2 cartridges... Yeah, it's re-useable!

[captain]

Be sure to perodiclay check the co 2 mechanism. some have parts that will rust along with the steel co 2 cartridge.

I usually will wear a UDT vest as I am wearing in the photo.

[SurfLung]

The "Swim It" Mae West Vest...
- I found a neat emergency Mae West Vest that packs in a pouch behind your thigh. Developed for Triathlon swimmers. See videos at http://www.myswimit.com/

[SurfLung]

Can You Spot My Swim It?

- I wear it on the front of my thigh so that my weight belt will fall freely away without snagging the Swim It umbilical. You pull the tab and it inflates a Mae West life vest that slips over your head. The vest itself looks like an actual airlines emergency vest... It has markings "FAA Certified...", etc. It stays attached to the leg pouch by a cloth strap so it won't float or blow away from you. And, it stays on your head by friction/tension. It has a valve so you can keep it inflated if you have to float for awhile. And, it is reusable by replacing the 16 gram CO2 cylinder and repacking it into it's pouch.
- I've tried inflating this with my full gear on and it worked perfectly.

[reddiver]

Back in Navy DIve School in 1973, the only purpose of a vest was for surface use. Once single hose regulators became Navy approved, they authorized a horsecollar BC with LP inflator hose attachment. I still use my SeaTec Horse COllar BC which is very rugged and fairly compact. Dove my phoenix first stage on my DA AQuamaster with my single hose friends this weekend and it was nice having a clear view in front of my mask instead of bubbles and still have the ability to add air to my BC, although not true vintage,

Reddiver

[sthtxdiver]

My little fellow

[OystrPir8]

It just seems to me like those CO2 marker buoys ought to be easy to reproduce if the right vendors were found. Man I want a couple of those.

[antique diver]

My little fellow

I decided to test mine again after a number of years, and it ruptured!

[sthtxdiver]

are you serious? you must of use a very large co2 cartridge .the reason i say this is because when i activate mine it still has enough volume left over

[antique diver]

are you serious? you must of use a very large co2 cartridge .the reason i say this is because when i activate mine it still has enough volume left over

Yes I am serious, and they will only hold the small cartridge. I think it is a 12 gm. Apparently the rubber bladder had deteriorated and lost strength and elasticity. I have another double cartridge model (detonator at each end) made by Dacor, but I hesitate to test it for fear of destroying it as a collectible.

Back in the 80's I used one of these floats on a large 80 pound Sony video housing as emergency floatation for it. Even though the system was neutrally buoyant, we once flooded one at El Bajo, and it quickly became very heavy. I had just entered the water off the stern of the Baja Explorer in a heavy current, and almost had to just let it sink. Finally got it to the descent line and two of us pulled it up the line. It's amazing how video cameras have evolved in size and quality since then.

[SurfLung]

- For currently manufactured solutions, I dove both, the Stearns SOSpenders and the MySwimIt (above) several times this summer. The Stearns tended to tangle with my weight belt and I feared it might not let me dump the weights. Here's a picture of me diving with the Stearns SOSpenders.

- But the SwimIt worked out great. Wore it on the front of my thigh. When you pull the cord it inflates into a Mae West flotation vest that has a cotton tether still attached to the pouch on your leg... So you won't lose it. Being on the front thigh, a dumped weight belt exits off my back side with the open end easily clearing the SwimIt tether and pouch. I tried it a few times to be sure... Used up some CO2s to make sure it really works.
- You can just barely see the black SwimIt pouch w/Red Pull Tab on my front right thigh below.

- For the original marker buoy style flotation, below is a picture of SeaHunt Jerry wearing one on his left shoulder strap at our Wazee Vintage Dive last Summer. His is "New In The Box" and works fine.