Freedivers safety vest in development

[Jon]

Detailing all the features of the device, and the extent of its programmed "intellligence", would be too extensive for this forum.


Chip,

I think you should write a, detailed, article on it for the front page of Deeper Blue so that we al can delve into the specifics a bit more.

There's obviously enough interest in the product, as can be seen from the responses on here. I was hoping for it to be available this summer, but it sounds like next summer might be a closer to reality.

Jon

[Fondueset]

I'll second that.

Also - what about an automated safety release buckle for weight belts? Some obvious limitations - but still...

[Seacidal]

As the final version of the freedivers safety vest takes shape, we will make every effort to provide periodic updates with respect to the features, capabilities, and performance characteristics of the apparatus. Until all of the product's various features have been thoroughly tested and proven reliable, I am hesitant to tout features that might be regarded as "vapor-ware" (to borrow a term from the software industry).

Although, I believe that Terry Maas will be speaking on this subject at a conference in Florida in the near future.

In reference to the weight belt release feature, it is an option that remains "on the table." Perhaps it would be available as an option, or as a future add-on feature. Our primary concern is to provide an efficient and effective safety device, which is well-constructed, reliable, ergonomically designed, unobtrusive, convenient to use, and able to help reduce the number of deaths from SWB.

I greatly appreciate all of your interest in the FSV, and understand your desire to know more and possibly obtain one for yourself to use. We are making every effort to make the product available to freedivers as quickly as possible, but only after exhaustive design, testing, and review have been conducted.

Thanks,
Chip

[Jon]

Chip,

One more question.

Is this vest going to be in the $400 range or the $1400 range? I wouldn't hold you to an exact number, just wondering how much "prep-work" I will have to do with my wife so I can buy one- those "honey-do" lists can get pretty long and it always heps to get an early start .


Jon

[Seacidal]

Originally Posted by Jon

Chip,

One more question.

Is this vest going to be in the $400 range or the $1400 range? I wouldn't hold you to an exact number, just wondering how much "prep-work" I will have to do with my wife so I can buy one- those "honey-do" lists can get pretty long and it always heps to get an early start .

Jon

Jon,
I know exactly what you mean. However, it is very difficult to estimate pricing at this point. The design remains subject to revision, and therefore, production cost estimates vary considerably. Still, with the quality of the components being used in the device, and the fact that it has been designed "from the ground up" for this one, highly specialized & vital purpose (as opposed to cobbling together pieces from other products), I believe I can say that it is unlikely that the unit price would fall in the lower half of your range.
I would suggest however, that perhaps you could secure your wife's enthusiastic support of your buying the freediving safety vest when it comes out, by reminding her that this could save your life, and help reduce her worries about your diving. That's assuming that you're in her good stead, and that she's not eyeing your life insurance benefits. (just kidding!)
Personally, I'm doing everything possible to make this device the very best it can be, from every aspect, as I know my wife isn't going to let me in the water without it.

Chip

[anthropisces]

If you look at the literature on the vest, air, rather than CO2 is used to inflate the device. It might be possible to use smaller storage vessels by using another gas.

The work I've done on a free dive vest included a self ditching weight belt. It was necessary to limit the size of the can of gas. We were looking at CO2 and it wasn't capable of inflating a vest at 100' without excessively large cylinders (which equipment-austere freedivers such as myself might abhor).I forget now how we were going to accomplish it, I think it was by evaporating a "fuse" with a AA battery.

Our algorithm worked with a pressure transducer of our own design. It was a simple strain gauge bonded to a metal diaphram. The pressure transducer allowed very complex dive profiles to be evaluated.

I love freediving, but my knowledge of the blackout phenomenon was limited. I have heard that surfacing, or coming close to the surface, and then blacking out is a common occurance. For one scenario, we monitored surface time and "threatened" inflation if inadequate surface intervals were evident. There were warning signals prior to inflation, which would only allow delaying and not completely turning off the device.

It is a complex engineering task and I salute those who are working on it. I would very much like to see them succeed.

[Jon]

BUMP


Any more news about this?

Jon

[Seacidal]

Originally Posted by Jon

BUMP


Any more news about this?

Jon

Hi Jon,

Glad you asked. Development and testing of prototypes are continuing, and a number of variables are being "tuned" in the system's logic controls. Other developments are in the works, and we look forward to making an announcement about them.
Regarding the choice of air vs. CO2 or other material for emergency buoyancy -- air was selected for a number of reasons. One of those reasons is that the device permits a diver to recharge the system from a scuba tank, after it has been deployed. It also saves the diver the expense and inconvenience of large or multiple CO2 cylinders. Other gases might prove difficult to manage while traveling, while scuba cylinders can usually be found at dive locations around the world.
Chip Bissell
AOS Inc.

[JPPLAY]

From what I read the device will not let you pass 120 ft? If a competition diver needed this vest to go past 120 ft would you be willing to change the programming for that purpose? I would think even though it can not add enough air to create lift below 120 ft if the diver has not blackouted and is close to blacking out that extra lift may help bring him to 120 ft so the vest can take him to the surface.

[Seacidal]

I'm not sure where you read of that limit, but please bear in mind that the initial version of the product is intended for the recreational freediver, and not the competition apneist. However, the device does impose a maximum depth, based upon a number of variables, including the pressure and size of the compressed air cylinder. If you have only a partially filled cylinder, the device will calculate a maximum depth based upon the amount of buoyancy that is available from that partial fill. After all, what is the point of diving below a depth at which the safety device would be useful?
For competition apneists and that small percentage of freedivers who routinely dive to considerable depths (eg., beyond 130 fsw), different configurations are possible to retain the device's efficacy.
Chip Bissell
AOS Inc.

[ROBERT REYES]

I am also worried about this patent, is it something that will bring along demands and will delay such a valuable product/
Why cant we have 2, 3, 100 diferent desings, market will tell wich one works
better, and meanwhile lifes would be saved.

[Seacidal]

Robert,
I'm not certain that I understand your comment. However, I can assure you that any patent protection for the device in question will not delay the product's release in any way.
In theory, many different designs are possible, although for one company to market a number of competing designs is impractical.
Every effort is being made to bring an effective and complete device to market as soon as possible. I can assure you of that.
Chip Bissell
Applied Ocean Specialties

[Jon]

BUMP

Just wondering if there's any news on this thing and there's a release date on the horizon?

Jon

[Seacidal]

Jon and others,

While I can't provide you with a concrete release date, I can say that the development of the product is advancing steadily and that more information should be available in the near future. Keep watching this space...

Chip Bissell
Applied Ocean Specialties

[mundial]

well i can say
U guys here & the developers are great!
ASAP it will be ready less divers will sleep in the Abyss
sad to say it but the time is to short
i am most happy to see this product if it will go out on the market
from this discotion i can say i red all about SWB i am more aware of it
the links were great even i manage to read it in spanish
INDICE ANALITICO
thanks everybody