Posted by John Walker on September 29, 2000 at 23:04:48:
In Reply to: Re: opinions requested on 'bungee' wings... posted by Gerry Smith on September 29, 2000 at 08:34:03:
Gerry, as you know I use to race cars. Most of these car excelled well by squeezing a 1/2 horse here a 1/4 of a horse there. I feel its similar in diving performance.
As you also know I have dove a variety of high flow waters, from the USS Monitor off N. Carolina, the Wilkes Barr off Key West Fl. to Little River and Devil Ear in N. Florida. These are just a few of the dives that have strong flowing water. I honestly feel that making a divers configuration cleaner and more streamline, maybe alittle here alittle there just like with the race cars, does make an overall difference in performance. Current's on these dives are something many of us in california never will experience. Our waters are nice and calm on the average day.
Couple of little story's: I made a dive on a submarine called the Tarpon a few years ago where it seemed to take me 5 min just to get to 150 fsw. I thought I was going to have a heart attack, the currents were so strong. I'm sure that my configuration made it alot easier, be it the extra lead on the stage rigging to allow my stages find their own slip stream, the limitation of danglies, type of suit I wore, my swimming profile, and yes even the lack of bongied wings.
Little river and devil ear in florida where I've had to claw my way into areas of the caves blowing at a couple of knotts, extra drag makes a major difference. Diving the Monitor we had three or more layers of water each moving in their own direction. The anchor line swirled in different directions.
To the jist, I do believe that the crumpled up material makes some difference's in performance and for some of the spokesman on techdiver (a list that I no longer subscribe to) I didn't mention riding a scooter.
By the way do you still have your's? If so, get it out of the closet and lets go play.
In Freinship,
John Walker