silent running
Member
Yes, getting BMCLs as close to the body as possible is the name of the game with WOB in a BMCL design, which means a thin, fabric cover, like the Draeger. The KISS classic breathed like a pig with emphysema compared to the Dolphin.
IMHO, manufacturers do not pay enough attention to CL placement and the ease of don/doff in design, with the cover acting as the harness frame, like the Dolphin has. Most designs require backplates, which then cause the lungs to be further away from the diver’s body and increases WOB unnecessarily. Nobody questions this because most CCRs require so much weight to get negative. I would rather see more designs which eliminate backplates, put CLs right next to the body and allow weight to be put on at the destination and distributed on the unit for best trim.
I also suspect some of the reason divers do not like OTSCLs is because of the need for a separate web harness in addition to CL attachment points on most designs. This makes don/doffing difficult and downright dangerous on a pitching boat while trying to bring the loop over your head without having the DSV/BOV hitting you in the face. I’ll never understand why more OTSCL units don’t have CLs which are part of the weight bearing harness. Getting in and out of the Prism 1 is easy as could be with 3 fastening points on the webbing, not counting the waist buckle. You put it on like a coat, and the CLs are as close to your lungs as can be...
