Hi Kevin,


I've never had to fire the Back-UP in combat (though I came damn close on
an early spring trip last year). I have tried to simulate the effect by
sprinting along until I was gasping for breath, capsizing, deliberately
muffing a couple of rolls, and then righting with the Back-UP (at about
$12.00 per C02 cartridge, you definitely don't rehearse this as often as
you would the roll or the paddle-float rescue). The bag inflates with
gratifying rapidity (time really seems to drag when you've ceased
breathing only semi-voluntarily!) One interesting effect is that the
inflating bag actually pulls you toward the surface, lessening the need
to curl your body as a set-up for the hip flick. 

<excerpt>

 Also, what are

>the chances of loading it improperly such that it fails to deploy?


</excerpt>

Well, nothing's completely idiot or pilot-proof of course, but the manual
is pretty clear, and I'd say that the Back-UP would be more forgiving of
slight mis-packing than a parachute would be <<g>.


Minor declaration of interest: my employer sells these units, but I
receive no direct benefit from their sale, nor am I a spokesperson for my
employer or the manufacturer.


Cheers,




At 12:37 PM 2/3/99 -0800, you wrote:

>Hi Dan,

>

>Have you (or anyone else on this list) ever used one of these devices in
a

>real situation? I think it is based on a good concept, since rolling
back

>up, whichever way, beats a wet-exit and self-rescue hands down.  However
I

>doubt I will ever have the opportunity to try one myself.>

>On a lighter note, I bet this would be a good backup device for

>practicing one of the most impressive rolls imaginable... The Straight

>Jacket Roll. But only if it can be deployed with yer teeth :)

>

>	 ___________________                                                   
        

>	/   Kevin Whilden   \

>       |Dept. of Geosciences \___

>       |University of Washington \

>       |kwhilden@u.washington.edu| 

>        \________________________/                       

>

Philip T.

N49°16' W123°08' 

"The opinions expressed in this posting are not necessarily those of my employer, or indeed, of any sentient being."
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